Kiltro [2006] [DVD]

Seriously though, I haven't seen a movie that provided such a loving homage to the American action/martial arts movies of the 80's and early 90's ever(films like The Last Dragon, American Ninja, and any number of Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, and Chuck Norris pictures)... also oddly enough, the film comes to us all the way from the South American country of Chile!? Kiltro tells the simple(and yet convoluted) tale of Zamir, his obsession with a woman, and a bloodthirsty villian out for revenge against all that wronged him years ago. The basic story is passable enough to showcase first time director Ernesto Diaz, and of course Marko Zaror as a formidable martial arts star. Now for the good about Kiltro; a hero who sports a mullet, evil goons who look like they were transplanted straight from Michael Jacksons "Beat It" music video and are led by the evil Max Kalba(?!) who sports a nicely trimmed grey beard, poneytail, and a cane with a metal claw at the end(picture a self-help guru), a mysterious Dwarf, and best of all a scene where our hero is turned away by the girl of his dreams, which sends him running down darkened streets and alleys crying and punching at thin air... all while David Bowies 1983 hit "Modern Love" blares in the background! Awesome! The bad about Kilro? Basically everything I just mentioned... but that's the charm of the movie. It's definitely not for everyone, but for those that would ever even think about renting a movie named "Kiltro" in the first place,(and you know who you are) should at least be entertained with what the film delivers. As far as the action goes, it's really pretty good(if not a bit over-enhanced)... most notably due to the fact that Zaror is built like a tank(he's been the stunt double for WWF's The Rock in most of his films) but moves like a stealth jet. The only real problem with the action is that there just isn't enough, which makes the 98 minute runtime seem to drag on more than a few occasions. More martial arts mayhem and a little less exposition and flashbacks attempting to explain why the villian wants revenge would easily merit another star, but as is, 3 is maybe even a tad generous. I read somewhere that director Diaz and lead Zaror have been friends since high school and actually had planned this movie since then... my guess is that they graduated in 1993 but decided not to update the script for the new millenium? That's the throwback charisma of Kiltro.

Ok, i'm Chilean and very proud of it, but in terms of Cinematic culture, i'm not a patriot. I will not defend this movie out of pride, cause i refuse to let go all my years behind a screen watching major martial arts classics. My honest review for "Kiltro (stray dog)" to you:

This martial arts action western is a very original production in Southamerica, and a cliche-packed low budget film with endless references in asian martial arts culture and interesting revisions to modern independant cinema. Coming from the videoclip underground culture, Director Ernesto Diaz and Chilean-american "The Rock" stuntman and incredible acrobatic athlete, Marko Zaror, putted togheter this "classic" revenge tale filled with intense action and bad over the top acting, costumes and make-up. Zaror is obviously not a drama student, but he is capable of intense long complicated takes involving dozens of enemies in terrifying adrenaline packed showdowns. He is quick and light as a feather, but strong and fit as a rhino. This guy got physical talent and charisma from Chile to the North Pole, you have to see him to believe it. Check the triple spinning reverse kick , and his deadly "corkscrew" slicer. Yes, like i said it.

The easy-going, straight-forward, and "flashback-memories" style revenge story is actualy a western: An old powerful enemy comes back seeking bloody revenge, years after being dishonored and humiliated. Zaror's character is socialy retarded and adicted to picking fights, but to save his loved one and face such a terrible enemy... He has to go training a new style in fighting far away! Classic tale of the awakening of the "one-self" and the true hidden abilities! Check the characters, they're hilarious from the midget master to the dressed in black invincible villan, and don't forget the korean father-in-law martial arts teacher. Of course the urban south-american scenario gives a fresh new air to the tale development: Turkish and korean comunities are portrayed as clans, and the endless references and more cliches will make you laugh, but give the movie a break, after all it's only a martial arts satire-oriented story, a new version of many recognizable karmatic standards in M.A. and western.

Now, seriously, this is a self-aware B-movie with no pretentions, after all, this is not hollywood, but a low-budget trailer production made with passion and love, with great action from great coreographies and staged fights. Zaror is a-w-e-s-o-m-e, believe me, a first class top-notch gimnastic fighter.

I can't really talk about original concepts here, but the effort to bring the best product possible shows, and the Zaror-Diaz team are already rocking the chilean market with "Mirage man", a superhero martial arts movie, far better and centered than this "Kiltro" cliche film. This new movie is a strong social critic to delinquency and heroism, a gifted masked fighter that kicks robber's and child molester's butt right to pediatric!

If you are a die-hard martial arts fan, you have to give "Kiltro" a well deserved chance: As a filmaker, Ernesto Diaz's cinematic modern style has fair value, he knows his job after all, and this film is a good decent production. If you want to see a gifted athlete, don't miss Marko Zaror, and don't miss "Mirage man". I heard 30 copies were sent to the U.S. last week! Check the Chilean Martial Arts flicks.

Fantastic fun, great acrobatic staged fights, a cheesy B-Movie from the extreme south! Our little contribution, check it out! VIVA CHILE!

As the first martial arts film ever produced in Chile, "Kiltro" is pretty darn good...but as an entry to the tidal wave of direct-to-video action flicks currently flooding box office shelves across the nation, it's not about to stick out. I almost feel bad in saying so, since the film clearly has a lot of heart worked into it and may very well become a cult classic if hero Marko Zaror makes it in the world of action heroes, but as fledging vehicle-to-fame/'80s throwback movie, "Kiltro" is neither fun nor witty enough to make up for the 89 minutes that Zaror is not flying around the set.

The story: Zamir (Zaror, Mirageman, Chinango) is a troubled neighborhood tuff who has the hots for Kim - a Korean girl he rescued from assault (Caterina Jadresic). When a mysterious, revenge-seeking assassin (Miguel De Luca) arrives in town and attacks the tae kwon do school of Kim's father, Zamir is nearly beaten to death but rescued by a mystic sect that will not only reveal to him the dark connections between the assassin, Kim's father (Man Soo Yoon), and himself, but also train him in the world of martial arts to redeem himself.

Let's make it clear, first and foremost, that Marko Zaror truly is a rising star: a former stuntman and champion of karate and tae kwon do, he certainly has the moves that make him stand out from pack. Comparable to Tony Jaa, he's big on flips and spin kicks, capable of delivering multiple blows in a single leap, and incorporates some wrestling moves for a power effect. A wise old teacher in the movie (played by Chilean TV veteran Alejandro Castillo) instructs him "Your leg should move as naturally as your eyelids", and Zaror achieves this effect without the use of wires, CGI, or the speeding up of footage. With that said, there is not nearly enough fighting in the movie: four hand-to-hand scenes may sound like average, but when they're either very short or feature lengthy pauses inbetween the action, it seems like a lot less. The best encounter is definitely between Zaror and about twenty of the assassin's henchmen, but this sadly also showcases the film's lazy use of CGI blood spurts, which are unrealistic enough to make you pause the film and wonder what in the world you're watching.

Being both a throwback to the corny-yet-entertaining era of action's heyday and a film in which three of its stars have never acted before, the thematic aspects are along the lines of what you'd expect from a dumb action movie but passable nonetheless, with a few scenes involving Zamir, his mother, and Kim showcasing at least some dramatic know-how. Sadly, this is undermined by a seemingly endless supply of boring flashbacks that aid the telling of a story that you could've figured out by yourself. Most damning, however, is that the movie just isn't as interesting as the filmmakers wanted it to be: you've got a hero wearing facepaint and blades on his heels, a villain wielding a deadly clawed cane/sword, a mysterious sect, a hot girl, torture via wire suspension, Bruce Lee-inspired training sessions, and a dwarf master called Nik Nak...yet not only does it not all come together seamlessly, but it regularly forgets whether it wants to be serious or tongue-in-cheek. You could've turned the cane into a lollipop, the sect into a catering service, the hot girl into your mother, and the dwarf into a skinny giant, and the movie would probably be pretty much the same because it fails to take full advantage of all of these cool little aspects; I ended up feeling that it could've all been a lot, lot cooler.

Still, Marko Zaror is still with us, and that's what counts as long as he fulfills his potential as one of the most able-bodied men in action cinema today. If you're a diehard fan of this man the movie world barely knows, give "Kiltro" a buy...but otherwise just watch the fight scenes online and thereby see the best that the film has to offer.

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 5 reviews  2.8 out of 5 stars