El Santo wasn't only the most famous Mexican luchador, beyond his victories in the ring he also became a star of dozen of films in which he was a action hero that saved Mexico and the whole world from all kind of menaces going from criminals to supernatural beings.
These movies have little artistic value but they have become cult films for thousands of people both in Mexico and in the whole world, they are still seen and enjoyed.
Luchadores movies marked a time in Mexican cinema but their glory days are gone, today the little films of this sub-genre are straight to video releases or, like this title, short films that are little seen since they have no easy way to be distributed.
¡Esta máscara es mía! O Santo contra la burocracia is nothing but a exercise made by university students taking their first steps in the world of movies, all actors are amateurs and I assume the most of the crew were friends or classmates of the director, despite this he managed to get the support of El Santo himself and also of other less famous luchadores which give this picture an interest it would not have otherwise.
The silver mask is no longer wore by the original Ssnto but by his son, who despite making a few pictures like the one of his father left the movie business due to the lack of interest of this new movies with the public, still from time to time he allows himself to make this kind of films.
With full awareness of the absurdity of the luchadores pictures this new short films are made as comedies precisely as an homage to the original films; the main appeal for luchadores films fans is the absurdity of the plot. And this is the case of this picture where El Santo faces a terrible enemy, one that attacks and makes millions of people in Mexico and the world suffer everyday, Bureaucracy.
This movie must not be seen as anything but a joke, a joke that I think works quite well, since you start watching this you know precisely what to expect and the film delivers everything it promises: The main character will face unnecessary procedures and the contempt of government employees, he will eventually grow tired of it and he will face this people (conveniently a group of masked luchadores) succeeding to beat them and getting the applause of all the people that, like him, are waiting to comply with the bureaucratic procedures, there is nothing else to look for, this is made for fun it is far from being art.
There are other good things to see at the film, specially the work of two performers: Isela Rico as the obnoxious receptionist that attends El Santo and "El Chipolte" as the lucha libre fanatic that makes line behind "the silver-masked man" helping to put him at the edge of his patience, both have one-dimensional characters but they make them as good as it is possible and they are both quite funny. The rest of the cast simply meets the quality that can be expected of amateur actors.
Two things I liked less where the credits in which half of the participants are listed with their nicknames which makes the effort look unprofessional, the other one is that I would have liked a little bit more of drama when the leader of the bureaucrats orders El Santo to unmask in order to identify him, a scene that leads to the final confrontation.
This short film it's not memorable but will deliver fun moments to the viewers, it delivers all it promises and watching it with the right attitude will lead to a correct appreciation of it.
These movies have little artistic value but they have become cult films for thousands of people both in Mexico and in the whole world, they are still seen and enjoyed.
Luchadores movies marked a time in Mexican cinema but their glory days are gone, today the little films of this sub-genre are straight to video releases or, like this title, short films that are little seen since they have no easy way to be distributed.
¡Esta máscara es mía! O Santo contra la burocracia is nothing but a exercise made by university students taking their first steps in the world of movies, all actors are amateurs and I assume the most of the crew were friends or classmates of the director, despite this he managed to get the support of El Santo himself and also of other less famous luchadores which give this picture an interest it would not have otherwise.
The silver mask is no longer wore by the original Ssnto but by his son, who despite making a few pictures like the one of his father left the movie business due to the lack of interest of this new movies with the public, still from time to time he allows himself to make this kind of films.
With full awareness of the absurdity of the luchadores pictures this new short films are made as comedies precisely as an homage to the original films; the main appeal for luchadores films fans is the absurdity of the plot. And this is the case of this picture where El Santo faces a terrible enemy, one that attacks and makes millions of people in Mexico and the world suffer everyday, Bureaucracy.
This movie must not be seen as anything but a joke, a joke that I think works quite well, since you start watching this you know precisely what to expect and the film delivers everything it promises: The main character will face unnecessary procedures and the contempt of government employees, he will eventually grow tired of it and he will face this people (conveniently a group of masked luchadores) succeeding to beat them and getting the applause of all the people that, like him, are waiting to comply with the bureaucratic procedures, there is nothing else to look for, this is made for fun it is far from being art.
There are other good things to see at the film, specially the work of two performers: Isela Rico as the obnoxious receptionist that attends El Santo and "El Chipolte" as the lucha libre fanatic that makes line behind "the silver-masked man" helping to put him at the edge of his patience, both have one-dimensional characters but they make them as good as it is possible and they are both quite funny. The rest of the cast simply meets the quality that can be expected of amateur actors.
Two things I liked less where the credits in which half of the participants are listed with their nicknames which makes the effort look unprofessional, the other one is that I would have liked a little bit more of drama when the leader of the bureaucrats orders El Santo to unmask in order to identify him, a scene that leads to the final confrontation.
This short film it's not memorable but will deliver fun moments to the viewers, it delivers all it promises and watching it with the right attitude will lead to a correct appreciation of it.