The story line was smooth, cinematography was alright. The Actors Robin Padilla, Monsour Del Rosario and Julio Diaz were just starting to make a name when this movie was done, way back in my 20's at the turn of a century. Looking back...this era was still a part of the Golden years of Philippine cinema.
2 Reviews
Classy and Intelligent Ensemble Action
Nen_Master35718 October 2021
This Jose N. Carreon classic is a smart, well thought out and refined hard action stomper; imagine if The Expendables had brain cells and without the retirement home ambiance, the end product would be Eagle Squad. The film is notable for its potent combination of finely staged action, impressive storytelling and stellar acting; these elements propel the film forward in a very agreeable and aesthetically pleasing direction.
Part of the film's charm can be credited to its very effective screenplay, written by the director, along with two others, Rene Villanueva and long-time collaborator Jojo Lapus. Because of the tight script, scenes of action are seamlessly interwoven amid other sub-narratives; the dialogue is especially crisp and snappy with little of the cheesy, awkward verbal metaphors found in other action films. While the foul language is kept to a bare minimum, its main function is to keep the movie firmly grounded in reality. A few of the lines delivered by iconic character actor Paquito Diaz, may raise eyebrows for their colorful and gleeful vulgarity but are purely in keeping with his character, that of a policeman hardened by the streets.
The movie is also commendable for its choice of actors to play the squad members. George Estregan Jr.'s sedated role in the film is far from the wild-eyed, maniacal hooligans he'd be known for in the early 90s while Robin Padilla's activist turned defender of the system character is sort of low key and shows none of the energetic performance he'd be later recognized for. Edu Manzano's intro solo scene in the movie is kind of inspired by 80s show Miami Vice (and Beverly Hills Cop), specifically when Manzano takes out the shotgun from the trunk of his car. Pretty great performances from all involved with the exception of the bland and sterile "Nick Martel" who later faded into oblivion while Jinggoy Estrada is simply miscast; the guy should be in a comedy movie, not in action films.
In addition to having an interesting team of protagonists, Carreon's movie is also supported by a great cast of villains. Honorable mentions would go to the remarkable performances of Jimmy Fabregas and Bomber Moran; as we all know, Fabregas is easily recognizable among the dumb masses for his supporting role in the television garbage dump Ang Probinsyano but his real contribution to Philippine entertainment is in composing and arranging music for hard action movies (though he is also a versatile veteran actor who could act in both drama and comedy). A large portion of the music made by Fabregas is readily identifiable by its dreamy soundscape, very similar to Eric Serra's style in the intro theme to Luc Besson's Leon. Moran on the other hand doesn't need any introduction as he is very familiar to hardcore action fans and for his memorable appearance in FPJ's movie, Partida, as the big goon armed with the twin rocket bazooka. In Carreon's film, he stole the show in the ending scene when he blurted out the expletive "'Putang ina nyo!" while fingering an assault rifle before he is cut down with high powered ammo.
But that's enough about the actors, let's talk about the film's thematic motif. Story-wise, the film has an admittedly controversial concept; it depicts a group of law enforcers with a legal right to kill and to conduct warrantless arrests. Since, in the real world, the police are nothing more than the attack dogs of the corporations and the state, the film is merely being a reflection of present day society, that it is controlled by an elitist oligarchy with politicians as mere minions of these oligarchs. The politicians/lackeys of these oligarchs urge the chief of police to form a squad that would be tasked in preserving the status quo of their masters. Simply put, Carreon's film is an exploitation film exploiting fascist rightwing ideology, but is a very good exploitation film, maybe just five notches higher than a Cirio Santiago b-movie.
On a less political note, the action scenes were all meticulously directed and choreographed. A pretty memorable sequence is the highway scene where the heroes are shown kicking major ass, especially Padilla and George Jr., with their Chow Yun Fat style gun technique. Another great scene is when Manzano's character discovers Mon's (Del Rosario's character) lifeless body after a gruesome attack; he notices one of the attackers is alive and is suddenly engulfed in rage, firing his gun wildly. It's a very emotional scene, captured with a raw authenticity by Carreon's expert lens, Manzano's expressive range and the thoughtful music score of Fabregas.
To conclude, Eagle Squad is an ambitious, stylish and above average release; it's a lofty undertaking by a gifted director/scriptwriter and a lesson on how to make a great action film.
Part of the film's charm can be credited to its very effective screenplay, written by the director, along with two others, Rene Villanueva and long-time collaborator Jojo Lapus. Because of the tight script, scenes of action are seamlessly interwoven amid other sub-narratives; the dialogue is especially crisp and snappy with little of the cheesy, awkward verbal metaphors found in other action films. While the foul language is kept to a bare minimum, its main function is to keep the movie firmly grounded in reality. A few of the lines delivered by iconic character actor Paquito Diaz, may raise eyebrows for their colorful and gleeful vulgarity but are purely in keeping with his character, that of a policeman hardened by the streets.
The movie is also commendable for its choice of actors to play the squad members. George Estregan Jr.'s sedated role in the film is far from the wild-eyed, maniacal hooligans he'd be known for in the early 90s while Robin Padilla's activist turned defender of the system character is sort of low key and shows none of the energetic performance he'd be later recognized for. Edu Manzano's intro solo scene in the movie is kind of inspired by 80s show Miami Vice (and Beverly Hills Cop), specifically when Manzano takes out the shotgun from the trunk of his car. Pretty great performances from all involved with the exception of the bland and sterile "Nick Martel" who later faded into oblivion while Jinggoy Estrada is simply miscast; the guy should be in a comedy movie, not in action films.
In addition to having an interesting team of protagonists, Carreon's movie is also supported by a great cast of villains. Honorable mentions would go to the remarkable performances of Jimmy Fabregas and Bomber Moran; as we all know, Fabregas is easily recognizable among the dumb masses for his supporting role in the television garbage dump Ang Probinsyano but his real contribution to Philippine entertainment is in composing and arranging music for hard action movies (though he is also a versatile veteran actor who could act in both drama and comedy). A large portion of the music made by Fabregas is readily identifiable by its dreamy soundscape, very similar to Eric Serra's style in the intro theme to Luc Besson's Leon. Moran on the other hand doesn't need any introduction as he is very familiar to hardcore action fans and for his memorable appearance in FPJ's movie, Partida, as the big goon armed with the twin rocket bazooka. In Carreon's film, he stole the show in the ending scene when he blurted out the expletive "'Putang ina nyo!" while fingering an assault rifle before he is cut down with high powered ammo.
But that's enough about the actors, let's talk about the film's thematic motif. Story-wise, the film has an admittedly controversial concept; it depicts a group of law enforcers with a legal right to kill and to conduct warrantless arrests. Since, in the real world, the police are nothing more than the attack dogs of the corporations and the state, the film is merely being a reflection of present day society, that it is controlled by an elitist oligarchy with politicians as mere minions of these oligarchs. The politicians/lackeys of these oligarchs urge the chief of police to form a squad that would be tasked in preserving the status quo of their masters. Simply put, Carreon's film is an exploitation film exploiting fascist rightwing ideology, but is a very good exploitation film, maybe just five notches higher than a Cirio Santiago b-movie.
On a less political note, the action scenes were all meticulously directed and choreographed. A pretty memorable sequence is the highway scene where the heroes are shown kicking major ass, especially Padilla and George Jr., with their Chow Yun Fat style gun technique. Another great scene is when Manzano's character discovers Mon's (Del Rosario's character) lifeless body after a gruesome attack; he notices one of the attackers is alive and is suddenly engulfed in rage, firing his gun wildly. It's a very emotional scene, captured with a raw authenticity by Carreon's expert lens, Manzano's expressive range and the thoughtful music score of Fabregas.
To conclude, Eagle Squad is an ambitious, stylish and above average release; it's a lofty undertaking by a gifted director/scriptwriter and a lesson on how to make a great action film.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
