HAVING THE SUPERSTAR in a film about extrajudicial killings — arguably the most relevant topic in the Philippines today — didn’t do ‘Kabisera’ any favors.

‘Kabisera’ is among the eight entries in the Metro Manila Film Festival 2016 that viewers expect a lot from, but the film fails to deliver — and it fails badly.

The script shows promise, but Kabisera’s slow start drags while it tries to lay out the direction the story wants to take. It picks up some momentum around the 5-7 minute mark once the action starts, but it never really takes off.

There are a few good moments, but not enough to win the audience’s affection. Even its caliber of actors — led by Nora Aunor and Ricky Davao, among a long list of award-winning names who turn in solid performances — can’t save the film. Like Aunor, actor Rj Agustin, who also produced the film, has his moments on screen, but beyond that, most scenes feel like wasted frames.

If not for how the film was put together, ‘Kabisera’ could have earned praise for its cast and a handful of strong shots. Instead, all the good in it gets dragged down by weak direction, a thin script, and storytelling that never quite lands.

Watch ‘Kabisera’ at your own risk.

Rating: 4.5/10

Note: ‘Kabisera’ is one of the eight film entries in the Metro Manila Film Festival 2016. We’ve watched seven of them so far, and we’ll do our best to review all of them on this blog. Read the rest of our reviews by clicking this link.