On the Job

This wily Filipino crime drama moves at an exhilarating pace while tracking the sometimes interconnected movements of two master/apprentice teams on opposing sides of the law. Seasoned hit man Tatang (Joel Torre) brings his protégé, Daniel (Gerald Anderson), along on sanctioned outings from jail to do the dirty work of shady political types high up the food chain. Meanwhile, hard-charging cop Acosta (Joey Marquez) takes on enthusiastic new investigator Francis (Piolo Pascual). The good guys will ultimately tangle with the bad guys, but not before viewers are thrown a steady stream of curveballs and perplexing diversions in this bloody saga of family, honor, power, and corruption. In fact, the plotlines don't meaningfully intersect until more than halfway through, but along the way On the Job makes terrific hay with the colorful characters, bustling mayhem of urban Manila, and whiz-bang combination of smart camerawork, editing, and adroitly staged action scenes. Action fans who appreciate some narrative substance behind the thrills will enjoy this. Recommended. (T. Fry)