BuyBust

People hope for a better life, at the very least a peaceful one. BuyBust is a film that deals with the anti-drug campaign of the government, but the core of such campaign is how will it impact on the lives of the every Filipino.

The film may be predictable from the start but was told in a different fashion. It was not the usual buy bust operation of the anti-drug authorities, the goal is to catch Biggie Chen- a high value target with Shabu laboratories.

What is entharalling is when PDEA operatives headed by Bernie Lacson (Victor Neri) with Nina Manigan-PDEA operative (Anne Curtis) and Detective Dela Cruz along with the Alpha and Bravo teams, were trapped in Baranggay Gracia ni Maria in the slums of Manila, a community that is fiction but an epitome of what Philippine society is.

Gracia ni Maria is maze-like compound with the texture of a shanty town that you could smell the stink and rot in every corner. A community and people forced to protect drug lords and live in fear and violence.

Characters are very real while the action scenes were obviously choreographed and the gun battle sequences are far better than the usual action films of the 90's. Director Erik Matti weaves the story with layers in the plot like Anne Curtis' character (Operative Manigan) who can't seem to forget her drug buy-bust operation in the past that killed all her team members. She became very cautious, uncertain and even doubtful of the Police team leading them. Another layer in the plot is how the people of Gracia ni Maria have suffered in the war against drugs, as they witness violence everyday of their lives.

Anne has certainly prepared for this film, showing her skills in hand to hand combat; even her movements, stance and reactions during gun battle appear to be realistic. Anne has rediscovered herself and maybe considered as the First True Female Action star of Philippine Cinema. Though BuyBust has not really deviated from the formula of action films in the Philippines where the action hero is being attacked by a mob and yet manages to defeat all of them.

Anne's co-actor Brandon Vera (Rico Yatco), muscled and Hulk type character that can defeat an army of enemies at one time, has played his role well as buddy of operative Manigan (Anne) who also believes in amulet to keep him safe. Joross Gamboa is also commendable in his role as Manok (Chicken) who seemed to be at his being state in most of the scenes.

Award-winning supporting actor Joel Saracho, portraying a shanty owner and out of fear, he casually declines to help PDEA Operative Manigan and Yatco on their way out of the compound. The scene typifies how fear has become a normal and casual state for the people. Music is not overwhelming but enough to heighten and build up the action scenes.

BuyBust is action in its real sense, with deafening gun battles, hand to hand combat fight scenes and unending chase sequences around the compound. Manigan (Anne) being the action heroine, as usual, is the last PDEA operative standing.

Manigan and Biggie Chen mano-o mano fight scene is also very real though it is the typical protagonist and antagonist face to face showdown with great reveals as to who are the protectors and snitch within the Police Organization.

One essential element in the film is the people in the community. People have taken arms and have resolved to act; seized to believe that the Government will truly solve the illegal drugs problem. Innocent civilians as always are caught in the cross-fire between the Government and the Drug Lords or even in any war that the government launches. Illegal drugs will not proliferate without the nod of a high-ranking government official. What else is new??-it is a common perception. And the innocent civilians are the victims.

In many of the sequences, community people were also attacking the PDEA and Police Teams, furious and raging like zombies who are ready to eat their preys alive. But in the end, the fury and rage of the people are the bi-product of frustrations and hopelessness from the Government to resolve the social ills of our society.

The film is not only an eye opener about the sincerity of Government on its anti-drug campaign but also a call to action for the people to stand and participate in issues of our Nation, people should become part of the solution and hope is the only thing we should hold onto.

Over-all, Kudos to Director Erik Matti! Setting a new trend in action films and riveting story telling.

Okay I may be inviting trouble here but what the heck. I hate to use the term, but OVERRATED may very well apply in this case.

The movie looked just like a 2-hour compilation of all the fight scenes and gunshots we've seen in the movies. Just that. There's no real story. Or maybe I was expecting a docu? Then again, the director, Erik Matti, made it clear this is not his "statement" film. So what went wrong? I think Matti capitalized on the fight scenes to the point that he lost the essence of it. This is entitled "Buybust" after all, a flagship project of the current administration-so it feels underwhelming to just see Anne and her team kick here, shoot there. Blood here, screams there. Is there more? I'm afraid there's none.

Now before I get criticized for the "there's no story" remark. Here it is. You judge for yourself if this is considered a "story". Manigan (Anne Curtis) is part of an anti-drug team tasked with catching a big fish named Biggie Chen. They embark on an entrapment operation with the help of their intel asset. Biggie Chen plays safe, so he invites the asset to transact on his village, a slum area in Manila. The area literally looks like a maze, and once inside, its hard to find your way out. Soon, the team figured that they were set-up, and they struggle to survive and come out of the maze alive.

I find it hard to engage in a movie where the lead/s seemingly feel like IMMORTAL/S that they're too invincible to die dammit! Its one thing if you're superman, but I thought we're mirroring Philippine society here with this theme? In here, you'll see Anne Curtis battle it out with two groups: 1) The drug syndicate (complete with ammunitions) and 2) the zombie-like crowd who has had it all and wants nothing to do with the drug war. She battles with them AT THE SAME TIME. And she's injured and she's got no ammunitions. And she's not familiar with the place! Try harder to convince me. Unless this is comedy. There's just quite so many plotholes that defies reality and common practice here.

There's no strong message delivered in here. Unless you count the few minutes in the ending. Other than that, this is just really a work of fiction.

The fight scenes execution were okay. There's too much gunshots here that I think I may have gone deaf in the theater. It also didn't help that the illumination (because the entrapment operation was scheduled to start at 8:00 PM and ended in the early dawn) was dark and it was raining (because of course, it always rains when you want a bloody violence to ensue-it just helps with the dramatic effect) and so it was hard to make of on who's fighting who.

If there's any positive aspect of the film, it is (and only this) the music. The music here went far lengths, and it was the only redeeming factor here. Too bad it was only the music that I liked here.

Ten stars if rampaging killing in the slums of the Philippines is your pleasure. Duterte would be pleased. Three stars for lots of nothing going on except walking, waiting, hiding in slum alleyways. The first 35 min thats all you get - snooze. But, when the fighting starts it doesn't end. Could win honors for highest body count by personally armed people inflicted on many others.

This movie has a lot of action. I enjoyed watching it. I recommend watching this movie.

I'll start with something I noticed as a complaint in other reviews: the camera. And yes, mainly in the first half, where all the action is so to say starting, it is a bit crappy, but still not that bad as you can see it in some Hollywood blockbusters. For me, the sound is a bigger problem, especially when it comes to the speech - too low. Anyway, the actors are fine, it isn't something that requires a master acting skills, but anyway, a crappy actor can turn a good movie into a bad one. As far as it goes for the fighting scenes - average, don't expect something like Iko Uwais, Tony Jaa or Scott Adkins.

The idea for the movie is fine, it's just the overall release could have been better done, just a bit more. But for the type of movies that this one is, I still find it good enough, yet not among the best ones as it is similar to The Raid: Redemption, but not at its level.