Verdict: Value for Money
Pinoy Rebyu Score: 3.27 (13 ratings)
Genre: Crime, Thriller
Director: Michael Tuviera
Writers: Aloy Adlawan, Michael Tuviera
Cast: Dennis Trillo, Richard Gomez, Ricky Davao, Dante Rivero, Irma Adlawan, LJ Reyes, Derek Ramsay, Raymond Bagatsing, Alex medina, Jerald Napoles, Nicco Manalo
Synopsis: This is the story of Crisanto Espina, an ex-cop dishonorably discharged because of a fatal mistake. Currently teaching at a security guard training school, Crisanto is tasked to liquidate the people who masterminded the robbery/massacre. As he diligently executes his orders while dealing with his own personal demons, he begins to realize that the whole circus of the investigation will eventually consume him and make him question his own brand of justice.
MTRCB rating: R-13
Running time: 112 mins
Trailer:
Reviews:
5.0 Wanggo Gallaga (Juice.ph)
“It is never simple and it is never black and white and is unafraid to ask the tough questions and smart enough to not have an answer for them. It is a great example of a film that shows and never tells and by doing so, it is compelling, engaging, and thrilling. It will keep you at the edge of your seat the whole time.” (Read full review)
4.5 Julia Allende (PEP)
“Beyond its physical beauty, it is a rich, complex movie that never runs out of surprises, with the dark histories of the characters revealed though dialogues and flashbacks in snippets, a trick employed for sure to titillate and intrigue.” (Read full review)
3.5 Richard Bolisay (Lilok Pelikula)
“Those scenes in which Dennis Trillo works out and shows off his shapely muscles, sex cuts, and tattoos, exuding this masculinity that makes the female and gay spectator shudder in gratefulness, feel unnecessary but justified on the basis of carnal pleasure, director Michael Tuviera aware of how cinema is about gaze and the gratification gained from it. Within this context, especially when the audience has come to a point where it looks forward to the next hot guy to appear onscreen, The Janitor works so well—there is brisk dynamics in its tease and homoeroticism—but even outside it, even in the framework of an action genre, it satisfies.” (Read full review)
3.5 Fred Hawson (Fred Said)
“The Janitor is an entertaining and exciting action film which the mainstream audience will also like. Director Michael B. Tuviera has succeeded to create an indie film with a definite commercial look, feel and appeal.” (Read full review)
3.5 Manuel Pangaruy (Tagailog Special Presents)
“Maliban sa kalinisan ng pelikula (‘yong editing na lang, naghuhumiyaw na ibigay sa pelikula ang award para sa Best Editing), gusto ko rin ‘yong dark na commentary n’ya sa kapulisan. Trite na pero hindi ako nagsasawa dahil hindi dapat binabalewa.” (Read full review)
3.5 John Tawasil (Present Confusion)
“The Janitor remains to be an effective piece that stands on its own. It still serves as a commentary on corruption, not only how it affects Philippine society, but also how that corruption scars us as persons.” (Read full review)
3.0 Skilty Labastilla (Pinoy Rebyu)
“The Janitor mixes elements of East Asian neo-noir, Pinoy family melodrama, and mixed martial arts to create a perfectly serviceable actioner with some solid perfs (Trillo, Reyes). Would have benefited from a slightly slower pace to give viewers time to emotionally latch on to any character.”
3.0 Nicol Latayan (Tit for Tat)
“For the most part, The Janitor is really entertaining as its approach to the retelling of the incident is straight to the point. But then again, straight to the point can be too straight to the point that it now borders on formulaic. And that’s how the first 3/4 of the film ended up.” (Read full review)
3.0 Rob San Miguel (Brun Philippines)
“The Janitor may also be mistaken as Dennis Trillo’s work out videos, and Derek Ramsay’s fitness commercial. Despite the male body exposure, female characters still ended up showing more skin, including pubic hair.” (Read full review)
2.5 J. Neil Garcia
“The falsest note in all this is–despite claims to the contrary–his unbelievably slow deductive skills: he is no Sherlock Holmes, obviously, but the blatant sketchiness of his mission (to exterminate the supposed perpetrators of a famous provincial bank robbery/massacre) just dawns on him rather late (alas, too late) in the game… this paucity in reasoning or investigative skills comes across as a huge narrative disappointment, especially since the film takes pains to show this character being responsible in other ways. for instance: earnestly working out and flexing his copious bodily muscles (on the frame of the shorty actor Trillo, a bit of a visual overkill). the result of this portrayal is a sense of misplaced priorities, that stretches the viewer’s credulity (and patience) to very near breaking point.” (Read full review)
2.5 Philbert Dy (Click the City)
“The story stalls pretty early on, as it’s made painfully clear that the main character is being played. But the film continues acting like it’s all still a mystery, the protagonist made utterly powerless to pursue reasonable avenues of investigation. From there, we’re all stuck waiting around for the main character to catch up.” (Read full review)
2.5 Zig Marasigan (Rappler)
“Because of the film’s predictable plot and contrived story, The Janitor is bogged down by a lack of efficiency. Most of the film is chopped up between fast-paced action scenes and droning character moments. While weaving the two is no simple task, the lack of skillful layering keeps the story from hitting its stride.” (Read full review)
2.5 Carl Papa (Whatever Carl)
“For a crime/thriller film about the dirt and grime of being a cop, the film looks and feels tad tidy. It lacked grit. Plus the action sequences could have been amped. It need not be The Raid level, I just wish it had been more exciting. The revelations were to revealing as well to not keep me guessing because we can easily guess the end.” (Read full review)
