Kiltro (2006) User Reviews

Wow! I am still surprised after the shock!

[kamui_199x · 7/10 · 21 April 2006]

Hearing about a Chilean film was not surprising, indeed its very common but when you hear about a Chilean ACTION film that's a total different story.

I must admit that I am not quite a fan of Chilean movies but after watching this I can honestly say that my opinion is changing, nice and clean edition and very quick and realistic fighting sequences makes this film a very interesting and surprising film.

The Good Points:

* Simple story and not a silly saving-the-world-from-an-ancient-satanic-sect plot, this makes the movie easier to understand and fun to watch. * Very nice fighting sequences, I heard a rumor that the main actor of this movie is indeed a martial artist of recognition in our country and you can clearly see it as you watch the movie, the fights are fast and realistic making you say OUCH! in every kick. * Its a very funny movie, I laughed a lot of times with the jokes in the movie. A lot of scenes brings us the sweet memories of the 80's series like Kung Fu and one character reminds me of Star Wars as I must say that he is the Chilean Master Yoda.

The Bad Points:

* The Visual Effects are not quite good, the blood was digitalized and you can easily notice it in a lot of scenes. * The main actor is really good at kicking, but when it comes to acting the result is not up to the expectations(mine at least). * The Music is half good, half horrible. A lot of good bands in the soundtracks, but also a lot of bands that really stink.

I really recommend this movie, my expectations where absolutely none, I just went because I was curious about the FIRST Chilean action film and I was really surprised. Very Nice Work, lets wait for the sequel!

Cheesy, very tongue-in-cheek and enjoyable with it

[grandmastersik · 6/10 · 5 February 2009]

Hmm, so, having played up the stereotypes of Latino amour: passion, obsession and blood-searing rage, this one basically makes a bit of a hash of the script, with some Serrano Family-like boy-talk, lots of jumps and kicks, a bit of hit-and-miss humour and a stunning leading lady whom I personally had trouble taking my eyes off of!

The story is simple yet bizarre in its flash-backs and editing and where Zamir - the "hero" - can either be interpreted as a stalker or loved-up boy without a clue as of how to express himself (just as the beautiful Kim can be called either the ingénue unsure how to prompt Zamir, or a total bitch and tease), it all equates to a bit of fun to add something extra to an otherwise two-dimensional plot (not to mention laugh-out-loud memories of Zamir punching out any man who dares so much as look at her!).

Other users here may see this and HATE the computer-animated blood effects poorly tacked on afterwards to give the film a bit of wholly unnecessary gore, but bare in mind that this flick is incredibly low budget, don't allow this and some of the terrible studio backdrops to ruin it for you and you'll find a film that just wants to kick a lot of butt and have a lot of fun in the process.

Still, budget restraints aside, the final shot of Zamir walking off into the painted sunset, clearly not making any ground on the running machine he's made walk upon just has to be intentionally funny.

I was going to give this film a 7 for effort but a 6 is about right - just keep an eye open for the impressive Marko Zaror, who deserves a brighter future. For Caterina whatever-her-name-is (okay, Jadresic) who plays Kim, I'll rate it a 10.

A new taste

[nicolas-prandi · 5/10 · 23 May 2011]

Kiltro is one of the extremely few Spanish movies having to do with the topic of martial arts. The approach taken by Ernesto Díaz Espinoza to produce such a peculiar movie was one of comedy brought about by fictitious exaggeration. The characters created by Espinoza are very corny and seem to have been taken right from other movies and dropped into present day Chilean society. Such characters as the dwarf and the faraway teacher give off the impression that Yoda and Obi-Wan Kenobi, from Star Wars, have stepped into the movie. Even though many situations were forced and fights were exaggerated in order to add more action and excitement to the film, one can find appreciation in the comedic aspect of it. South Americans can especially enjoy the different cultural aspects which can be seen amidst the fantasy of the story. For example, the drinking of "mate" when Zamir is being trained by Jose Soto in the desert, stood out to me as something which you would not expect in a martial arts movie unless it was in South America. Although not a very high caliber movie, Kiltro definitely can serve as an entertaining and admirable movie.

Romance sold as martial arts

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 13 August 2016]

I'm always one for a good martial arts flick, so when I saw the DVD box for KILTRO I was excited. "The best...since Ong Bak" it proclaimed, underneath a picture of a muscle guy in some weird mask pulling off a typical kung fu move. The blurb has five shots of a weapon-wielding hero tackling a street gang, warning of strong bloody violence and looking absolutely fab. So I bought it, took it home and...

Found out that the box was a lie. The action shots on the back – ALL of them – come from one single, five-minute fight sequence at the film's climax. This isn't an action film as all, more of a romance. There are virtually NO fight scenes in the film aside from that one big set-piece, and even that one isn't too good, with obvious wire work and some pretty awful CGI blood effects. Instead, we get some sappy story about an idiot member of a street gang and his stalker obsession with a pretty Korean girl. Soon enough there's a bad guy killing some people, and this idiot guy must go and train and then fight him, blah blah blah...the kind of story that's been done to death.

The novelty here is that this is a Chilean film – and for me, like many others I suspect, my first Chilean movie. Sadly, this lacks none of the expressiveness or style in the similarly South American CITY OF GOD: instead, it's content to rip-off Hollywood with an inappropriate spaghetti western soundtrack, cardboard sets, and a whole dearth of imagination and interest. The characters are boring, the actors bad, and the storyline sucks. Why we're supposed to care about any of this, I don't know.

The biggest disappointment lies with the hero, Marko Zaror. Now, Zaror isn't much of an actor: his facial expressions are often amusing rather than believable, and his street thug character offers the viewer no sympathy whatsoever. But, to be honest, that's par for the course for an action flick. The crime is that Zaror is a great fighter in his few brief moments of action, so why on earth didn't the director utilise that talent more, rather than focus on his acting? ONG BAK this isn't: that film was perfect in recognising Tony Jaa as a fine martial artist, throwing him into the midst of fight or chase scenes all the while, but KILTRO goes the opposite way and is just dull as a result. Dull as dishwater in fact. Let's hope that Zaror finds himself a director who recognises this big guy's appeal and casts him in more appropriate roles.

For the lady

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 12 June 2022]

Or is it damsel in distress? But is it about her? Well sort of - love story and all. But a love story with a lot of action and beating people up (also killing some along the way). Your usual "entertainment" then. Well I may be giving this a bit of a leaway (no pun intended) with my rating.

This does not have the best action scenes you have seen. But it is a decent B-Action movie. It has the cliches you expect it to have - and it may end exactly how you expect it to end (or not to be honest - I thought after all that .. but do I actually care?) ... CGI blood and all included too.

After a weak start, it gets MUCH WORSE

[A_Different_Drummer · 1/10 · 16 December 2013]

This review started innocently enough, noticed the film on a "best" list from a martial arts fan. A rarity, a South American martial arts film? Hard to find but I did. And wished I did not. Imagine the subtle stylings of the original blaxploitation Shaft, the casting and understated direction of a Sonny Chiba film, and the sound track by Ennio Moricone. OMG what junk. In the first segment of the film the oversized Chiba-esque lead spends his time pursuing his favourite hobby -- which is beating the &*&+%% out of any guy who goes near his schoolgirl crush (she looks late 20s so I guess she was held back?). Not a great film so far, but at least it is sweet. Then a villain who looks like he escaped from an early Bruce Lee film, always dressed in a uniform and never breaks a sweat, shows up and starts killing and/or maiming any of the extras foolish enough to stray onto the set. To deal with the bad guy, our hero is advised by a dwarf (literally, from the script) to go into the desert and seek training from a master. I am going to stop the review here because by this point either their martial arts consultant quit or they never had one in the first place. In either case, the fights from this point on have no pretence of reality or connection to the laws of Physics and more closely resemble what happens when Road Runner meets Coyote. Ugh.

I re watched and I regret it

[cgallegossoto · 3/10 · 5 August 2021]

I went to the movie theater back when the movie was released and I absolutely loved it !! Back when I was 12 years old now I'm 27 I thought I could give it a try since it's on Amazon Prime and the acting is straight up the worst, I know most of them are Chilean martial artists and Zaror is a Stuntman but the acting sucked big time, the music was sometimes really cringey and sometimes just right like a good ol western. The story was good, just a waste of time I can't believe I was so into this movie back then !!

Did I see the same movie as everyone else?

[TheWhiteShadow · 4/10 · 25 March 2008]

Kiltro is an ultra low budget Chilean martial arts film, apparently the first of its kind. Since the budget is so low I can look past the bargain basement set pieces straight out of the 40s, but what I can't look past is a jumbled, incoherent story full of plot holes; stone-faced actors; terrible pacing; and god awful CG blood. They would've been better off pulling a Tony Jaa and breaking everyone's limbs and neck. It would've looked better, saved money, and had a greater effect.

Another gripe I have is with the whole love story. Everyone else seems to think it is cute and emotional. I think its scary. Zamir is nothing but an obsessed stalker. The opening of the movie has Zamir skulking in the shadows at a club watching a girl (Kim) dancing with some guy. When the guy gets a little frisky Zamir goes into rage mode and attacks. We find out later on that this guy that Zamir attacked is really Kim's boyfriend. We also find out through the story and flashbacks that Zamir had been stalking Kim for 2 years and violently attacked any guy who tried to get close to her. I don't know about you guys, but to me that isn't a good way to set up a quirky love comedy.

But I can't be all negative. Marko Zaror is an impressive individual. He is so ripped he makes some of the Spartans in 300 look scrawny, and for a man his size he has some incredible moves. I just wish he had a better director behind him. Espinoza's ham-fisted attempts at capturing the action was embarrassing. One reason why Tony Jaa is getting so popular, even though he shares the same stoic demeanor as Zaror, is because his director knows how to capture all of his moves and make them look gorgeous.

In conclusion, I think Marko Zaror has a lot of potential. I just hope he gets a decent director soon. Even if the story and acting is sacrificed again, I believe that if they can get his action scenes looking great he can be a new rising star.

Pretty good for being the first martial arts movie made in Chile

[crsj1981 · 9/10 · 23 April 2006]

I just saw the movie and thought it was good in general. I have to point out that this type of movie is completely new for us over here, I mean it's the first martial arts movie made in Chile, so my hat is off to the people who decided to make this movie. The highlights of the movie are the fights which are pretty cool and showcase the abilities of M. Zaror (The Rock stunt double) very well. He no doubt can kick some ass. The movie is full of hints to other martial arts movies and series, like "Kung Fu", "Drunken Master" or the "Kill Bill" type music, for instance. The movie has also a lot of humor just like the Asian martial arts movies.

If the fights were a little longer, and the plot a little more polished, then this would have been a very promising movie. Even with those rough points, the movie is good for being the first of its kind in Chile. Marko Zaror is probably the best martial artist I have seen in a movie that isn't of Asiatic descent. I rated it with a 9 for being the first movie of it's kind, I found it was pretty good. It reminded me a lot of the Korean martial arts movies (fast paced fights like the ones in "Ong-Bak"). A must see for martial arts fans.

Simple and decent

[tkdlifemagazine · 5/10 · 1 April 2023]

This early film of Chilean martial artist and action film star, Marko Zaror, is not bad. There are some good elements, including a decent story and attempt to infuse martial arts and fantasy. The film, like Zaror's current release, Fist of the Condor, showcase Chile, as well as Zaror's skills and passion for the arts. The story also has a similar through-line of the struggle between good and evil. The fight scenes are decent but they are hampered by digital blood effects that are not very good. The film's direction is not great. The low budget is apparent. The editing could have been tighter. Shaving 20% off the film would have improved the experience. I enjoyed seeing Zaror's progression.

Classic kung fu spaghetti western salad from Chile!!!!

[orochiklan · 10/10 · 24 April 2006]

Amazing, the soundtrack will blow the mind of all the fanatics of Morricone or Bacalov... a lot of spaghetti western influence like Tarantino's Kill Bill, plus bloody gore fx zatoichi style. Zaror was very good in the fights , and also he has a lot of charisma , but my favorite one was Miguel Angel DeLuca, the Kung Fu sensei who plays the bad guy in the film, a really great performance full of intense moments , like the tragic flashbacks (you will remember Leone in one of them). A very entertainment film that has quality and heart. Back off Tonny Jaa , here comes Kiltro!. I recommend this film to all the fans of the old kung fu films, spaghetti western, Miike, Tonny Jaa and martial arts.

If you LOVE MOVIES you'll LOVE KILTRO!!!!!!

[maticine · 10/10 · 10 May 2006]

Visceral, passionate and brave; Kiltro splatters boiling blood straight from the heart! An exercise of pure love to genre movies, a story told many times before but now told with a bunch of guts and the taste of a new generation.

Kiltro is able to take very serious the most beautiful clichés and then punch you in your face with a marvelous twist! A lot of emotions come together, contradictable emotions, sometimes you don't now if to cry or to laugh, but both sentiments hit you hard. The director definitely loves the story he's telling; he loves it as obsessively as Zami (main character) loves Kim (the girl), you can clearly notice it when the camera follows Zami down the street… he's heart is broken… he walks sadly… the camera follows him on a steady-cam and never cuts… Zami keeps walking sad… mad… and starts to run! David Bowie's Modern Love sounds loud! The camera starts running with him! You get chicken' skin! Wow, at that point you just start praying to make this dude get the girl! That scene was taken from Leos Caraxe's Mauvais Sang and works more than perfect in Kiltro. Just like that one you'll see a lot of scenes taken from other movies, a similar exercise to Tarantino's Kill Bill, but more funky or weird. The story takes place at the Chilean's Korea town, where you also can find Arabic people and some pretty Chilean-Chilean characters. It's like a bubble right in the middle of Santiago city, a world where everything is possible, it reminds me some of Takashi Miike's flicks, where he shows Tokyo's underworld like something fantastic and stylized. Kiltro mixes anime, Leone's westerns, comic book flavor, Starwars, Bruce Lee and the whole spirit of Asian films. A pastiche totally coherent with south American cultures, a blend of the previous cultures, a fresh blend, that's why it works.

And the fight scenes! Guys! Marco Zaror is like Tony Jaa or better. The fights scenes are terrific! The question came to me: Is the big fight scene in Kiltro the best fight scene I've seen? It could be. I don't remember any other martial arts movie with a fight like this one. Looks real but exceedingly stylized, it's raw and violent but funny at the same time, strange but cool mix. I loved it. Trying to think in a better fight scene but I can't. Proud to say it was made in Chile!

To be honest with you I entered the theater just because of curiosity. I went to watch a Chilean action movie and after 20 minutes of film a forgot that fact… after 20 minutes of film I encounter myself in the middle of a FLICK, a flick that I enjoyed like I use to enjoy movies when I was a kid, like A JOURNEY, like watching something I've already seen but it feels like the first time, something bizarrely good, maybe AN EXPEDITION by a new road for south American cinema, something really pleasant, a MUST SEE for film lovers all over the world, those movies after you watch them you say "thanks". Now I'm just praying to have "Kiltro II" as soon as possible!

Simple and Fun To Watch

[TheFilmBabes · 10/10 · 3 March 2008]

This movie was based on a simple story which really made the movie easy to follow and fun to watch. Although this is an action movie (which I am usually not a fan of) it wasn't the usual cheesy crap we are all used to. Thank goodness, instead it was very well done and tasteful. The actors actually had talent in the martial arts as well, which made it believable. Its also a very funny movie, I laughed throughout. The jokes were priceless and the cast had great comedic timing. Overall, this was one heck of a good movie. It was funny, easy to watch, & action filled all rolled in to one package. Even if you're not an action fan like myself, I would recommend watching it anyway. It's very entertaining!

I laughed for hours

[kurakensama · 8/10 · 17 May 2006]

The movie was exactly what I thought: funny, nice, tender, violent, and with some very good fights. The "Chilean" tint es everywhere (is necessary: if you think for a while, there no exist any Chilean martial art, but "knife-and-poncho-fighting"). Is NOT an martial arts film, is a love story with martial arts. If you can laugh about martial arts, you should see that movie.

yeah

good movie

nice picture

And so.

Excellent

[dag-50 · 9/10 · 24 May 2006]

This movie is much more than I expected. It kept me interested the whole time, even when the plot was very obvious. The action scenes and all the references to other martial arts movies and even references to animated series like "Grand Prix" and others, kept the movie rolling very well till the end. Congrats to the producing team and everyone in this film, it's just too good to be the first martial arts in the Chilean industry.

P.S. I loved Caterina Jadresic in this film... just lovely. The contact lenses were not necessary, she is beautiful just the way she is, but anyway she looks amazing.