Illegal Tender
Universal 108 min R

Written and Directed
by Franc. Reyes

 Illegal TenderIt's 1985, and deputy drug kingpin Wilson DeLeon (Manny Perez) is on a roll. He's making lots of money, and we know that he's really not the scumbag he pretends to be because he saves an old man (Samuel Molina) from getting his legs broken by one of our hero's lieutenants.

His very pregnant wife Millie (Jessica Pimentel) wants him out of the business, of course, and has been laundering some of their money in order in anticipation of that act. But it is not to be, because two sexy ladies (Mercedes Mercado and Carmen Perez), for no apparent reason, shoot him to death while Wilson's boss Choco (Tego Calderon) looks on from inside a car. At that moment, Millie goes into labor.

 

Flash forward a couple of decades: Wilson Jr. (Rick Gonzalez) is driving an expensive car to Danbury University in Connecticut. He's getting straight A's and the lovely Ana (Dania Ramirez) as well. He's having some trouble with his mom (now played by Wanda De Jesus), but for the most part, live with her and baby half brother Randy  (Antonio Ortiz) is good. Then in comes a woman from the past and Mom orders her two kids to pack, they're on the run.

Junior is naturally pissed at both his mom and the situation, but then there's a shootout, and he's now determined to figure out exactly what's going on and how to stop it. This is the notorious hero's journey, with Junior going forth to discover himself and the cause of justice.

 

The acting is good, Gonzalez and De Jesus have a really good time mugging for the screen, and the penultimate plot twist is actually rather good. Not the best movie of the late summer, but quite passable for a matinee if the weather gets to hot.

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