Mirageman

When you hear "superhero movie," its almost a given you think larger than life characters with over the top action scenes and heavy special effects. Sadly what I imagine will be lost on many potential viewers is that Mirageman is supposed to be what would happen if someone in the real world decided to become a superhero.

Sure, there have been famous superheroes before whose only "power" has been knowing karate, but Mirageman does a great job setting up the realistic consequences of someone putting on a mask to fight crime. His martial arts are impressive but they're very real, with no camera tricks or special effects to make them look cooler. He doesn't have a police scanner or anything, so he has to rely on people emailing him their problems to find out where to be (which some people abuse, naturally).

Mirageman is no god among men either; he gets surprised, beaten within an inch of his life and wonders what the hell made him think he could do this after a disastrous setback. But in the end, he realizes in a cynical world like ours one ordinary person can make a difference if they've got the courage to try.

Mirageman isn't your average blockbuster superhero movie, but if you're willing to accept it for it differences, you won't be disappointed.

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.

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 :)

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.

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!