Sergio Batista. April 30th, 2015



Before joining the PróximoNível team, I have already had some practice in writing game reviews. However, the same does not apply to movies, something I do not consider myself the greatest expert on. But I am able to distinguish a good film from a bad one and there is no better way for me to start writing movie reviews than with a film about a fascist superhero.

Captain Falcão (Falcon) is a satire of Salazar's dictatorship in Portugal during the 60s. At first, Captain Falcão was going to be a TV series with a pilot episode scheduled to air, but it wasn't approved. So they decided to change the format and now we have the first Portuguese superhero film.

We follow the adventures of Captain Falcão (Gonçalo Waddington) and his partner, Puto Perdiz (David Chan Cordeiro) in their fight against the enemies of the nation, taking orders from António de Oliveira Salazar (José Pinto). They face all kinds of threats: communists, feminists and the fearful Captains of April.

The idea of ​​a superhero who defends Estado Novo and its ideologies may seem bizarre; however this film carries out this idea without failing. Some people see this as an advertisement for fascism and Salazar and truthfully, it really is, but it's all part of the premise of the film which makes it into something unique and never seen before in Portuguese cinema.

The film is strongly inspired by the 60s superhero television series such as Batman and The Green Hornet. It may rely on scene transitions or backgrounds to simulate motion while you are in a vehicle and it has a very striking visuals. Unlike the superheroes mentioned above, Captain Falcão can be an incredibly despicable person, but with a certain charm, especially when he starts yelling and saying things that I will remember and quote for a long time.

All this is a result of the script and the excellent interpretation of the actor who provides hilarious moments all the time. The film is full of exaggerations and politically incorrect jokes where the biggest victim is indeed communism, which makes sense given the historical context. One thing is certain: if I was a communist, I would not accept a Portuguese rice muffin so soon during an interrogation.



The rest of the cast also does a great job to interpret their roles. Puto Perdiz remains silent all the time, but communicates through his expressions, looks and especially when he's fighting.
Salazar almost convinced me that he was just an innocent elderly.

I could not forget to mention the fighting scenes. Thanks to the group Mad Stunts, we can watch detailed fight scenes that make the movie even more intense and fun to watch.



Unlike the "typical Portuguese film", Captain Falcão is a breath of fresh air. Not only is it a fun, provocative and innovative film, but it also opens the door to new different genres of films in Portuguese cinema. But for that, this film needs to be a success, so fulfill your civic duty and go watch the movie!

Pros

• Political satire with fighting scenes

• Captain Falcão yelling

• The dinner and interrogation scenes

Cons

• It is the ideal film for communists

• The plot twist of the end was predictable

• We need to wait for the sequel

It is a film that can be watched by everyone, because it makes fun and parodies elements of global pop culture that marked generations. For example, the Captains of April are a reference to Power Rangers and X-men. The Communist super villain is a reference of the Ming the Merciless from Flash Gordon.

I have to admit that this movie was the first and the last Portuguese film I've watched in the cinema. This movie is a must see.