Plantiana Yawn. Poorly Filmed Snooze Fest.

Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Grimerlana Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

gladrius When you hear "superhero movie," its almost a given you think larger than life characters with over the top action scenes and heavy special effects. Sadly what I imagine will be lost on many potential viewers is that Mirageman is supposed to be what would happen if someone in the real world decided to become a superhero.Sure, there have been famous superheroes before whose only "power" has been knowing karate, but Mirageman does a great job setting up the realistic consequences of someone putting on a mask to fight crime. His martial arts are impressive but they're very real, with no camera tricks or special effects to make them look cooler. He doesn't have a police scanner or anything, so he has to rely on people emailing him their problems to find out where to be (which some people abuse, naturally).Mirageman is no god among men either; he gets surprised, beaten within an inch of his life and wonders what the hell made him think he could do this after a disastrous setback. But in the end, he realizes in a cynical world like ours one ordinary person can make a difference if they've got the courage to try.Mirageman isn't your average blockbuster superhero movie, but if you're willing to accept it for it differences, you won't be disappointed.

drunkenhopfrog Here comes a new superhero movie from… Chile? Why not? This is not a typical superhero story. In fact 'super' is downright inaccurate while 'hero' just barely applies – at first.Marko Zaror, a stuntman and reputed martial artist, stars as Maco, a quiet and respectful bouncer working at a local strip club. When not working, Maco is a fitness and workout nut. The seemingly gratuitous scenes showing Maco working out, charting calories, and taking amino acids seem like filler at first, but what the film is doing is introducing the character and showing his solitary life that contains little meaning outside of fitness and his institutionalized brother.Maco's family was brutally attacked three years earlier. In the attack, the father and mother were murdered, the youngest brother beaten and sodomized, and Maco was beaten to near death. Since that time Maco has been training, working out, fanatically practicing martial arts for… something. Maco's brother is in a mental hospital due to the severe trauma of the murder and rape.One night while jogging Maco stumbles across a robbery in progress outside of a suburban house. After instinctively disabling one bad guy, Maco hears screams coming from inside the house. Maco grabs the bad guy's mask and enters, surprising the bad guys and saving the day. One of the rescued victims is ambitions tabloid television reporter Carol V (María Elena Swett).Carol V broadcasts a commentary piece the next night on her television show in which she calls the man that rescued her a "hero" without a Batmobile or cape. Maco is stunned by the reaction and the gears in his head start clicking. The gears become unstoppable when Maco visits his brother at the institution. For the first time since the attack, Maco's brother is responsive. It seems he was inspired by the report of the regular guy superhero. Maco then becomes convinced that he can stop the type of evil that happened to his parents, inspire his brother to get better, and perhaps earn the adoration of such public as Carol V."Mirageman" is a difficult and ultimately rewarding movie. In it's short 87 minute running time, "Mirageman" changes tone three different times. By far the most amusing scenes come early in Maco's career as Mirageman. Mirageman has to fight what would be the first real life challenge of any superhero: Practicality. Mirageman has to overcome cumbersome costume difficulties which include time required to change into the costume and where to stash his non-hero clothes. And of course transportation. Although Maco's "origin story" is similar to Bruce Wayne, Maco is no billionaire. His costume is pieced together from a sporting goods store and he owns no car. At first he takes the bus when battling villainy. "Mirageman" also revels in the belly-bouncing glee of how a superhero must hold himself while walking around. "The Dark Knight" and "Spider-Man" never shows the viewer what it's like when the Caped Crusader or the Web-Slinger has to, say, simply walk up stairs or down a hallway. How would they act while doing the mundane? Marco deals with that as Mirageman. The extended sequences showing the costumed Mirageman 'creeping' in bright sunlight with his arms held to ready like an arcade game are both funny and uncomfortably awkward.The second tone of "Mirageman" deals with the life of a hero after he's sorta figured it out. This includes the surprising public reaction to their very own superhero and the ways that a simple masked man trying to do good can be exploited and become something of which he never wished. Maco also has to deal with what fans he has and hopefully deal with that embarrassing transportation issue. Maybe a sidekick would be just the thing? Maco goes through many transformations during the movie. I honestly can't remember more than one or two lines that Zaror has as Maco. Most of the character building is deftly conveyed using what the viewer already knows about 'superheros' and situational drama. Although he never says it, we feel Maco's pain, inadequacies, and sense of justice. The third tone is set as Maco has to deal with these issues and the very real likelihood that, in order the make a real difference, he may have to risk it all.The last act is brutal and realistic – a sharp contrast when compared to the relative camp of the opening act. One gets the feeling that this is what it would be like to take that mantel of responsibility.Mirageman is left exploring a final question. Does he truly want to be a Hero? from www.PopBunker.net @popbunker

dbborroughs A bouncer in a club dons a mask and rescues a TV reporter who was attacked during a home invasion. She speaks on TV of his heroics and her desire to thank him. The bouncer thinks nothing of it, until he finds that his brother, who has been confined in a mental hospital since their family was attacked in a violent assault years before, has begun to come out of his shell as a result of the story. Making himself a costume he goes off to fight crime, going so far as to place an ad for those looking for help.I have no idea if this film is good or bad. Certainly its realistic, the fights carry a weight that no Hollywood film (or even Thai films like Ong Bok, which pride themselves on it being real) do. You feel the punches and the kicks. You also see the toll of the battles on our hero and how as a result he is forced to modify his costume and his tactics. The problem is that the realism creates a silliness that probably wasn't fully intended. Its silly because you see how ridiculous the notion of a superhero is. We see how hard it is to change into a costume, and are left to ponder what happens to the clothes we leave behind. I like the fact that the film shows plainly how silly superheroes are. But at the same time I'm not sure what I think of the rest of it. The performances are good and the story is fine, but for what ever reason the silliness and the cheapness overwhelms everything and makes it less. In all honesty I admire the film, but I don't know if I like it.Worth a look for action fans or for those who want a realistic look at what being a superhero would entail.

vinnie2112 Excellent film, very good storyline and awesome action sequences. All the fights in this movie are in real time (no slow-motion then speed-up technique) and are done by the main actor Marko Zaror (Maco). All this makes it very realistic, honest and really fun to watch. I'm glad that this kind of films are made in Chile. I think the movie is great, it keeps you entertained all the time with vivacious action and a solid plot. I'm from Chile and I happen to know Marko from school (I was friends with his brother) and he always was influenced by the martial arts so I'm happy that he is doing what he most likes. I highly recommend this movie, you are in for a great treat!!