1988 action film starring Ronnie Ricketts
Target... Maganto is a 1988 Filipino action film based on the life of Lt. Col. Romeo Maganto of the Western Police District in Manila. Directed by Leonardo L. Garcia, the film stars Ronnie Ricketts as the eponymous police commander, alongside Charlie Davao, Monica Herrera, Paquito Diaz, Romy Diaz, Nick Romano, Renato del Prado, Bing Davao and Aurora Salve. It is the first film to be made about Maganto's life; later films include "Leon ng Maynila" (1991) and "The Legend: Tomagan" (2003). Produced by GVM Productions, the film was released on April 8, 1988.
Critic Lav Diaz gave "Maganto" a negative review, criticizing its highly fictionalized depiction of the Sparrow Unit, a communist militant group of the New People's Army.
Plot.
Lt. Col. Romeo Maganto is a dedicated police commander of the Western Police District. His repeated raids against a syndicate's operations eventually lead to a confrontation between him and the Sparrow Unit led by Archie.
Release.
"Target... Maganto" was graded "C" by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), indicating a "Fair" quality. The film was released in theaters on April 8, 1988.
Critical response.
Lav Diaz, writing for the "Manila Standard", gave "Maganto" a negative review. He criticized the film's highly fictionalized portrayal of the Sparrow Unit, focusing especially on the fictional character of Archie, as he thought that there were enough material written about them in newspapers for the filmmakers to have a more accurate depiction of the group. Diaz was also critical of the actors' performances, singling out in particular Ronnie Ricketts and Monica Herrera's portrayal of a married couple with three children being contradicted by their performances, which are that of lovers just starting to know each other.
See also.
Other depictions of the Sparrow Unit in film:
References.
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