Mark Anthony Tocmo

This movie deserves another look, I had the opportunity to saw it on a matinee during its original theatrical release this is now forever be knowm as Sean Connery's last film.

This film could have been greatly elevated if the creators had focused the plot on Hanzo Hashashi's quest to exact revenge for the massacre of his family and clan. While I'm glad that I get to see some of my favorite characters in the backdrop of the first tournament, it drowned the heart and soul of this movie, the anguish and rage of Scorpion. The fight animations were solid, and some of the voice works are decent particularly Joel McHale as Jonny Cage. I just wish they centered the dynamics between Scorpion, Sub Zero and Quanchi

This movie is propelled by solid performances by the lead, not an easy feat since 80 percent of the movie focuses only on the duo. I was most pleasantly surprised by Xian Lim who I always considered as one of the many bland talents of ABS-CBN, who's only claim to fame was being paired with Kim Chiu. However, he has proven in this movie that he has the acting chops that can command attention from the viewers. Christine Reyes is as always reliable, I have always considered her one of the best actress of her generation who is often overshadowed by her real-life dramas, and the misfortune of being given bland projects that does not allow her to flex her acting range. Another strength of this film is the skillful cinematography helped by the gorgeous sights of Georgia. However as the film progresses I have grown weary of the creative team's proclivity to use darker hues in the color grading despite that with soft framing that dominates half of the film exudes a sense of nostalgia. Speaking of first half, it really got me hooked. The employing of narrative device known as Rashomon among cinephiles is always a tried and tested way to mess up with the viewers. Xian Lim was fun to watch, playing the unstable and mysterious version from the point of view of Mara (Reyes). I dare say, from the work that he has done so far, this is probably the best acting job of his career. It was also in this segment that Christine Reyes brought her A-game. I was able to connect with her character Mara when she was painted as a naiveté , drown by the imposing and unstable Joachim (Lim). I was amazed by how well, Christine Reyes was able to convey a multitude of emotions in scenes where she did not utter one dialogue, one in particular when the camera lingers in her expression as she (SPOILERS) surveys the vehicle driven by Joachim after the latter had a nervous break-down. It is only unfortunate what started out as a strong and intriguing neo-noir was weighed down when we reached third act when the motivation behind the ruse was revealed. I personally think it could have been handled better. SPOILER. If the creative team had fleshed out the motivation behind Mara's elaborate plot to exact revenge than some contrived backstory, the film could have been a consistently engaging psychological drama. I feel, they could have dedicated more time in establishing her relationship with her sister and the guilt that consumes Mara for neglecting the emotional needs of her younger sister. Untrue, is a promising neo-noir bagged down by the contrived third act. But I'm glad that platforms that Netflix has allowed this film to be discovered by audiences.

Poignant dark comedy propelled by the two leads charming and chemistry-filled performance.

I had high hopes for this feature since it was helmed by the generally reliable Erik Matti. However upon seeing it was just Matti aping and stealing the aesthetics of neon lighting of Nicolas Wing Rfyn (See Driver and Neon Demon), the quick cuts of action movies from 2000s, and the gritty stylings of Gareth Evans from the raid which this film is an obvious copy. He was also taking a page from the Quentin Tarantino school of scoring your action scenes with doozy music, one particular fight scene was scored by a Visayan novelty song. None the less, comparing this from the sorry state of our local cinema, i'll take movies like this anytime any day than the regurgitated trash we usually get from Star Cinema and other local entertainment producers.

For better or for worse, this movie will become a cult hit. The third act is probably one of the most doozy ever committed to horror cinema. Don't trust the hate, judge this movie for yourself.