Joonee Gamboa Movies
An ambitious young Filipino wants to come to the United States but is foiled at every turn in this comedy. Jess (Robin Padilla) has been trained as a nursing assistant, but he's currently making ends meet as a taxi driver. Jess would like to go to America and start his career over again, but his attempts to get a visa have been repeatedly unsuccessful. And as much as Jess wants to leave, he's torn by his responsibilities to his father, Mang Sancho (Johnny Delgado), who despite poor health still has en eye for the ladies, and his affection for his former girlfriend Mara (Rufa Mae Quinto), who impersonates a mermaid at a circus midway and has an eight-year-old son who may have been fathered by Jess. Jess may have found a way into America when he's hired to drive a limousine for Nigel Adams (Paul Holme), an American television producer working for a reality TV show specializing in bizarre behavior from around the world. Nigel can get Jess papers to work in the United States if he helps him get the right kind of footage, but is Jess willing to be literally crucified as part of a local Holy Week ceremony in order to pursue his dream? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Padilla
- 2002
A complex film within a film that attempts to explore the myth of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal, director Mike De Leon's study in manufactured mythology attempts to explore the life of Rizal while simultaneously investigating his influence on modern Philippine society. It seems that the culture has embraced the idea of a nation icon rather than the physical reality of the man behind the myth, and director De Leon begins to study the historical accounts of Rizal's life while attempting to contact the family and friends that were closest to him. Confounded by the controversial letter of retraction that Rizal signed in his later days, the filmmakers attempt to uncover the motivation of the legend in renouncing all he stood for and opting for and embracing the society that he so vehemently denounced. Soon coming to the end of their search for facts and unable to solve the mystery of the letter, the filmmakers, at odds with their belief of recorded history, find that discovering the ultimate truth to the legend may be an unattainable goal. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ricky Davao, Lara Fabregas, (more)
- 1996
- R
In this fast-paced action thriller, an American cop is forced to rely on the man he has sworn to destroy when both are chained together and lost in the Central American jungle. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gary Busey, Victor Rivers, (more)
Dean (John Michael Bolger) is tired of wandering around the world as a merchant marine, and is trying to settle down in his hometown of New York City. He is just barely able to keep body and soul together as a part-time taxi driver, and will be out on the streets if his sister succeeds in selling his parent's old apartment to their cousin. Nonetheless, he has a yen to marry a nice Asian girl, and contracts with a mail-order-bride service to marry Dalisay (Madeline Ortaliz), a young Filipina. She has entered into this arrangement because she wants to earn money for her impoverished family and for her sister to have a needed operation. It is not until they are married that Dalisay discovers that Dean, otherwise a decent enough husband, doesn't want her to work. This would not be a problem, except that Dean is unable to keep a job. Their efforts to cope with one another's needs and expectations form the backbone of this independent film production. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1993
Blood, sweat, and betrayal in the South East Asian jungles is what drives this action thriller about sleazy Canadian diplomat Carl Pimmler (Michael Ironside), who sends Peter Kernan (Matt Salinger) and his wife Johanna (Sam Jenkins) into deepest, darkest Cambodia to deliver "medicine." When the two realize the true nature of the items they are toting, they struggle to flee for their lives. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- 1991
- R
The third film in this war series focuses on the exploits of a band of rebel U.S. soldiers who do battle in Vietnam. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- R
In this politically-charged supernatural action-thriller from the Philippines, a beautiful television correspondent finds herself possessed by a vengeful demon, a former Chinese mystic who was slain by a Filipino warlord 500 years before. Before the mystic died he swore he would slowly destroy all of his descendants. The mystic makes good on his promise and the victims are killed ritually and branded with the mark of the dreaded demonstone to prove the revenge. The reincarnation of the warlord, now a corrupt Filipino politician, tries to find the killer, but has no luck until an American Marine, Tony McKee is found near one of the most recent victims. The politician immediately frames him for the death. But fortunately, former Marine Andrew Buck is there to prove his innocence. Unfortunately, Buck's girl friend is the demonically-charged reporter. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1989
- R
In this actioner a tough Vietnam vet must get his group of crack commandos back together and return to the jungle after an ambassador's wife is kidnapped and taken deep into the Laotian jungles by a crazed drug czar. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
John Douglas, Chard Hayward and Christopher Weeks are the leading characters (but not necessarily the heroes) of Violent Zone. When a party of travellers is lost in the wilderness, the officials are at a loss to effect a rescue. Not so a group of mercenaries who'll do anything for a buck. It turns out that the "rescue" is a sham, and there's dirty work afoot. Violent Zone is unrated, but contains . . . well, violence. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Douglas, Christopher Weeks, (more)
- 1988
- R
In this routine actioner, Sergeant Mark Stryker (Richard Young) is framed for murder by the scheming politician Nguyen HuuTri (Joonee Gamboa) in war-torn Saigon. Stryker uncovers evidence that the series of murders he is blamed for were committed by heroin dealers in cahoots with Tri. The wrongly accused sergeant enlists the help of pretty Associated Press reporter Jean Lassiter (P.J. Soles) to help with the probe. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Young, P.J. Soles, (more)
- 1986
- R
This action film from prolific Filipino director Cirio Santiago stars Cec Verrell as tough cop Jennie ("Silk"), who works for the Honolulu police. A series of murders has the police baffled, so Silk is called in to help uncover the culprits. Her sleuthing leads to several shoot-outs and evidence that incriminates one of the cops. Connected to the deaths are gangland figures and the ugly business of selling fake identities. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cec Verrell, Bill McLaughlin, (more)
- 1985
In this cops-and-robbers drama, a former L.A. policeman, Philip Sloane (Robert Resnick) is called in on the case after a woman is kidnapped in Manila and her husband is killed. Once he arrives in the Philippines his old buddy Pete Saimi (Raul Aragon) joins him in looking for the kidnappers, and Pete's sister Naili (Carissa Carlos) joins Sloane for a romantic assignation. Pete and Naili keep Sloane busy until the mystery behind the kidnapping is solved after several car chases and bullet-ridden shoot-outs. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Resnick, Debra Blee, (more)
One of a string of Ramboesque films dashed off in the '80s, Missing in Action is yet another entry that attempts to exploit the lingering public bitterness over the outcome of the war in Vietnam. Colonel Braddock (karate champion Chuck Norris) travels to Vietnam on a mission to recover lost POWs. A former POW himself, Braddock has the saavy and bad temper to kill droves of communists at a time, not to mention the inclination. Together with former war comrade M. Emmet Walsh, he sets off for the POW camp where Americans are supposedly still held. Of course, there are lots of nameless, faceless Asian communists, and of course, every one of them dies in violent fashion. The chop-socky, shoot-em-up, explosion-a-minute action quickly wears thin. Missing in Action is a crass, dopey film that ultimately fails to connect with anything interesting in the realm of fact or fiction. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Chuck Norris, M. Emmet Walsh, (more)
- 1982
- PG
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Mel Gibson stars in this period political thriller directed by Peter Weir. Set in Indonesia during the 1965 coup against President Sukarno, the film stars Gibson as Guy Hamilton, an Australian wire-service reporter covering the scene. Whenever Hamilton becomes too glib or indifferent for his own good, he is brought back to earth by his "conscience," photographer Billy Kwan (played in male drag by diminutive actress Linda Hunt, who won an Academy Award for her performance). As all of Jakarta sinks into disarray, Hamilton pursues a romance with British attaché Jill Bryant (Sigourney Weaver). Filmed on location in the Philippines and Australia, the film was financed by MGM, in the first such American-Australian financial collaboration. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver, (more)
- 1981
- R
Cannon Productions' first foray into the martial arts milieu, Enter the Ninja stars Franco Nero. While visiting old pal Frank Landers (Alex Courtney) in the Philippines, master ninja Cole (Nero) is approached by villain Charles Venarius (Christopher George). Coveting Lander's plantation, Venarius tries to strong-arm Cole into turning against his friend. Our Hero refuses, whereupon Venarius brings in his own ninja Hasegawa (Sho Kosugi), the first step towards the battle-royal climax. The stunt choreography by Mike Stone is enough to make one completely forget the film's lapses in taste and logic. Enter the Ninja was followed in short order by Revenge of the Ninja. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Franco Nero, Susan George, (more)
- 1978
- R
A Vietnam veteran returns to America but finds difficulty in adjusting to normal life and controlling his violent impulses. This action drama follows the vet as he finds his way to New York, where his killer instinct finds a suitable outlet in a job as a hitman for the mob. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
- 1976
When he tries to get the money for his father's funeral from his father's boss, Igos (Vic Vargas) is mistaken for a thief and is arrested by company guards. He escapes by kidnapping the boss's daughter and is joined by his other relatives, who are so poor they have nothing to lose by becoming criminals. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vic Vargas, Pinky De Leon, (more)
- 1976
Vietnam veterans Baumgartner and Watson (Ben Gazzara and Paul Winfield) are hired to rescue an executive (Keenan Wynn) abducted by Asian guerrillas. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Britt Ekland, (more)
- 1974
This Filipino film is in the Tagalog dialect of that country. The story concerns the coming-of-age of a young boy and his discovery of sexual love. His entirely natural activities are endangered by his town's gossiping busybodies. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1974
- R
In this actioner, three courageous female revolutionaries on a South American island grab their rifles and begin searching for a clever bandit. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1973
- PG
An evil woman makes a good living by kidnapping famous athletes, chopping them up and selling their remaining viable parts to the elderly riche until an insurance detective catches on and saves the day in this horror thriller. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nancy Kwan, Ross Hagen, (more)
