For fans of the action genre, Scott Adkins is one of the best underrated actors in the industry. After doing bit parts in Jackie Chan’s Hollywood ventures, Adkins gained significant fame in the role of Boyka. Adkins then went on to absolutely dominate the field of direct-to-VOD releases, occasionally delivering bangers like Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, Avengement, and One Shot. And while his work was greatly revered by those who watch any and every action film (read: me), it was his turn as Killa Harkan in John Wick 4 that garnered him worldwide acclaim. The same can be said about Marko Zaror. He starred alongside Adkins in several movies and even played the final boss in Sultan, a Bollywood film starring Salman Khan. But it was his role as Chidi in the fourth John Wick film that got everybody to sit up and take notice. Now, Adkins and Zaror have joined hands once again in the R-rated action flick, Diablo. Is it worth a watch? Let’s find out.
Ernesto Diaz Espinoza’s Diablo, which he has co-written with Mat Sansom, Adkins, and Zaror, tells the story of Kris Chaney, who enters Colombia to visit the grave of Leonor Piamonte and then proceeds to stalk Elisa, the daughter of a gangster named Vicente. After observing Elisa’s regular route to school, Kris kidnaps her to have a conversation with her. Initially, Elisa is not interested in listening to the guy who has abducted her, but as soon as Kris says that he is her birth father, her ears perk up. As per Kris, Vicente had him jailed for the past 15 years and had Leonor killed when she planned to take Elisa away from this world of crime. A few weeks before her passing, Leonor had asked Kris to promise her that if anything happened to her, he’d rescue Elisa from Vicente’s influence. Given how Elisa has been raised by Vicente, it’s tough for her to believe him. But when Vicente announces a cash prize for anyone who’ll reunite him with Elisa, and all kinds of debauched thugs—with the most dangerous one being El Corvo—descend upon her, she has to decide between siding with Kris or trusting those thugs to safely take her back to Vicente.
Diablo has a pretty simple story. Its themes don’t run that deep. The conversations aren’t all that profound. The screenplay is serviceable enough to set up some engaging martial arts sequences without making the movie feel like a sizzle reel for the production house or the actors. The movie wants to talk about friendship and betrayals, and there are these hints that the thirst for power and money must’ve come in between Kris, Vicente, and Leonor. Maybe there was some jealousy and unrequited love involved as well. But the writers don’t really spend too much time on that stuff. The movie intends to highlight the law and order situation in Colombia and how common people are unwilling to step up and help because the consequences of doing so are a bit too severe. However, when it comes to choosing between initiating an action sequence or pondering upon its themes, it always goes for the former because, well, it’s not that kind of film. Last but not least, the women. There are a total of 5 female characters, of which Carolina exists off-screen, Leonor is dead, Alex and the policewoman die on the screen, and Elisa is kind of the damsel-in-distress. Either that’s a commentary on the patriarchy snuffing out feminism or just bad writing.
It’s quite surprising that even though most of the spotlight is hogged by the subplot involving Kris, Elisa, and Vicente, everything about El Corvo ends up being the showstopper. For starters, the guy is heavily scarred and is missing one hand. And instead of being limited by that, he has turned that left hand into a canvas for a variety of prosthetic weapons, ala Han from Enter the Dragon. We do get a backstory for why that’s the case, but we never learn why he asks women whether they’ve treated themselves to anything that whole week before killing them. He looks like Teeka Ram Jain, from Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper, but with insane fighting skills. I am conflicted about whether I want to know more about him or it’s the ambiguity that makes El Corvo such a fascinating entity; either way, in the realm of direct-to-digital releases, he is one of the best villains I have ever seen. As for all the hand-to-hand combat scenes, they are genuinely mind-blowing. Espinoza (who serves as the editor as well), along with cinematographer Niccolo De La Fere, the stunt team, sound designers, costume designers, make-up artists, the VFX artists, and the SFX artists, has done a splendid job. From the first fight, where Kris sets foot in Colombia, to the last one, which takes place in an old cement factory, everything is packed with great choreography, dynamic sets, drama, and thrills.
Coming to the performances in Diablo, Adkins is giving a performance that you have seen him doing a hundred times before. It’s not bad, it’s not amazing; it just is. He is absolutely fantastic during the action sequences. Seeing him do all those kicks, flips, and punches is incredibly satisfying. But when he has to just sit and talk, he goes into energy-conservation mode. He doesn’t even mask his accent. And the funny thing is that, if you have watched John Wick 4, you know what he is capable of. It’s just that he doesn’t want to do all that for a direct-to-digital release; he’d rather let his legs do the talking. On the flip side, Zaror has given the performance of a lifetime. Of course, he is amazing during the action sequences. The way he moves his whole body while wearing that uncomfortable prosthetic hand and that heavy-looking long coat is so fun to watch. But he also shines during the quieter moments, where he is either staring creepily at someone or stitching up a gash on his head without even flinching. Zaror as El Corvo is nothing short of iconic. Lucho Velasco and Alanna De La Rossa are excellent. A shoutout must go to all the stunt performers who have been at the receiving end of Adkins and Zaror’s blows; if they didn’t take those hits, the stars wouldn’t have looked as good as they did.
Diablo is a treat for fans of the action genre, especially martial arts films. While it’s not going to win any awards for its writing, it definitely should be lauded universally for its combat sequences and Zaror’s performance. And given how it has left the door open for a sequel, honestly, I am looking forward to whatever Espinoza, Sansom, Adkins, and Zaror have in store for us. So, yeah, please give the movie a watch if that sounds like a recommendation to you. With all that said, now, I have a bone to pick with all these major streaming platforms that haven’t yet handed the keys to an action franchise to people like Adkins or Zaror. I think direct-to-digital releases are at an interesting juncture. This year alone, while Mission: Impossible—The Final Reckoning, Ballerina, Yadang: The Snitch, and Empuraan have dominated the big screen; we have been getting equally great films like Last Bullet, Havoc, The Gorge, K.O., Bullet Train Explosion, Counterattack, Demon City, and Diablo. And since Adkins and Zaror are so recognizable in this space, what’s stopping streaming giants from trusting them to deliver the goods instead of green-lighting yet another bloated, big-budget “slop-buster”? I don’t know; you tell me.
