Agila ng Maynila

I always have a hard time choosing which FPJ film I like the most; it's constantly a toss-up between Kapag Puno Na Ang Salop or Agila Ng Maynila (Batas Sa Aking Kamay and Gawa Na Ang Bala Na Papatay Sa 'Yo are right up there as well). The movie with Eddie Garcia as a corrupt judge is especially notable for its strong final act and shootout sequence (that scene with Paquito getting a shotgun barrel shoved in his ass is priceless); still, when all the merit points are added up, the rightful winner goes to the 1988 Metro Manila Film Festival entry and blockbuster hit.

There are those who complain that the film is a "quickie"; that it has a very short running time. To be honest though, the movie's narrative is evenly paced and the presentation is dense enough that film length is never an issue. Compare this to a Hollywood feature like the recent Snyder cut of the Justice League which was a ho-hum, torturous three hour borefest and the question about film length becomes a no-brainer.

Anyways, Agila Ng Maynila is a perfect mixture of hard action and drama; it's a movie in the vein of the classic Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson films. Though in spirit, it has more in common with the Death Wish series, especially Death Wish 2 (Rudy Fernandez has his own movie with the same thematic motif which was 1987's Vigilante though it was more of a straightforward revenge flick than a Death Wish style film). FPJ plays Mauro Reyes, a policeman suspended from the service due to a frame-up; like the Punisher, he stalks the streets and alleyways in search of criminal prey.

The role is sort of a culmination of FPJ's various portrayals as hero of the oppressed and downtrodden; here he becomes the ultimate protector of the people, rescuing them by the use of high powered firearms and ammunition. FPJ's cinematic image is always that of a mythical, almost superheroic, totally larger than life figure; as such, he cannot stoop down to the level of an antihero or a "noble bandit". This is why FPJ doesn't have a movie where he's robbing banks or killing for a living; that would surely take away from his carefully cultivated image in the movies as the morally upright savior of the proletarian masses (though one questions if his role in Sayo Ang Tondo, Kanya Ang Cavite qualifies as an "antihero"). Leave the bad boy roles to Rudy Fernandez, Robin Padilla and Eddie Garcia, but Da King must remain unwavering as the unblemished white knight/righteous action hero. The movie itself is an example of messiah fantasy (messianism being a variant of the "magic pill" syndrome), where the problems of the community or society are solved by the appearance of a prophesied champion. In this way, the film serves as an effective form of escapist entertainment.

FPJ's role here is the closest thing to him playing an assassin and his scenes where he is shown using an autopistol equipped with laser sighting are undoubtedly cool and badass. The sequence where he uses two M16 rifles is also quite very good and kind of reminiscent of Arnold's in The Terminator; not to mention, the blood effects are there to aid in the film's realism (blood effects being entirely absent from Filipino action films from 1993 onwards because of the misguided crusade of some out of touch with reality liberals in Filipino censorship board MTRCB).

In conclusion, Agila Ng Maynila is FPJ's most memorable film; it serves to bridge a divide between his old and new fans. It is a true Filipino classic of hard action cinema.