Showdown in Manila (2016)

People are voting emotionally.

Don't Believe the Hype

it is finally so absorbing because it plays like a lyrical road odyssey that’s also a detective story.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Right, well the reason for why I picked up this movie was because it had Mark Dacascos in it. Boy was I surprised to find out that he had less than five minutes of screen time in the entire movie.Well, this 2016 action movie definitely bears traces of wanting to pick up or cash in on the success of "The Expendables", by trying to put together an all who-was-sort-of-semi-big-in-the-late-eighties-action-stars. But these were not the blockbuster stars of the late eighties action movies, but the ones from the lower rated and smaller budgets. This includes Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Cynthia Rothrock and Olivier Gruner. But honestly, it was actually a blast to have these former semi-big action stars come together in a movie such as this.As for the lead cast of Alexander Nevsky and Casper Van Dien, well I was familiar with Casper Van Dien of course. But Alexander Nevsky I have never heard about, and he fared well enough, despite only having one expression for most of the scenes that he did. But a movie such as this runs on action and adrenaline, so the inability to put on a thesbian performance was sort of alright here.There is a good amount of action throughout the movie, which is also what keeps the movie afloat. As for the storyline and plot, well it was entertaining, but it was on the simpler side, so don't expect to be mentally challenged.It was also nice to see Tia Carrere in the movie as well as Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.An entertaining enough movie for what it turned out to be. Worth watching once if you enjoy a good old action movie.

I liked watching this film. The casting was normal as would be found among people on the good side and people on the bad side as to be found in a somewhat still 3rd world country. I rented the film hoping to see some of modern manila; most was market places and industrial buildings; so, although colorful, this didn't provide much of a travel-log set of scenes. But there was good variety of the faces on the screen and the dialog plus humor was all natural and appreciated. Hollywood has pretty weird plots nowadays, and this film was not too heavy handed. Good guys die all at once initially, and from then on, the toll taken is strictly on the criminals. It was advertised as disclosing terrorist activity; however, that aspect never was brought up. There seemed to be no religious themes at all in the movie. The film did not have night scenes which I think are much too much overdone in most action films currently made. Music was good with the film and I can't remember being offended by any profanity. Although the chief criminal -- whose name never could be clearly heard in the dialogue (Wrath) -- was a drug producer, there was no overt scene showing drug use. I also welcome this. The sidekick investigator had good lines and he complemented the most-often stone-faced lead male player. They seemed always working together so the "happy medium" of the good guys always seemed personable. The ending was a bit of a shock, but if someone is going to pay one hundred thousand dollars to have this "Wrath" criminal captured, I guess there should be a little allowance for overkill, so to speak. Jungle scenes were colorful, scenic, and not frightening. The writer and director did more than adequate job and performing, only the police force actors actually over-acted a bit and tension being built seemed somewhat far-fetched. The young female informant did a cute job and her lines added to a bit of confidence that movie was headed towards a good resolution. The girlfriend of the Russian star has a somewhat European face and I enjoyed fitting all her features, voice, teeth, nose together to total up to a girl this strong star would desire and kiss on screen. I liked the film. I'll watch it a second time tomorrow.

first of all trailer and actors the style of movie looks like cheap version of Expendables movie. Mark Dacascos as a director is terrible. as a actor doing Martial Arts and action everything is great !! about what is most terrible thing about movie is writing of movie sucked is only thing is cast in movie are not really part of movie the guys who were only part of movie is Alexander Nevsky and Casper Van Dien are only guys part of movie. In Expendables for example they show everyone but in this movie NO it's 2 guys they only show the rest don't appear like almost to end of movie. the story follows in Raid Team Nick Peyton (Alexander Nevsky)was SWAT Team in Manila working in it to catch Aldric Cole (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa)is main villain and his Henchmen trying to be like Steve Austin Character in first Expendables(Matthias Hues)Dorn in movie as always all raid team got killed the only one is left is Nick was shot and he Survived. 2 years later Here you go Crying Freeman (1995), Drive (1997), Cradle 2 the Grave (2003) (Mark Dacascos) Matthew Wells in film he directed and act in and Showdown in Little Tokyo, True Lies, Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (Tia Carrere)Mrs. Wells is in it this playing her husband going for a holiday The action your going to have last for second is Mark Dacascos character killed 3 guys then he's character gets killed off buy Aldric Cole now Mrs Wells wants revenge she goes up to these Private detectives Nick (Alexander Nevsky) and Charlie (Casper Van Dien) oh look it's Starship troopers live and work in Manila. A murder investigation leads them to the jungle camp of an international terrorist called The Wrath what a lazy as name called Wrath for the group villain leaders. Nick and Charlie agrees to do mission to catch the guys who tied to kill him, in movie the actors you might think everyone is in it like part of movie but the only actors who is part of is only Alexander Nevsky and Casper Van Dien are only guys who is part of it none of another actors Don The Dragon Wilson, Olivier Gruner, Cynthia Rothrock they don't appear at final showdown of movie. in all movie its just Alexander Nevsky and Casper Van Dien are looking and Investigating to find the guys who were involved is Aldric Cole and Dein doesn't do much in movie only thing is he gets into fight for second with Casper character then Alexander knocks him out that's it he gets arrested he doesn't do anything in movie. the action is lazy not very well made but why could off the budget could been a bigger movie you have the final showdown at end of jungle this is when Don The Dragon Wilson, Olivier Gruner, Cynthia Rothrock they appear at final showdown in a very well great place to shoot a action movie if it was a BIG BUDGET movie but its a very low budget movie with fake shoot outs, fake blood spatters, fake Explosions now i love action scenes at jungle or like rip off of the rescue mission like in Predator in jungle scene and Welcome to the jungle AKA Rundown in jungle that's where Aldric Cole is hiding they found they were Hiding in Jungle. one final showdown they had a M60 Machine gun shooting around but it didn't last long. Don Dragon Wilson kicks ass in movie but not for long but no stunts for him but i can see a lot of stunts in movie Cynthia and Oliver fights in movie you do see them fight but you can see Cynthia background fighting so its not her there is too many stunts in movie come on final showdown has few another explosions that's it the hand grenades are so fake. movie didn't do anything its not worst movie but it's fun to see these actors back but they don't appear until at very end of showdown. Mark Dacascos doesn't know how to direct or write movie i don't know why he got himself as character killed when he is not in movie he is in it for 30 seconds then he got killed off i don't know why he really did that he could be lazy ass can't be bothered or been lead star in film like his old films i love and liked his old staff that's what got Me Interested but then got me Disappointed it got all the other fans Disappointed rather then getting Alexander Nevsky why could of they get Jean Claude Van Damme or Dolph Lundgren as Lead but Alexander Nevsky was OK but not great. Mark Dacacos is great as actor and Martial Arts but for directing makes everyone disappointed i was thinking of John woo to direct movie rather then Mark he is terrible writer terrible director why ? the action is good and it's good to have Don The Dragon Wilson,Olivier Gruner, Cynthia Rothrock back in one movie they don't appear until at end of showdown what a sad thing they all could been apart of movie specially Mark Dacascos if you want movie like this stick with watching Expendables 1-3 Stallone is better director, writer and has better idea's then Mark. Mark Dacascos Said i wanna make movie like this but complete Epic fail. 5.10 but why is this so cheap why could been different director big budget like Expendables better story but Mark Dacascos Lazy directing with lazy action expect at final showdown ending in Jungle. and it's a movie is just good for time waster that's all i can say it's not like your gonna watch more then million times it's your opinion not mine.

Man the actors in this movie must've really been hurting for money. The plot seems like it was copied and chopped from much better movies. The lead actor tries way too hard to copy Arnold's speech-pattern and mannerisms. I'd like to know why Dacascos had anything to do with this movie, frankly it stinks and most of the actors seem to know it. Avoid at all costs. Tia Carera looks like an old worn out porn actress showing off some droopy cleavage. Don Wilson hops around like a lame rabbit. The local filipinas are portrayed mostly as hookers and bar girls as is the norm in these cheap productions. Tagawa looks like he's semi-conscious in most of the scenes he's in. Casper tries to act but given that the material is garbage its a wasted effort. The ending is just a whole bag of stupid. Where does this Russian guy get the money to fund these movies? I suspect he's a crony capitalist or has connections with the old Russian govt.