Sometimes I like to take a chance with a movie I never heard of when I shop the discounted DVD racks at my local Walmart or Target, especially if the cover reviews are good and the premise sounds interesting. In this case, my gamble on "Redeemer" paid off handsomely with a sort of Chilean Western-cum-old-school-Kung-Fu tale of vengeance and redemption.
Of course, the violence is in the new vein of Krav-Maga with broken rhythms, joint attacks, grappling and gun-play that have come into vogue since "The Raid". It's well staged, high-energy and invigoratingly brutal. And we all know that's what you came here for (don't be ashamed, it's what *I* came for too), so that's good.
But the director and screen-writer managed to work in a stark, elemental feel of Good vs Evil that works splendidly in the stripped down environment of an isolated town jammed up against mountains and sea coast. That allows for some wildly beautiful photography that allows the viewer to catch his breath (I say "his" because I can't imagine a typical female viewer wanting to watch this.) But it also throws the human actions and emotions we see into sharp relief. That's some careful and inspired film design right there.
This is a "B" picture all the way, about as subtle as a shot of "Red- eye" whiskey. But even so, the actors here get the job done, in spite of an indifferent job of dubbing into English (I wish I could have watched this in Spanish with just English subtitles). Marko Zaror may not have a lot of dramatic range, but the movie showcases all his acting strengths and none of his (undoubted) weaknesses, so the end result is both enigmatic and instantly identifiable - he's the Hero on a Quest, and you know what drives him (because the movie shows you in flashback what happened), but at the same time you don't know him at all. Put the character in a tuxedo at a party, the actor might stumble badly - but here, in this, he's perfect.
So, if you are looking for a fresh take on martial arts action, this is worth your time. If you are a fan of this kind of movie, you should seek it out and take the time to watch.
Of course, the violence is in the new vein of Krav-Maga with broken rhythms, joint attacks, grappling and gun-play that have come into vogue since "The Raid". It's well staged, high-energy and invigoratingly brutal. And we all know that's what you came here for (don't be ashamed, it's what *I* came for too), so that's good.
But the director and screen-writer managed to work in a stark, elemental feel of Good vs Evil that works splendidly in the stripped down environment of an isolated town jammed up against mountains and sea coast. That allows for some wildly beautiful photography that allows the viewer to catch his breath (I say "his" because I can't imagine a typical female viewer wanting to watch this.) But it also throws the human actions and emotions we see into sharp relief. That's some careful and inspired film design right there.
This is a "B" picture all the way, about as subtle as a shot of "Red- eye" whiskey. But even so, the actors here get the job done, in spite of an indifferent job of dubbing into English (I wish I could have watched this in Spanish with just English subtitles). Marko Zaror may not have a lot of dramatic range, but the movie showcases all his acting strengths and none of his (undoubted) weaknesses, so the end result is both enigmatic and instantly identifiable - he's the Hero on a Quest, and you know what drives him (because the movie shows you in flashback what happened), but at the same time you don't know him at all. Put the character in a tuxedo at a party, the actor might stumble badly - but here, in this, he's perfect.
So, if you are looking for a fresh take on martial arts action, this is worth your time. If you are a fan of this kind of movie, you should seek it out and take the time to watch.