magores It is what it is.An action flick, with some backstory.If you enjoy martial arts, kick some ass, don't worry about the names, style of movies, you'll enjoy this.The religious element is heavy-handed at times, but, no problem, that's the conflict element of the plot.Worth the 99 minutes, which is more than I can say for many movies in this vein, or other, more self-righteous, holier-than-thou releases. (See what I did there?)

lemon_magic 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.

Guy REDEEMER is a Chilean action film, which isn't something you see often. The story is a classic Western: a hero with a dark past (and an impressive amount of Catholic accessories) comes to a small town being oppressed by drug lords and naturally decides to clean house one drop- kick to the face at a time. The locations are lovely - with plenty of Instagram style colour tints - and the narrative commendably brisk. The only problem is that the hero remains too much of an enigma and as a result there's a lack of emotional connection; it's cool to watch but you don't feel anything except during the most gruesome kills (thankfully these are largely set up and then happen off screen). It doesn't help that the guns are all CGI enhanced, meaning they lack any physicality. Still, the martial arts action is fantastic, with really well though out back-and-forth combat and stuntmen (including the hero) skilled enough that the scenes can play out in single steady shots which let you appreciate the skill on display. It's a small film but a good one and if Hollywood has any sense they'll be hiring the people who made this for a big budget remake.

Dark_Lord_Mark Redeemer (2014) is fantastic.It is missing the Hollywood bells and whistles, and has a low production cost, but that does not make a movie watchable.This movie is watchable and has a somewhat mysterious hero. We see glimpses of his past as the movie unfolds, to see what made him the Redeemer.This is a solid action movie, which I always search for. I want those awesome 80's action flicks back. Small budget gems like Perfect Weapon and No Retreat, No Surrender 1-3 and so on.This movie while not in the same vain, as it is somewhat serious throughout, makes me happy that Chile, can produce movies, that Hollywood forgot how to make. The acting is okay, but we are here for the really nice fight scenes. Very well done! I gave it a 8.5 out of 10! Very surprised and happy I gave it a shot, and you should too.