Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story
Plot / Synopsis
Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story is an official entry of the 2011 Metro Manila Film Festival. Produced by Scenema Concept International (released through Viva Films) and under the direction of Tikoy Aguiluz, the film stars Jeorge "E.R." Estregan in the title role, with Carla Abellana and Phillip Salvador. "Manila Kingpin" is based on the story of the notorious gang leader in Tondo named Nicasio "Asiong" Salonga, whose true-to-life accounts had been portrayed in several movie versions since 1961 (starring Joseph Estrada). It is also the the first Filipino major film produced in black-and-white in the 21st century as well as the returning action genre movie.
Watch Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story official movie trailer here
Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story Trailer Impression
Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story Trailer Review
When I first heard that there is an Asiong Salonga film included in the 2011 Metro manila film Festival, I was really skeptical. They don't make entertaining action films nowadays and I somehow thought that the action film genre already died out together with the ST genre. But as the saying goes never judge a book by its covers, so eventually my skepticism was replaced by genuine interest after seeing the Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga trailer.
Manila Kingpin: the Asiong Salonga story has kalesa gun fight chase sequence now where else can you find that badassery? Only in the Philippines my friends... only in the Philippines. Hahahaha
Let me ask you, when was the last time you actually watched and appreciated a good Philippine-produced action film? As for me the last time that I could remember was way back on FPJ (Fernando Poe, Jr.) days. I regularly watched it with my father. So it was quite a surprise to see the return of action film back to mainstream Philippine cinema this 2011. Not only did it return with the Manila Kingpin: the Asiong Salonga Story, but it returned in a very classy and artistic manner. The 2011 MMFF biographical period action film is beautifully shot and presented in black-and-white which gave it the period look without making it feel cheaply dated or low quality. The trailer proves that you do not need any expensive or flashy 3-D CGI effects in a trailer to actually captivate and convince movie goers to go watch a film. Some of my cinephile friends who usually prefer a more sophisticated, complex, artistic, and "Cannes Film Festival" like films seems to really like this film, so that has to account to something, right? But even as an ordinary movie goer/reviewer (with simple and non-sophisticated nitpicking taste), I appreciate and liked The Asiong Salonga Story 2011 film trailer.
How about you guys, what do you think about watching a biographical period black-and-white film this Metro manila Film Festival? Share your thoughts on what you think about The Asiong Salonga Story here: