Diablo is a rough and tumble wall to wall adventure that places audiences in the heart of a crime, revenge and redemption story set. Scott Adkins makes a terrific Kris Chaney, whom as a result of ceaseless determination and martial arts prowess moves the plot. His characterization of this torn man has a raw, harsh edge on the one hand in his mistakes and on the other his want to be on the right side of a vow, making a very dramatic moral center in the face of the lawlessness.
The tone of the film is dark and intense with thinner focus on visceral action scenes and the gloomy reasons of criminal underworld. The movie is all about the astounding adventures that Kris takes with a gangster to kidnap his daughter as he had vowed, then things soon turn deadly where he had to survive. The cards are up when implacable rivals, especially the crazy El Corvo, played with eerie menace by Marko Zaror, want revenge. Such merciless chase increases the tension, as each room is momentous and filled with suspense and emotion.
The visual effects in the case of Diablo include harsh lighting and active motion cameras used to enhance the gritty effect. The fight scenes are intense and carefully crafted, with Adkins demonstrating his skills in martial arts, and the background pacing of making the audience interested until the very end. The themes of the film, which are loyalty, sacrifice, and uselessness of revenge raise concerns of a moral complexity and touch heavily. All in all, Diablo is an action thriller movie with a touch of dirtiness that left me pumped to be alive but pensive regarding consequences of survival and the consequences of giving their word.
