MISSION BATANGAS is a Filipino WW2 film featuring plucky islanders and their US helpers fighting back against the invading forces of Japan. I never thought I'd say this, but I actually missed the presence of Eddie Romero, who usually directed this genre of films in the Philippines; his film were poor, yes, but at least they were made to a recognisable formula. MISSION BATANGAS feels a bit rudderless by comparison.
The story is the usual action-oriented formula, with a couple of US actors brought in to draw international audiences and the rest of it made up of mundane stuff. Attempts at characterisation are nil, with the Japanese soldiers a dastardly bunch and the heroes all heroic, like. The action sequences are also undistinguished, merging into one big, messy whole.
The US stars are Dennis Weaver (DUEL) and Vera Miles (PSYCHO), although without any real direction it's fair to say that neither are at their best. In fact, the best part of the film doesn't feature them at all, instead showing what happens when some Japanese soldiers run into blowpipe-wielding pygmies. It's a shame the rest couldn't match this moment's inspired creativity.