Filipino cinema has its own culture and during its action heyday, actor Rudy “Daboy” Fernandez was one of the biggest, if the not THE biggest action star the country ever saw. The documentary explores his films, his fame, and his life. It also explores action cinema and cinema in general in the Philippines at the time of his rise to fame and his reign on action films. Documentary co-directors Andrew Leavold and Daniel Palisa, who previously made the Filipino cinema documentary The Search for Weng Weng put together a very informative piece on a beloved actor.
Of course, given Daboy’s idol status, the film concentrates on the positive with no one who disliked him being interviewed, giving the impression (possibly true, possibly false) that everyone, without exception, loved the actor and family man. Given that and that most documentaries are biased to some level, The Last Pinoy Action King is still entertaining and informative, especially for those who do not know much about Filipino action cinema. This 97 minutes documentary is put together from archive footage from television interviews, home movies, and films mixed with new interviews conducted by Leavold, Palisa, and their team.
The way they mix the two, archive and new material, helps keep the viewers interested in their material while it also helps take in what they see and hear while making their own opinions. Using archive footage, Rudy Fernandez himself is shown at family events, on television, and in film. The interviews allowing a better view into who he was and into his life are the new ones with the likes of his wife Lorna Tolentino, his sons, his co-workers, and his friends, among these are interviews with Gina Alajar, Cecille Baun, Gabby Concepcion, Christopher De Leon, Jinggoy Estrada, Robin Padilla, and many, many more as the documentary is filled to the brim with people who loved Daboy and still miss him.
While the film’s central subject is Rudy Fernandez, it also teaches a lot about the film industry in the Philippines, particularly about action films and how they came to be the most produced genre in the country for a long time. The main parts about Fernandez show his career and life. It shows his human side, his sense of humor, and his love for life. This film might just make every viewer a fan of Daboy.