Mainstream media is saturated with hype and overrated trash like the jason bourne and john wick franchises. In the Philippines, the most overrated show would be this soap opera, dubbed as the longest running local tv show in the country's broadcasting history. The show is an insult to common sense and human intelligence.
"FPJ's" Ang Probinsyano represents everything I hate about cutesy fartsy mass media; its emphasis on the shallow and hip as well as its pandering to the jologs, kurimaw and teenybopper herds. This is the type of garbage the disneyfied, k-pop idiots enjoy watching because it doesn't require a lot of brain processing. Its lead star, Coco Martin is being sold to the viewing public as a new type of action star, a hero for the new millennium. It's very fitting because in this day and age, people have become infantile and have lost the ability to think critically. They just mindlessly ingest whatever the local networks, print media and social media cram down their throats. They believe whatever the "experts" tell them. Folks, use your own thinking faculties. Don't let mainstream media or any media entity to do the thinking for you.
Going back to Martin, the "action" guy for the new generation; this dude got the role by sucking his manager's ding dong. The makers of Martin's show have a fundamental misunderstanding of what an "action star" is supposed to be. An action star should possess grit and not look like a homo from the backstreet boys or one direction. Look at the classic Filipino action stars: Fernando Poe Jr., Rudy Fernandez, Ace Vergel, Lito Lapid, Ramon Revilla, Dante Varona, Anthony Alonzo, Ronnie Ricketts, Robin Padilla; these mofos are legit badasses and tough guys in real life. Martin on the other hand is merely a pretender, a product of hype and unsubstantiated publicity. His fight scenes and action sequences are aided by camera trickery, wires and frequent use of stunt doubles. He should be in a romcom or drama like the other pa cute actors; seriously, look at the guy, is he convincing as a cop, hardened by years of police work in the streets? Even Diego from Bubble Gang look a lot tougher than "Cardo".
Though it's evident that the show is pure bullsh-t, I remember I gave it the benefit of the doubt back in 2015. Besides, it does have Da King's initials attached to the title and maybe by giving it a chance, one of its directors, Toto Natividad will be provided the opportunity to make another action film with an early 90s sensibility. Admittedly, the show had promise in the first several episodes, specifically the story arc about Ador, Cardo's identical twin brother, is surprisingly good. The story with Ador Dalisay had tension, ambiance, atmosphere, drama and suspense. I actually like the interior scene in the police station where Ador seems to be having a hard time trying to reconcile his idealism with his colleagues' cynism. Martin's Ador is a likeable guy, and to be fair to the actor and give credit where it is due; he was able to breathe into the character a vulnerability which even FPJ would have applauded, considering that when Da King played the same role, he came up with a more or less workmanlike performance. Now all this built up tension in the first part of the show went down the toilet once the character of Cardo Dalisay is introduced into the narrative. All storytelling logic, realism or standards of plot and characterization are suddenly abandoned in favor of flashy and empty Chow Yuen Fat style gunplay and other gimmickry which would make John Woo vomit his lunch. I stopped watching the show after this devolution.
Where the show is good at is in reminding viewers of the times when action movies had at least, a clear footing in the entertainment market. As such, it uses nostalgia as a selling point by featuring as guests, long forgotten 90s headliners like Jeric Raval and even fight choreographer Val Iglesias. Nevermind that the same greedy corporate structure that put an end to making action films is the same entity that birthed this garbage. This is the corporate institution which forced people to watch the horrible movies of vice kabayo and the horrific infidelity oriented flicks peopled by gay leading men.
To conclude, Ang Probinsyano, the show, is an outrage. The show is an assault to human decency and the rappers in the show should be arrested for illegal possession of ugly face.
"FPJ's" Ang Probinsyano represents everything I hate about cutesy fartsy mass media; its emphasis on the shallow and hip as well as its pandering to the jologs, kurimaw and teenybopper herds. This is the type of garbage the disneyfied, k-pop idiots enjoy watching because it doesn't require a lot of brain processing. Its lead star, Coco Martin is being sold to the viewing public as a new type of action star, a hero for the new millennium. It's very fitting because in this day and age, people have become infantile and have lost the ability to think critically. They just mindlessly ingest whatever the local networks, print media and social media cram down their throats. They believe whatever the "experts" tell them. Folks, use your own thinking faculties. Don't let mainstream media or any media entity to do the thinking for you.
Going back to Martin, the "action" guy for the new generation; this dude got the role by sucking his manager's ding dong. The makers of Martin's show have a fundamental misunderstanding of what an "action star" is supposed to be. An action star should possess grit and not look like a homo from the backstreet boys or one direction. Look at the classic Filipino action stars: Fernando Poe Jr., Rudy Fernandez, Ace Vergel, Lito Lapid, Ramon Revilla, Dante Varona, Anthony Alonzo, Ronnie Ricketts, Robin Padilla; these mofos are legit badasses and tough guys in real life. Martin on the other hand is merely a pretender, a product of hype and unsubstantiated publicity. His fight scenes and action sequences are aided by camera trickery, wires and frequent use of stunt doubles. He should be in a romcom or drama like the other pa cute actors; seriously, look at the guy, is he convincing as a cop, hardened by years of police work in the streets? Even Diego from Bubble Gang look a lot tougher than "Cardo".
Though it's evident that the show is pure bullsh-t, I remember I gave it the benefit of the doubt back in 2015. Besides, it does have Da King's initials attached to the title and maybe by giving it a chance, one of its directors, Toto Natividad will be provided the opportunity to make another action film with an early 90s sensibility. Admittedly, the show had promise in the first several episodes, specifically the story arc about Ador, Cardo's identical twin brother, is surprisingly good. The story with Ador Dalisay had tension, ambiance, atmosphere, drama and suspense. I actually like the interior scene in the police station where Ador seems to be having a hard time trying to reconcile his idealism with his colleagues' cynism. Martin's Ador is a likeable guy, and to be fair to the actor and give credit where it is due; he was able to breathe into the character a vulnerability which even FPJ would have applauded, considering that when Da King played the same role, he came up with a more or less workmanlike performance. Now all this built up tension in the first part of the show went down the toilet once the character of Cardo Dalisay is introduced into the narrative. All storytelling logic, realism or standards of plot and characterization are suddenly abandoned in favor of flashy and empty Chow Yuen Fat style gunplay and other gimmickry which would make John Woo vomit his lunch. I stopped watching the show after this devolution.
Where the show is good at is in reminding viewers of the times when action movies had at least, a clear footing in the entertainment market. As such, it uses nostalgia as a selling point by featuring as guests, long forgotten 90s headliners like Jeric Raval and even fight choreographer Val Iglesias. Nevermind that the same greedy corporate structure that put an end to making action films is the same entity that birthed this garbage. This is the corporate institution which forced people to watch the horrible movies of vice kabayo and the horrific infidelity oriented flicks peopled by gay leading men.
To conclude, Ang Probinsyano, the show, is an outrage. The show is an assault to human decency and the rappers in the show should be arrested for illegal possession of ugly face.