Watch Spirit Warriors

Spirit Warriors is an action-packed Filipino movie from the year 2000, directed by veteran filmmaker Chito S. Roño. It revolves around a group of Filipino martial artists who were brought together by a common destiny to fight against evil forces led by an enigmatic mastermind. The movie begins with a prologue that establishes the backstory of the main villain of the movie, a powerful sorcerer named Tamblot. Tamblot was a respected and feared warrior who was betrayed by his own people and banished to the underworld, where he acquired dark powers and swore revenge on the world above. Tamblot realizes that he has the ability to enter the world of the living by possessing the consciousness of a living person, and he starts using this ability to gather an army of possessed warriors to do his bidding.

The story then shifts to the present day, where we are introduced to the main protagonists of the movie. The first one is Tasyo (Joel Torre), an aging martial arts master who runs a small school in the countryside. Tasyo is a wise and humble man who has dedicated his life to teaching martial arts, but he is haunted by the memory of a past failure that led to the death of his wife.

The second protagonist is Lando (Jhong Hilario), a hot-headed street fighter who is skilled in the art of escrima, a Filipino stick fighting style. Lando is brash and impulsive, and he often gets into fights with other gangs and troublemakers in his neighborhood.

The third and youngest protagonist is Jepoy (Spencer Reyes), a shy and introverted teenager who dreams of becoming a great martial artist like his heroes. Jepoy is bullied by his classmates and his stepfather, and he often escapes into his fantasies to cope with his problems.

The three protagonists are brought together by a series of unusual events that seem to be linked to the return of Tamblot. Tasyo receives a supernatural message that tells him to seek out a group of warriors who will join him in his fight against evil. Lando gets into a fight with a possessed thug who was sent by Tamblot to test his strength. Jepoy discovers a mysterious book that describes a prophecy about the coming of a group of "spirit warriors" who will defeat Tamblot.

The three protagonists initially do not get along, as Lando and Jepoy are antagonistic towards each other and Tasyo seems to be aloof and distant. However, they soon realize that they have to work together to stop Tamblot, and they start to train and prepare for the final confrontation.

The training scenes in the movie are some of its best moments, as we see the protagonists learning various martial arts styles and techniques from Tasyo. The movie takes its time to show us the beauty and complexity of Filipino martial arts, and we get a sense of the history and culture behind the different styles.

As the movie progresses, we see Tamblot becoming more powerful and more dangerous, as he possesses more and more warriors and unleashes them on the world. The final confrontation between the spirit warriors and Tamblot is a thrilling and intense battle, with each warrior showcasing their skills and strengths.

One of the strengths of the movie is its portrayal of Filipino culture and mythology. The movie incorporates elements of Filipino folklore, such as the aswang (a type of mythical creature), and it also pays tribute to the diversity of Filipino martial arts styles. The movie is also notable for its strong performances, especially from Joel Torre, who brings a gravitas and wisdom to his role as Tasyo.

Overall, Spirit Warriors is an entertaining and engaging movie that combines action, mythology, and martial arts in a uniquely Filipino way. It is a movie that deserves to be seen and appreciated by fans of martial arts movies and Filipino cinema.

Spirit Warriors is a 2000 action movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8.