DVD REVIEWS: Mirageman

[JessHorsley]

Kiltro creators deliver more "full contact action" on home video...

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So you're a fan of non-stop action, don't mind a film in a foreign languate and with a lower budget? If that's the case, you've probably already seen writer-director Ernesto Diaz Espinoza's action-packed film Kiltro starring actor and resident badass, the Latin Dragon, Marko Zaror. If you enjoyed that 2006 piece of work, then you'll no doubt enjoy the pair's 2007 follow-up Mirageman.

Zaror once again stars as the film's protagonist Maco who lives alone and works as a security guard. While walking home from work, Maco witnessing a crime in progress and, sick and tired of the crime in his community, stands up to the criminals and comes to the rescue. Taking on the persona of the ***-kicking super hero Mirageman, Maco begins to work to rid his city of the evil-doers.

Like all great superhero films, Mirageman includes a well-developed character-driven story which shows both the birth of a hero as well as the consequences of being a hero. A counter-cultural rebel in that Maco is willing to stand up to crime, our film's protagonist is sadly perceived as a vigilante to his community (remind you of any Gotham citizen?). Thankfully, it's the hero's inner will and strength of character that allows for him to endure the negative and continue in his quest.

Zaror does an amazing job as Maco/Mirageman and, under the direction of Espinoza, the film provides plenty of action, suspense and even a bit of comedy. Mirageman doesn't take itself too seriously, a problem some superhero films unfortunately have when they're strapped with a lower budget.

While the DVD is light on special features (it includes a simple "making of" featurette), the film itself is reason enough to at least rent - if not buy - this DVD home video. While maybe not The Dark Knight, there's no doubt the story and underlying message are very similar.

Overall, fans of Zaror's and Espinoza's past films will appreciate this addition to the pairs forte into film. Awesome in almost every way, Mirageman will impress action fans the world over.

- Jess Horsley