Movie Review: Ignacio de Loyola

To me what is truly commendable about "Ignacio de Loyola" is the strength and determination it must have taken to produce a movie of this caliber about a Saint in a time when superheroes dominate the box office and romantic comedies still make up most of local cinema. 

It wasn't just the decision to make a movie about the founder of the Jesuits that I admired but it was the impressive production, such as the costumes and sets that were used in the film. It should also be noted that the film was shot in Spain which adds to it being more genuine. 

My first thought about watching the movie was that they should have just had the dialogue in Spanish with English subtitles instead of having it in English but as the movie progressed I just got used to it. 

I guess it was having the dialogue in English which gave the film that "History Channel Documentary" feel. 

In the film, Iñigo (Andreas Muñoz) a brash and ambitious soldier dreaming of bringing glory to his family (he has some Daddy issues). After being crippled under cannonball fire, Iñigo is sent home without the honor and glory he wanted but a broken leg instead. 

During his recovery Iñigo finds Jesus and undergoes a spiritual conversion. He makes the decision to foresake his riches and travel on his own bare feet, just like the saints before him and the rest is history (not without some trials and tribulations of course). 

Some scenes could have been trimmed down for a more concise narrative. It was actor, Andreas Muñoz who really tied the movie together. He was a real presence on the screen and impressively portrayed both the brash soldier and the humble saint. 

The movie has been acclaimed to his using state-of-the-art technology but we couldn't help but notice some technical issues, such as camera focus and an over use of time lapse sequences. 

Post production was done in the Philippines and while the Castle battle scene was a little too heavily filtered you can also really tell where they used the green screens, some of it were a little 'cringy' but still all in all a commendable effort. 

Kudos to the production of the film, even featuring music from Ryan Cayabyab. 

5 out of 10. If you are a fan of history and/or follow the Catholic religion. Then you should check out the locally produced film. I read on social media that this is like the "Star Wars" for nuns and priests and I think that's just super adorable. 

Ignacio de Loyola is now showing in cinemas and is distributed by Solar Pictures.