Mirageman

This movie would've been bad in the 70's where it belongs. It is exponentially bad for 2007. It was so obviously bad that I just went with it, like clearly this movie is going for ludicrous. The fight choreography was amateurish, the cinematography was high school level, and the plot was paltry.

"Mirageman" is "Kick-Ass" minus the novelty. "Meteor Man" minus the superpowers. "Blankman" minus the laughs. "Batman" minus everything. It was a 70's, low-budget, American-made, kung-fu movie in Spanish.

A masked man named Maco Guttierez (Marko Zaror), who barely speaks the entire movie, decides to fight crime in Chile in a cartoonish fashion. He even runs like a Japanese anime character. He fights crime in a place where people in groups attack him one at a time, and he has a thing for a pretty news reporter named Carol Valdivieso (Maria Elena Swett). If he was younger with a shell he could be a teenage mutant ninja turtle.

Maybe in Chile this movie was a hit, and even still they'd had to have been devoid of U. S. cinematic entertainment for years. This movie was neither creative, entertaining, or good.

So, you fancy a film which contains a lot of butt-kicking, off-beat humour and a gritty underlining theme? Whoa, wait, there also has to be plenty of satire.

Not after much, are you? Well fear not, because Mirageman delivers!!!

Ripped into by some, unknown to most, and establishing himself a solid fanbase with a select few, Marco Zaror was kick-arse long before the comic ever existed; he had the e-mails, the dodgy outfit, the bad haircut... But about the film:

Obsessed with being in a prime condition to defend himself after BLAH (generic vigilante background psychology), one night our soon-to-be hero jogs into the scene of a crime in progress and then it's all a blur: his training takes over, he KICKS BUTT! Yes, this is what he was training himself for all this time. Yet it's not clear to him until one of the women he rescued turns out to be a wannabe TV reporter who thanks him on the news at 11.

Okay, so now what's a boy to do if he wants to become the next Batman?

Going through a range of ridiculous kits and taking the bus to places where trouble may lurk, "Chile's national hero", as the HOT - now bona fide - TV reporter dubs him, finds his exploits methodically covered as she cashes in on her looks (I mentioned that she's HOT, right?) and his antics for a winning combination.

But for how long can a dude in a mask stay in the public eye? How much of an impact can one man beating up bag-snatchers make on society? It's at this point that the film takes it up a notch and we see that it has a whole other level of depth, as it effortlessly pivots from light-heartedness-to-something dark; from the downright hilarious-to-sheer brutality for a grand finalé.

So if you're looking for something a bit different, do yourself a massive favour and check out Mirageman; you may be disappointed but there's an 8/10 chance that you'll like it!

This is another very good pairing of Chile's Mark Zaror and Ernesto Díaz Espinoza in a martial arts action film. This film surrounds Zaror's attempt to become a vigilante after the murder of some family members. The film has real heart and some very good fight scenes. It is a great vehicle for Zaror to display his fighting skills. The training scenes are among the best you will see in any film. The film is low budget, and that shows in its cinematography and, especially, in its musical score. The acting is good. The script is original. Zaror is great, and in this one he does not take himself too seriously. It is no wonder he has become one of the most sought after so-stars for martial arts and action films, including John Wick 4.

Zaror's last movie, Kiltro, and this one, are incredibly fun to watch; the best time I've ever have in the cinema was watching them. Mirageman, in any case, is not only fun (the comical depictions of "typical" Chilean stuff are great!), but the social and psychological part of it is moving. Zaror's character is lovable, you can't help to feel the rightness of his cause, in a much deeper way than other superheroes movies like Spiderman, cause he is real! The TV's abuse on Miragamen is also a good metaphor on how the Chilean media is. The only thing I hope is that they don't make a second part... Anyways, watching this movie is money well spent, super recommended :)

Full review on my blog max4movies: Mirageman is a low-budget action movie that focuses on a more or less realistic story of a bouncer turned vigilante. The independent production lacks in cinematography and the plot and the comedic undertones may not always work as effectively as they should. However, this doesn't mean that Mirageman is simply a cheap copy of similarly themed movies like Kick-Ass with a considerably higher budget and well-known actors. The stunt work and choreography are impressive and the gritty performances make the movie feel realistic and compelling. The movie also never takes itself too seriously, which makes for some light-hearted and funny bits - that are also accompanied by some more serious discussions about the morality of vigilante actions in general. In total, Mirageman is a convincing and entertaining action movie package.