Maria

When I sat down to watch this 2019 Tagalog movie, I can't really claim that my expectation were particularly high. Why? Well, the track record of the movies I have seen from the Filipino cinema haven't exactly been all that impressive. Mostly it has been so dubious romantic comedy, where once you've seen one, you've essentially seen them all.

But writer and director Pedring Lopez actually managed to surprise with this movie, as it was quite enjoyable and entertaining. And it was such a massive step up for the Tagalog cinema. I will say that this is actually one of the better Tagalog movies that I've had the fortune of watching. There's been a couple of other action movies from the Tagalog cinema that were good as well, so this is nice addition to that.

The storyline is pretty straight forward; a scorned former assassin hellbent on revenge. Yeah, that was essentially it, but the movie is loaded with enough action that the lack of a more in-depth storyline actually doesn't matter all that much.

The movie has a good cast ensemble to perform the various roles on the screen, and they do so quite well.

My rating of "Maria" is a six out of ten stars. This one is definitely watchable and enjoyable, if you should ever have the chance to sit down and watch it.

Finally another action movie that actually has a budget to make one in the Philippines lol. I love the pictures the effects The characters are amazing and the music. It's a must watch movie. This is one of the best for me in PI. And must also watch Hard Day starring Ding dong Dantes.

This film begins with an assassin named "Maria" (Christine Reyes) stealthily sneaking onto the inner courtyard of a heavily-guarded mansion. Not long afterward a fierce gun battle breaks out and she ends up killing all of her intended targets. The scene then shifts to seven years later where that same woman now has a husband by the name of "Bert" (Buji Lorenzana) and a young daughter named "Min-Min" (Johanna Rish Tongcua) and is quite content with her new life. Unfortunately, this changes when her former boss named "Kaleb" (Germaine De Leon) happens to see her and it's then disclosed that he has a score to settle with her which complicates things for all involved. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this turned out to be a pretty good action film all things considered. I especially liked the confrontation between Maria and her replacement "Miru" (Jennifer Lee) which I thought was well played. Admittedly, while not in the same class as any of the "John Wick" films, this one managed to hold its own and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

In this revenge thriller, we follow Maria (Cristine Reyes) a woman with a troubled past as an assassin who has now retired and started a family. When her old partners discover she is still alive, they murder her husband and daughter in cold blood and she vows revenge. For the most part, it does drag quite a bit and I think that's due to a really poor script. The bad guys say typical bad guys things which completely detracts from the authenticity and just feels very last minute. The acting is not too bad at all; particularly from Reyes who brings a good lead performance and Ronnie Lazaro is also fun as Sir Greg. There are a couple of really well choreographed fight scenes with a keen focus on martial arts and take a lot of inspiration from recent action hits such as John Wick. It's biggest saving grace is the soundtrack with awesome pounding rock songs by Mr Bones & The Boneyard Circus which went straight onto my playlist! I'd recommend the soundtrack and Maria's incentive for vengeance is justified propelled by a disturbing sequence half way through. Not for the faint hearted but also retreading old ground and not bringing much new to the table

Do not get fooled by the high ratings. It´s a below-average action film with below-average actors. A very well known, no surprise one-dimensional storyline about revenge. No surprises at all.