Double Barrel attempts to revive Filipino action movies but it did not pan out for me as oppose to my initial expectation. The main and most evident problem is the cringe-inducing acting. Even though the script's semantics are natural to the slum language, the artists jeopardized it by acting with uneasy body language and insincere awkward speaking tone.
There are also some plot holes that are too unrealistic to ignore. The prime example is Marta's shooting skill. She never fired a gun before but just by practicing in a couple of days, she learned to use it, not only accurately but also comfortably while riding in a motorcycle. In a specific scene, with the use of a pistol, Marta killed 3-4 experienced bodyguard who obviously outskilled and outgunned her. This problematic plot inconsistencies in the film is too many to mention that I do not bother to list them all.
Meanwhile, the action scenes are pretty mid (except the first chase scene), the sex scenes are forgettable, the camerawork is decent and the background music are very unremarkable (minus the final song). I have no problem with the film's color grading but it is not revolutionizing either.
There are only one outstanding aspect of the film that I admire: the realistic setting. The film was shot in a real slum area and the houses utilized appear to be real houses of the people living there. The humid atmosphere of the place is also evident in a positive way, signified by the occasionally haggard and sweaty looks of the artists. However, these two positives did not able to significantly push the film into the higher realms of action movies.
So to sum up, unless you wanted to have a rough idea about the realism of the war on drugs or you just wanted to admire the hotness of AJ Mulach and Phoebe Walker, the film Double Barrel is not worthy of an attentive watch.
