''Mars Ravelo's Captain Barbell'', or simply ''Captain Barbell'', is a 2003 Filipino superhero film based on the Pinoy Komiks superhero of the same name. Directed by Mac C. Alejandre from a screenplay by

RJ Nuevas R.J. Nuevas (also credited as Robert Joseph Nuevas) is a Filipino television writer and film writer. He is a resident writer of GMA Network, for which he created the graphic novel-themed series Impostora. He has adapted, for television, three of ...

, it stars Ramon 'Bong' Revilla Jr.,

Ogie Alcasid Herminio Jose Lualhati "Ogie" Alcasid Jr. (; born August 27, 1967) is a Filipino singer-songwriter, television presenter, comedian, parodist, and actor. He is currently the President of OPM (Organisasyon ng Pilipinong Mang-Aawit). Early care ...

Albert Martinez Alberto Pineda Martinez (born April 19, 1961), is a Filipino actor, director and producer. Early life He was born in Manila on April 19, 1961 to Bert Martinez, and Margarita Pineda. Career Martinez began as a film actor. He took his first te ...

, Rufa Mae Quinto, and

Regine Velasquez Regina Encarnacion Ansong Velasquez ( ; born April 22, 1970) is a Filipina singer, actress, and record producer. She is considered one of the most influential figures in Philippine popular culture and is known for her vocal range and beltin ...

. Produced by Premiere Entertainment Productions, the film was released by

Viva Films Viva Films is a Philippine film production company established under Viva Communications. It was founded on November 11, 1981, by Vic del Rosario Jr. History Veering away from the Sharon Cuneta- Gabby Concepcion tandem, Viva became home to q ...

as part of the 29th Metro Manila Film Festival on December 25, 2003, and was the highest-grossing film among the festival's nine entries.

Plot

Enteng is a gym assistant who lives with his mother, Belen, sister Mara and brother, and has a crush on a local schoolteacher named Cielo. One day he encounters a disused barbell that gives him superhuman abilities as Captain Barbell, who later talks to him about his responsibilities and the source of his powers, a meteor which disintegrated into several pieces and has also granted powers to others who used it for evil. The first of them is Utoy, a vagrant who is lynched and dumped next to a meteorite fragment next to a pile of rats who transforms into a mutant called Dagampatay. Wandering around, he dissolves people with his spit and summons rats around him. After an attempt to poison the

La Mesa Reservoir The La Mesa Dam and Reservoir is an earth dam in Quezon City, Philippines. Its reservoir can hold up to , occupying an area of . It is part of the Angat- Ipo-La Mesa water system, which supplies most of the water supply of Metro Manila. Histor ...

, he is defeated by Captain Barbell when he boomerangs his spit back into himself, dissolving him. The second villain is Roselle, a rape victim who was dumped near blocks of ice and gain freezing powers hence the name Freezy. She kills her rapist and goes on a killing spree of men she seduces before being frozen by Captain Barbell when he shields himself using her hands. The main villain is Lagablab, formerly Enteng's father Arnaldo, a fire-breather at a circus who went on the run after killing his employer and getting struck by lightning, gaining pyrokinetic abilities. He is defeated by Captain Barbell when he sends him to outer space.

Cast

and Ramon 'Bong' Revilla Jr. as Enteng / Captain Barbell *

as Cielo /

Darna Darna () is a Filipina superheroine created by writer Mars Ravelo and artist Nestor Redondo. The character's first appearance was in ''Pilipino Komiks'' (Ace Publications, Inc.) #77 on May 13, 1950. Darna is a retooling of Ravelo's earlier cha ...

as Arnaldo / Lagablab * Rufa Mae Quinto as Roselle / Freezy *

Snooky Serna Maria Milagros "Snooky" Sumayao Serna (born April 4, 1966) is a Filipina film and television actress. Regarded as the “''Eternal Star''” by local media, she is best known for her portrayals in Anak ni Waray, Anak ni Biday (1984); Blusang It ...

as Belen *

Jeffrey Quizon Jeffrey Smith Quizon (born January 23, 1973), professionally known as Epy Quizon, is a Filipino actor, television host and the son of comedian Dolphy. He is known as the antagonist, role as Jepoy / Stryker in the 2003 film ''Lastikman''. Earl ...

as Utoy / Dagampatay *

Antonio Aquitania Antonio Ford Aquitania (born January 16, 1977) is a Filipino actor, comedian, host, and model. He is a former member of ''Bubble Gang''. Early career Aquitania's first appearance was as a latter cast member of a long running comedy sitcom ''Pal ...

as Efren *

Sarah Geronimo Sarah Asher Tua Geronimo-Guidicelli (, , born July 25, 1988) is a Filipino singer, performer and actress. Geronimo rose to prominence after winning the television singing contest '' Star for a Night'' earning her a recording contract with Vi ...

as Mara *Emilio Garcia as Mr. Tan *Carlo Maceda as Alvin *

Bearwin Meily Bearwin Meily (born April 4, 1976) is a Filipino comedian actor, TV host and a recent vlogger. Early career He started his career as an extra ''Palibhasa Lalake'' in ABS-CBN and eventually became regular. Current career But later on he moved ...

as Lobo *Goyong as Buyot *Mel Kimura as Lilibeth *

Tuesday Vargas Marizel Sarangelo-Placido (born November 9, 1980), known professionally as Tuesday Vargas, is a Filipina singer, actress, comedian and a resident judge of TV5's ''Talentadong Pinoy''. Personal life Born as Marizel Sarangelo-Placido on November ...

as Gang *Vanna Garcia as snatcher victim *

John Apacible Enrique Rustia Apacible III, popularly known as John Apacible (January 22, 1973 – March 20, 2011) was a Filipino television and movie actor who worked in Filipino productions. Early life He was born in Cainta, Rizal on January 22, 1973. C ...

as Gus *Mikel Campos as Mike *PJ Malonzo as

Lastikman Lastikman, originally spelled Lastik Man, is a fictional character and Filipino comics superhero created by Mars Ravelo and artist Mar T. Santana. Lastikman or the original spelling of Lastik Man debuted in comics format in ''Aliwan Komiks'' ...

Gloria Diaz Gloria Maria Aspillera Diaz (; born 10 March 1951) is a Filipino actress of film and television, model and beauty queen who rose to fame after being crowned Miss Universe 1969, becoming the first Filipino to hold the Miss Universe title. Early ...

as Cielo's mom

Production

Rufa Mae Quinto was announced to be one of the villains in early October 2003. Actor

was hospitalized for a few days after accidentally swallowing kerosene during the filming of a fire-spitting scene, which he insisted on doing himself instead of his stunt double.

Release

''Captain Barbell'' was released by

on December 25, 2003, as an official entry to the 29th Metro Manila Film Festival. Despite the film's box office success, it did not win any award it was nominated for at the festival.

Box office

''Captain Barbell'' was the highest-grossing film among the nine entries of the MMFF, grossing a total of 62,064,626.

References

External links

* {{Mac Alejandre 2003 action films 2000s English-language films 2000s superhero films Filipino-language films Films about mice and rats Philippine action films Philippine superhero films Superhero crossover films Viva Films films