Valentine: The dark avenger, the violet superhero
Valentine: The dark avenger
Encouraged to try to see something different from the usual or what the most commercial media offer us, we dared with an Indonesian film that is also a live action. His name is Valentine: The dark avenger. The truth is that we expected something very bad given its origin and even its poster, but it has surprised us not because it is really good, but because at least it has its objectives and has become a passable product; yes, very focused on a children's audience eager for superheroes. The film comes from a local comic by the Indonesian publisher Skylar comics, so much of its originality comes from there.
Valentine: The dark avenger
A very peculiar superheroine
The story, although very typical, begins quite well: a director of a hundred wants to create a superhero that is not just one more movie, but that motivates the city of Batavia to try to find a better life, where the crime is so normal, that It has been accepted as a way of life. When all the producers refuse to finance his film, he decides to look for his superhero as well, throw it on the street and face real criminals while filming it to upload the videos on social networks and make him famous. After finding a pretty cute girl with a great skill for martial arts, he starts his plan and, although he starts a little rough, they gradually become stronger and more famous, becoming a model for society and defeating more and more powerful criminals; but in the same city there is a very powerful organized crime band, with one Shadow in front and they won't let anyone take their place, since they have a very clear objective; This band takes over the power of the entire city quickly, but the new superhero will have to be able to motivate and defeat them.
The truth is that at first it seemed to us at least a nice movie, wanting to take advantage of the recent pull of Marvel in the cinema, but also to give it a small (very small) touch of local harvest; As we move forward, it is becoming much more standard with the typical plot of superheroes, the typical bad guys, the typical problems, etc. and we are already demotivated a little.
Anyway, at all times it retains its humorous air and its attempt to become a martial arts film, which at least we value its intention and its freshness and not being stuck in what anyone could have done.
Valentine: The dark avenger
A bit of martial arts
As for how to tell the story, key scenes, motivations of his characters, etc. the film is limited to copying the style that Marvel has taken to the cinema, taking things from all the films that the director must have liked or motivated more. To do this, the director has had a considerable budget, we do not say that it is a great production, but to be Indonesia it is not bad, we could consider it from the country's blockbusters; Thus, at least good local marketing has been ensured and has reached a local audience as massive as possible, emphasizing, as we said, in the most childish sector.
As for the general rhythm of the film, it's not bad, creating a fairly good progression and inserting increasingly important action scenes to end something as epic as possible. And the action scenes we have seen considerably good, with a protagonist who knows what he does and especially with a very appropriate direction of action, it is not like a Donnie Yen movie or by any means, but with a good assembly, at least hit the mark and something spectacular remains.
The biggest problem of the film is especially in the performances of the actors who interpret it, which are not bad for the action, but as soon as a scene with a minimal dramatic content arrives we all go down the floor and make us want to stop the player and stop watching the movie; Luckily these scenes are few and short, so it has not affected us too much.
In short, we are in front of a movie that tries to take advantage of the good reputation that superheroes currently have, copying a lot of the most famous Hollywood movies, but including a small part of martial arts and deriving the motivation towards something Kick-ass type. Juvenile and fresh, simple and silly, but perfect for children.
The best of the movie:
That in the end we introduce the main hero of Skylar comics in the face of a sequel.
The worst of the movie:
Even post-credit scenes have to copy from Marvel.
Valentine: The dark avenger
Encouraged to try to see something different from the usual or what the most commercial media offer us, we dared with an Indonesian film that is also a live action. His name is Valentine: The dark avenger. The truth is that we expected something very bad given its origin and even its poster, but it has surprised us not because it is really good, but because at least it has its objectives and has become a passable product; yes, very focused on a children's audience eager for superheroes. The film comes from a local comic by the Indonesian publisher Skylar comics, so much of its originality comes from there.
Valentine: The dark avenger
A very peculiar superheroine
The story, although very typical, begins quite well: a director of a hundred wants to create a superhero that is not just one more movie, but that motivates the city of Batavia to try to find a better life, where the crime is so normal, that It has been accepted as a way of life. When all the producers refuse to finance his film, he decides to look for his superhero as well, throw it on the street and face real criminals while filming it to upload the videos on social networks and make him famous. After finding a pretty cute girl with a great skill for martial arts, he starts his plan and, although he starts a little rough, they gradually become stronger and more famous, becoming a model for society and defeating more and more powerful criminals; but in the same city there is a very powerful organized crime band, with one Shadow in front and they won't let anyone take their place, since they have a very clear objective; This band takes over the power of the entire city quickly, but the new superhero will have to be able to motivate and defeat them.
The truth is that at first it seemed to us at least a nice movie, wanting to take advantage of the recent pull of Marvel in the cinema, but also to give it a small (very small) touch of local harvest; As we move forward, it is becoming much more standard with the typical plot of superheroes, the typical bad guys, the typical problems, etc. and we are already demotivated a little.
Anyway, at all times it retains its humorous air and its attempt to become a martial arts film, which at least we value its intention and its freshness and not being stuck in what anyone could have done.
Valentine: The dark avenger
A bit of martial arts
As for how to tell the story, key scenes, motivations of his characters, etc. the film is limited to copying the style that Marvel has taken to the cinema, taking things from all the films that the director must have liked or motivated more. To do this, the director has had a considerable budget, we do not say that it is a great production, but to be Indonesia it is not bad, we could consider it from the country's blockbusters; Thus, at least good local marketing has been ensured and has reached a local audience as massive as possible, emphasizing, as we said, in the most childish sector.
As for the general rhythm of the film, it's not bad, creating a fairly good progression and inserting increasingly important action scenes to end something as epic as possible. And the action scenes we have seen considerably good, with a protagonist who knows what he does and especially with a very appropriate direction of action, it is not like a Donnie Yen movie or by any means, but with a good assembly, at least hit the mark and something spectacular remains.
The biggest problem of the film is especially in the performances of the actors who interpret it, which are not bad for the action, but as soon as a scene with a minimal dramatic content arrives we all go down the floor and make us want to stop the player and stop watching the movie; Luckily these scenes are few and short, so it has not affected us too much.
In short, we are in front of a movie that tries to take advantage of the good reputation that superheroes currently have, copying a lot of the most famous Hollywood movies, but including a small part of martial arts and deriving the motivation towards something Kick-ass type. Juvenile and fresh, simple and silly, but perfect for children.
The best of the movie:
That in the end we introduce the main hero of Skylar comics in the face of a sequel.
The worst of the movie:
Even post-credit scenes have to copy from Marvel.