Diablo finds Adkins’ Kris heading to Colombia to help the young daughter of a Colombian drug lord when her mom passes away. In an attempt to ‘save’ her, he finds that various hit men and hired guns are on his tail. One of those is the almost unrecognizable Zaror as the titular ‘devil’ whose particular brand of evil makes him a legend even amongst the gangsters. The result is a collision between a hero and a monster that might as well be the hand-to-hand combat version of a demolition derby.
Intriguingly enough, though, Diablo carries quite a bit of thematic and character-based narrative that elevates the material. Sure, there’s the entire aspect of comparing Kris to the Colombian kingpin father, played by Lucho Velasco, as flawed father figures to the young lady of the film. Still, there’s certainly a point where the film begins to explore the relative nature of “evil deeds” and the redemptive arcs of its characters. This allows both Adkins’ Kris and Velasco’s Vincente to give their characters layers and depth. Surprisingly, Diablo features one of Adkin’s best performances, particularly in his nuanced work with de la Rosa in their bonding moments (not to mention that de la Rosa gives some fantastic work here on screen that I did not expect). It proves that director Espinoza might be far more adept at filmmaking than just a stylish action guy.
Of course, the characters are all allowed this option to delve into their characters ‘regretful ‘evil’ nature by comparing them to the film’s true big bad, El Corvo, played by Marko Zaror. Not only does his name evoke some intriguing comparisons to his horrifically sociopathic nature as a character, but his performance is one that might as well be pure devil. Zaror comes in as a force of hell itself, leaving violence and unnerving paranoia in his wake. It’s the kind of villain that a classic hero type like Adkins deserves, and their multiple clashes throughout the film do not disappoint. It’s as if Kris is trying to keep the young woman from the gaping maw of hell itself, personified, and this creates such a dynamic that the relatively mundane script only serves this approach well.
Naturally, though, if you have Adkins on one side and Zaror on the other, you’re going to expect jaw-droppingly good action, and Diablo delivers with fire-spitting ferocity. Whether it’s the bombastically explosive fun battles and the bruisingly hard-hitting fist fights, this film engulfs itself in its action. The manner in which Espinoza shoots and edits both the visuals and sounds for the fights is remarkably effective here. The audience feels every hard punch or kick with the resounding crunch of the sound effects and brilliant stunt work, and it’s enough so that when the film pans over to the fire extinguisher on the wall, you know that when it gets used, it’s going to rattle the viewer's bones, too. By the time the finale comes to fruition, the setup between El Corvo and Kris has been so thoroughly developed that it feels like it’s a blockbuster spectacle rather than a standard film fist fight.
Although I had high hopes for the combination of Espinoza, Adkins, and Zaror when Diablo was announced, I had no idea how effective this film was going to be at layering its tale with nuanced character development, strong themes around ‘necessary evils’ and performances that aptly give everything depth. The action is incredible on its own and will be the reason most audiences find their way to the film, but don’t hit snooze on the rest of the film. It’s impressively just as fluid and hard-hitting as watching Adkins punch his way through hell to find his redemption.
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