Centauro [2022]

May 23, 2024

Centauro is exactly the dumb basic action movie you think it is but at least it’s watchable. I mean, it was quite watchable for me as I was looking for something forgettable and technically competent. Here, the story is full of plot holes but at least the actors are giving it all they’ve got, the chase scenes are good and the pacing is fast. After this rather harsh but honest intro, I think that I’ve lowered your expectations enough. However, they will be further lowered once the movie starts. Don’t worry that’s it when it comes to this issue. From now on, it’s smooth sailing all the way to the end. And that’s kind of the main theme of this movie.

I played it late last night fully knowing I won’t have to commit to it. I knew there wouldn’t be any difficult moral decisions or grandiose action scenes. And yet I had a feeling that I would be mildly entertained for ninety minutes. And that’s exactly what happened. This is a casual time-killer for all you action movie fans that comes with a couple of twists. First of all, Centauro is a Spanish movie and a remake of the 2017 French movie Burn Out. Oddly enough, Burn Out is actually based on the novel Balancé dans les cordes by Jérémie Guez. I say oddly enough because the movie we’re talking about today feels like it was written on a shitter in less than 30 minutes.

We go through all the stereotypes we could possibly go through in a B action movie. We have our reluctant hero/anti-hero with ties to organized crime, a messy family life, and a special skill set. Granted, there will be a couple of cool and gritty scenes that took me by surprise towards the end of the movie. They show just how much potential the entire setup has. And right about now, I think it’s a good idea to tell you what the full story is. We will be following Rafa, a young and talented motorcycle racer who also works at the docks while waiting for his chance to go pro. Baby Mama left him but she’ll be back after she gets into trouble with the local drug gang.

To save both her and his boy, Rafa will have to do some pretty dangerous missions. And that’s about it when it comes to the story. Although we do have a racing subplot that’s there to eat up the already short running time of ninety minutes. I used to live for movies like this when I was younger. A classic action no-brainer with a bit of action, nudity, and cool characters. Everything a young boy needs to grow up healthy. Centauro is also a great choice for all those who love motorcycle movies. Motorcycle movies that were completely destroyed by the Fast and Furious franchise during the last twenty years.

There was a period in the late 2000s when it seemed like we had something new on the horizon. In a few short years, we got a couple of bad ones like Biker Boyz and Torque and a couple of good ones like Ghost Rider and The World’s Fastest Indian. And I’m not talking about movies about Harleys, bikers, and shit but real racing movies. Hopefully, these two movies might help this seemingly dead subgenre. Mostly because I feel like there’s a lot of untapped potential here. Moving on, Centauro stars young Àlex Monner who was the right choice for our young and edgy rider.

I like that he’s skinny and he’s got that “trying to be a bad boy” appearance. Begoña Vargas was absolutely ravishing as his love interest Natalia. I immediately looked up her filmography. The rest of the cast was okay. Finally, we have a Spanish action thriller without Luis Tosar starring. I kid Luis, you know I love you. If you’re looking for more forgettable Spanish action thrillers I recommend you check out Below Zero and Xtreme.