Agent X44

Infobox Film | name = Agent X44


caption =
director = Joyce Bernal
starring = Vhong Navarro
distributor = Star Cinema
released = January 17, 2007
runtime =
budget = PHP 24.7 million
country = Philippines
language = Tagalog
Subtitle= English
website= http://www.abs-cbn.com/agentx44/index.html |

"Agent X44" is a Filipino movie that was released in January 17, 2007.The movie was produced by Star Cinema; written by Mel del Rosario, Galo Ador Jr., Trina Dusaban, Raz de la Torre and John Paul Abellera; and directed by Joyce Bernal.

Plot

The plot revolves around a secret agency with Reserve Agent King Aguila (Vhong Navarro) tasked to recover the Philippines' most important artifact. The artifact is the bolo of Lapu-lapu which he used to kill Magellan in 1521.

King (Vhong Navarro) is the bestfriend of Junior (Mura) who is the son of Tony Falcon (Tony Ferrer), a nearly retiring agent X44. As the two boys grow up, the differences between them become visible. It becomes clear that although he is the smaller one, Junior is the smarter of the two. King has a visual impairment wherein he cannot see the letter "A." This becomes an impediment for his academic success. On the other hand, King is the master retriever; i.e. he can retrieve anything that's lost. Ever since he was a child, King's idol has been his ninong Tony. He also wants to be a secret agent. Junior also wants to be anagent, but Tony is always discouraging him because he fears his son might be put in danger. He makes up an excuse, "Anak, obvious ka masyado!"

King takes up law and passes the agency's qualifying exams. In the agency, he meets Mary Grace (Mariel),another neophyte agent. Mary Grace is flatulent and always gets her high heels stuck in holes. She develops a crush on King, but keeps it to herself. One day, shedecides to tell King her true feelings. She had barely said, "I love you" when King rushes out of the restaurant to save a girl. Of course, Mary Grace doesn't know that King is saving the girl. She thinks he is embracing her. She is now convinced that he is a playboy. She decides to take the West Point training being offered to her, and leaves the country feeling bitter about King. When she returns from her training, Mary Grace immediately becomes the #1 agent in the country.

King is given three cases to solve, but he fails each andevery one of them. The agency has no choice but to demote him to a clerical job. He longs to be given somefieldwork, but the agency will hear none of it…until Magellan's dagger is reported stolen. Being the top agent, Mary Grace expects the high-profile mission to be assignedto her. Thus, she is shocked when Tony Falcon pushes that King is the best agent for the mission.

With the help of Junior, King nearly gets the dagger but he loses it again. Disappointed with King, Tony gets depressed and accidentally falls into a manhole.Cynthia (Pokwang), the agency head, decides to take King out of the mission. During Tony'swake, the ghost of Tony Falcon appears to her, telling her to put King back in the mission. Actually, Junior masterminded thistrick. Cynthia decides to pair King with Mary Grace toretrieve the dagger for the final time.

The dagger falls into the hands of three rival crime lords - Mustafah Saleh (Uma Barum), an Arabian millionaire who wants to retrieve the dagger because it is a threat to his family's oil business; Leah (Cass Ponti), a Polynesian princess who wants to retrieve the dagger because they have the seawater resources but not the equipment to turn it into oil; and Purubutu-san (Jayson Gainza), Yakuza head who wants to retrieve the dagger because he has the seawater resources plus the machinery to market it all over the world.

Will King be able to retrieve the dagger, and will he be able to retrieve Mary Grace's love for him?

Cast

*"Vhong Navarro" as Reserve Agent King Agila / Agent X44
*"Mariel Rodriguez" as Agent 690
*"Cassandra Ponti" as Minerva
*"Uma Khouny" as Mustafah Saleh
*"Pokwang" as Cynthia Abordo
*"Mura" as Anton/ Agent Junior Iskalibers
*"Juliana Palermo" as Selecta Papadakis
*"John Lapus" as Baklus
*"Jeffrey Quizon" as Parabutusan
*"Tony Ferrer" as Agent X44

Original Movie

Tony Ferrer reprises his role as Agent X44 now on the verge of retiring. He wants to pass his codename to his godson King.Agent X44 is a spoof of the series Agent X44 of Tony Ferrer. ABS-CBN also paid Tony Ferrer for the rights of the film.Jerome Padilla as agent x 24

Controversy

MTRCB, a Philippine media board, has initially rated the movie R-18 due to topless scenes of both Cassandra Ponti and Mariel Rodriguez but was re-rated to PG 13.

Movie Gross

On the opening day, Agent X44 did really well, it grossed out to PHP 9.5 million. And after 7 days of its showing, the movie made a stunning PHP 60 million. The movie's overall gross was PHP 82.5.

References

* [http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2007-01-26&sec=3&aid=7802 Agent X44 a big hit!]
* [http://www.malaya.com.ph/jan22/ente_1.htm Congrats Vhong!]

ee also

*ABS-CBN
*Star Cinema