If you fused Lino Brocka's Bayan Ko, Kapit Sa Patalim with the Clint Eastwood starrer Dirty Harry, the end product would be Afuang: Bounty Hunter. Such a blending of styles might seem difficult to pull of because the aforementioned movies feature clashing philosophies and ideologies. Brocka's movie is quasi Marxist and anti-authority while Dirty Harry glamorizes the policeman who is a symbol of authority. Mike Relon Makiling's masterful handling of the script though ensures that the film doesn't end up as low brow, profane melodramatic tripe.
While admittedly, the film does have elements of politics and social awareness issues such as exposing systemic corruption in institutions such as law enforcement, it gravitates more towards the action side of things. There's enough squibs, gore and offensive language (pu@#$&na mo!!) here to satisfy the rabid action fan.
Philip Salvador is at the top of his game here and carries the weight of the film with much aplomb. In the movie's final set piece, he bears more than a passing resemblance to Al Pacino. Which is quite fitting as both actors are excellent thespians and masters of their craft.
In the movie, he plays a policeman who is also a family man. As a cop, he's what many may call a "boy scout". Like the mythical George Washington, he can never lie except when he's in bed with a woman other than his wife. This makes him similar to Russell Crowe's character in Ridley Scott's American Gangster.
To conclude, this is a fantastic classic Filipino police action film from the 80s which would put to shame some of today's local modern productions.
