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On The Job: Yes, or No?

I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to watch a movie as bad as I have been itching to watch Star Cinema’s latest action outing On The Job. I have been wanting to see this movie ever since I saw the trailer a month ago, and now that it’s out in local theaters, I think I will take the time to watch the film sometimes next weekend.

The last time I wanted to watch a Pinoy film this much was when the original version of Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story back in 2011 (this was before Tikoy Aguiluz disowned the film). And the last Pinoy film that I enjoyed was either Muro Ami or Jose Rizal, both Cesar Montano starrers, and pre-Y2K movies. So it’s been a while since I’ve actually enjoyed a Pinoy film – and no, not even Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros or Ang Babae sa Septic Tank could get me to go back to the theaters for a locally produced offering.

The trailer above speaks volumes as to how different this film is from previous action flicks this country has to offer. It’s crisp, clean, and doesn’t look like a Fernando Poe Jr. movie wannabe. There’s a classy vibe throughout the entire two minutes of the trailer, and the tension is, as they say, palpable. I especially like how you know what the characters are going to be like, even if you’re just watching the trailer, since you can see snippets of their personalities all throughout.

And it’s always fun to see Joel Torre act in a role that really worked his acting chops. My parents watch the TV show Juan de la Cruz on ABS-CBN, and the short (?) stint Torre had on that show made me think of watching it. Of course, Eddie Garcia came on, and made the show that much more interesting. But the point is that Joel Torre’s always a fun watch.

And then there’s Joey Marquez. I was a kid when Marquez would hit his prime as a regular in Palibhasa, Lalake, and even then, when I couldn’t understand all the green jokes being made by the show, I enjoyed it. So to see Marquez in a role that took his comedic character and turned it into a skewed, sardonic voice of reason for Piolo Pascual is a golden opportunity to see how the man’s acting has evolved through the years.

I’ve very little to say about Piolo and Gerald Anderson, although the character of Anderson’s more interesting than Piolo’s. But there are a million ways either of these two actors could screw up a script like this, and to read international reviewers praise the two – well, that’s something I have to see.

I don’t know how long On the Job is going to be at the theaters, but as I said earlier, I plan on watching it this weekend, if it’s still there. For those of you who’ve watched it: how was the movie? And for those of you who haven’t: will you be watching this movie?

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