When her supposedly happy life is disturbed by her past, she must channel the killer within her to avenge the life they took from her.
The story follows Lily (Cristine Reyes), who decides to leave her employer by faking her death in order to live a simpler life. She changed her name to Maria and began a new life with her husband, Bert (Guji Lorenzana), and their daughter, Min-Min (Johanna Rish Tongcua).
However, Maria's ex-partner, Kaleb (Germaine de Leon), spotted her while on a mission to dispatch a politician. He was so enraged by Maria's lie that he wasted no time in wreaking havoc on her life, beginning with the murder of her husband and only child.
Maria is very upset that her family died, so she asks her mentor, Greg (Ronnie Lazaro), for help in getting revenge for them.
There is no shortage of amazing shots in "Maria." Almost all of the shots here are perfectly framed and placed. The fight scenes are easy to follow, and the stunts are spectacular.
In terms of acting, Reyes and Lazaro are the film's clear standouts. As the charismatic mentor of the titular character, Lazaro, a Gawad Urian award winner, is nothing short of natural and spectacular. Reyes, on the other hand, has repeatedly demonstrated her talent as an actress. She's not just good in comedic and dramatic roles; she's also good in action. In fact, Reyes performed 90 percent of the stunts in this film.
Probably the only downfall of this movie is its story and villains.
The story is predictable and uninteresting. On the other hand, the villains are right there. They feel flat despite the film's attempt to put layers on them.
Kaleb, who is the main antagonist of the film, suffered from having no substance at all. Victor would have been a great villain for the film, but he was so underutilized. And lastly, Ricardo. He's menacing and strong, but he has no impact whatsoever on the story.
Summing it up, "Maria" has reshaped action films in the Philippine cinema with its beautiful cinematography and choreography. However, the film wasn't able to unlock its full potential with its predictable plot and frail villains.
2.5/5
