Code Name Emperor (2022) Poster

User Reviews

Review this title
14 Reviews
Sort by:
Filter by Rating:
7/10
A Welcome Departure from Usual Spy Story
albertval-6956018 August 2022
It's not usually how spy movies are treated. This one takes a different tack in exploring the subject of political blackmail and manipulation by means of electronic surveillance. It's an engaging story without any dull moment as pacing is just right.

Luis Tosar is his usual great self as a talented actor. What might be surprising is casting an otherwise unknown actress with Filipino descent. And she acquits herself admirably. May this vehicle help Alexandra Masangkay's film career. The producers might have included her for the sake of inclusivity but they did not err in their choice or gambit, if you like.

This is a thoughtful film. Don't expect a surfeit of action sequences ala James Bond or Jason Bourne. But it drives home an important point: the things men do to exploit the weakness of others for their nefarious ends.
12 out of 13 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
perfectly enjoyable without being outstanding
saintgermain-839251 March 2023
This is a lot better than the small number of negative and low rated reviews. The central character ,played beautifully by Luis Tosar , is an agent for a shadowy spanish " government " agency running several investigations .Eventually he seems to become personally disillusioned at the toxicity of the tasks he is asked to do .I do hope this is fiction as if it has any basis as dramatised truth then Spain's Government is truly awful .The support actors/actresses are very good .The visual look is really attractive and it sucks you in to follow the outcomes . I encourage those who come across this film to watch .
3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
A goog movie
fernandoantelodiaz21 August 2022
"rara avis" in the current panorama of Spanish cinema. In my opinion the interpretation of Miguel Rellán is a little off the hook, I expected something more consistent. Overall, I think it's a good movie.
3 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
maybe a little muddled in places, but an alright film
LetsReviewThat2621 August 2022
I found this film to be good, but a little boring getting near the middle. Luis tosar as juan did a great job and I enjoyed his acting and the two seperate lives he leads. I was also pleasantly surprised to see georgina amoros. I always enjoy things she is in and I feel she just brings a ray of sunshine to her roles. The plot could've been better, but there was enough of it to keep it interesting. Overall not bad. But could've been better Georgina amoros.
2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
1/10
The main character does all kinds of mischief. He is a thug!
clsi-1910213 August 2022
A naughty and manipulative character, of those who will do anything to achieve a goal. This guy is capable of selling his mother if it brings him any advantage. In addition to being bad, the film is the state of the art of the bad character who plays nice.
13 out of 45 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
7/10
Portrayal Of The Really Dirty Tactics Used By Police The World Over!
silicontourist9 June 2023
I have never heard of Luis Tosar as i normally don't ever watch Spanish films; the last Spanish film i remember watching was the superb Guillermo Del Toro fantasy, Pan's Labyrinth back in 2006. I'm just not a fan of Spanish cinema. Having said that mind you, this was a top notch piece of cinema about the real goings on in life that many of us never know anything about; and who would find it very difficult to believe that there are people whose work is of this low life scumbags tactics.

I have been aware of this type of inhuman goings on acted against people, some of which has been done to totally innocent and good people who just got up somebody's nose and stood in their way etc. It is a wonderful film to show the unknowing people of the world a seriously evil side of human life carried out by governments, politicians, police and other people we are supposed to trust.

Its revealing in the sense of when the Americans were finally outed for their denial of horrendous torture practices at Guantanamo Bay; which was made worse that everyone of the military top brass, the president et al had been publicly denying it for well over the 2 years prior to photos being published.

So though i was not in the least surprised about the subject matter i was pleased that a gut feeling told me to watch this great film. It was very gritty, had lots of tension, and all carried out with superb acting from all involved. Tosar as the Emperor and Alexandra Masangkay,as Filipino maid Wendy, were both outstanding.

A MUST WATCH CRIME THRILLER!
0 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Quite good - can be done
Streaming-Kati28 July 2023
Netflix writes (on TV - not on computer, the texts differ) In this fast-paced spy thriller.... Hmm..., I could undo the seatbelt, however, because "fast-paced", now not so for me. Nevertheless, the cast does its job well, a very sympathetic Alexandra Masangkay, as a Filipino worker, Luis Tosar, I see since "The Minions of Midas" quite like and Arón Piper you know together with Georgina Amorós from "Élite".

The story is quite solid, quieter than expected but with several plot lines and leads the one or the other viewer sometimes on the slippery slope.

Basically, the agent Luis Tosar is in the foreground here with the moral question of how far he is willing to go. He manages to embody warm-heartedness and brutality in one person and until the end you don't know where the development with him is going.

Action should not be expected from this, but those who want to get involved in various machinations of the secret service and their consequences would have an alternative to the usual agent films with this film.

------------ Conclusion: Quite good - can be done.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
3/10
What a disappointment!!!
Guanche4814 August 2022
Very weak this movie, disappointing...And veeery predictable from start to finish!!!

Don't get the high ratings at all.

Luis Tosar is okay, I have seen better from him, and that's the only positive.

The story is poorly edited and worse detailed, as in a hurry. The exciting moments are only a few,... it doesn't have to be action all the time, that's not what I mean, but there is nothing psychological or interesting here.

It turns into a love story very quickly and the ending is very disappointing and bitter. Is Spain always so corrupt? Hope not.

.. I have a lot of hope that it won't be always like that, keep on fighting!
5 out of 25 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
9/10
Codename ... what?
kosmasp17 August 2022
Maybe I am too much of a fan of Luis Tosar. Maybe that is true more than anything (like me also being too nice to movies most of the time) - but maybe just maybe it is deserving ... considering the performance he is able to deliver ... once again. He is phenomenal - and if you think his character is one sided ... than you either have not seen the whole movie or didn't pay enough attention to it.

No offense, but even if you know or discover slowly what he is - there is more to him than meets the (private) eye! No pun intended. The thriller is predictable in at least certain areas - like the beginning. But it is important, because two major characters are being introduced. And because I had not seen any trailer or read anything, I was not able to know everything that would be going on. It kept me guessing for a second or two - is this going to happen next? Are they there, because .. someone else is there too? Questions will be answered - but as I already said, even more important is that we get to know the characters. Mainly the main male one - and how he ticks. Because he may be one thing mostly, but he also is a human. Which he shows later on, when he "helps" someone else with "girlfriend" problems! We need that scene to connect with him - no matter what is morally right or the fact that it may not be entirely morally right ... actually there is a lot wrong with what he is doing.

The thriller works on many levels - and yes our main character is flawed ... not just a little, but a lot. But he has to go through a journey ... he was one thing for a long time. You can't change entirely from one moment to the other. Will he be able to change? Will "they" let him change? Well watch to find out (no pun intended)
7 out of 11 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
Meh spy movie with good acting but weak story
gabriel_sanchez6 June 2023
Código Emperador succeeds in creating an interesting spy plot, but fails to generate tension, deviating a few times from the main story to deal with side missions that do not add to the plot.

Juan is an intelligence agent, a detective, as he puts it, but, at least to me, it is not clear if he is an official agent of Spanish Intelligence or if he is a private detective who ends up working for Intelligence. The fact is that Juan is an expert in espionage for a corrupt organization and ends up getting too involved in a case.

The premise is the classic story of the spy who lets his human side surface. His work begins to flog him morally, which leads him to accept risks he once avoided. And of course, this doesn't go unnoticed.

Some minor plots are only for character building. These are acceptable plots, but they deviate from the focus of the two main plots, stories A and B, that make up the film.

The outcome ends up disappointing for its brevity. Many holes remain open, instigating a possible sequel; but with the film's success, it looks like Code Emperador will be a one-time entry.
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
6/10
A twisted thriller with tension , suspense and in which all the actors shine sufficiently
ma-cortes11 February 2024
Follows Juan (Luís Tosar) , an agent working for the intelligence services, who also reports to a parallel unit involved in illegal activities. In order to gain access to the chalet of a couple involved in arms trafficking, he approaches Wendy (Alexandra Masangkay), the Filipino maid who lives in the house, and establishes a relationship with her that will become increasingly more complex. Along the way, Juan finds himself involved with the Filipino servant, who works for the suspicious people she is watching. Things get complicated when he falls in love with the girl. In parallel, Juan carries out other "unofficial" jobs to protect the interests of the most powerful elites in the country, who have now set their eyes on Ángel González (Denis Gómez), a seemingly unremarkable politician in whose tranquil life he must search for flaws or invent them , and that's why Juan puts him a bait, his friend Marta (Georgina Amorós ) who has a dark past .

An interesting thriller with its ups and downs, containing action, suspense, intrigue, twists and turns. It is a not very credible story without any memorable moment that works in uneven way and pleasantly does not abuse testosterone. An intelligent spy movie that keeps the viewer's attention, here more is used of the acts of surveillance carried out by the spies against their victims and constant use of the computer rather than resorting to endless action scenes or explosions. It doesn't start well at all and it takes a while to get going, in an intrigue that seems quite complex but has a catchy last half hour in which its multiple threads end up coming together. Paced with certain rhythm and shot in a somewhat disjointed way, it manages to capture our attention throughout its footage but also gives the sensation of lacking something to tell that would give it a perfect unity beyond its continuous surprises. Luis Tosar gives a good acting as Juan, he's a lonely spy who works for the secret services. He's finely acompanied by a decent cast, such as: Alexandra Masangkay, Georgina Amorós, Denis Gómez, Laura Domínguez, María Botto, Juan Carlos Vellido and special mention for Miguel Rellán secret service chief.

In Código Emperador(2022) stands out the cinematography with plenty of visual style by Pablo Rosso. This expert cameraman is an expert on sinister atmospheres, as proved in ¨Venus¨, ¨Voces¨, ¨Musa¨, Verónica¨, ¨Summer camp¨, ¨Quién a hierro mata¨, saga ¨Rec¨, among others. As well as thrilling and atmospheric musical score by Elba Fernández and Xavi Font. The motion picture was professionally directed by Jorge Coira, his staging is effective and knows how to keep the viewer awake by shooting with solvency and constantly jumping from scene to avoid tiring; however, the various stories aren't well interwoven . He is a good craftsman who has made several TV episodes from known series as ¨Piratas¨ , ¨Pelotas¨ , ¨RIS Cientifica¨ , ¨El Comisario¨ , ¨Padre Casares¨ , ¨Hierro¨ and ¨Se quien eres¨ . And directing ocassionally for cinema as ¨El Año de la Garrapata¨, ¨18 comidas¨ and his last one : ¨Me he hecho viral¨(2023) . Rating : 6/10 . Acceptable and passable .
0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Taut tale of intrigue and deception
yogi-2209518 September 2022
This is a very well-crafted story about a shady operative who comes to have doubts about what he is doing. The acting and script are top knotch, and the pace and timing of the plot are measured enough so you can grasp all the complexity of the overlapping storylines while also keeping your attention, not to mention keeping you guessing. The only off note concerns the operation in Panama, which was an unnecessary distraction. Missing are the excessive blood and explosions which seem to be required in all "action" films these days, and that added a star to my rating. A film that does not insult your intelligence.
4 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Loved this thriller!
paraicm19 August 2022
This is a really solid, well-made, intriguing and eminently watchable film. Unlike typical Hollywood 'action', with constant fight scenes, explosions and CGI to force the pace and to keep you "entertained", this movie brings you into a well-acted story plot and keeps you there. Highly recommended! Enjoy.
5 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink
8/10
Against the current
avindugunasinghe2 January 2023
A master builder tear down an empire from top to bottom in this delightful spy thriller. Thorough precise work by Luis Tosar brings a veteran presence to the movie. This is the kind of thriller that does work without the the common fire works and car chases. It's a rarity to come across a plot with true cinematic value. Code name Emperor's main character Juan is the kind of whistleblowers our world need. In a world where men and women made into puppets using data or the secrets Juan's character finds empathy and that emotions are carefully performed. The societal and political commentary is excellent. Code Name Emperor in these regards is an excellent movie.
3 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

See also

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews


Recently Viewed