Fantasy. Hercolobus. Top Puerto Rican actors. Glitzy theatrical premiere. A cult classic was born... then, it disappeared, seemingly forever. Never released on home video, it only exists in the memory of those fortunate souls who went to cinemas in Puerto Rico and basked in the never-to-be-repeated glory of the human being known as Joseph Lando. There are so many out-of-print Puerto Rican films... but this one is the mother-lode. We can only dream... hope... wish that we get the chance to have our lives permanently improved by the re-release of this bona-fide masterpiece. Our future existence as a species depends on it.
8 Reviews
I saw El poder del shakti in theater back in 96!
rafaelpena-5104017 March 2019
Warning: Spoilers
It starts with Joseph the main star talking to his martial arts teacher on his dead bed. The teacher talks to him about the power of shakti and how to get. Then the teacher teleports him to the jungle by both closing their eye,( i thing he went to the astral realm) then he had to clime the face of a mountain becouse theirs a cave he has to enter. Once he reach the top he almost fell over until the spirit of his teacher helped him but then the teacher disappear. As soon as he enters the cave he first do battle with a half man half pig ( the scene looks like the scene from kickboxer retaliation when kurt sloan fought the mountain in the cave scene.) After he defeated him then he had to fight a monster like medusa but if you look at the monsters eyes you will turn into stone so he had to fight him with his eyes closed.he defeated him by pocking his eyes out with his thumbs. Then he saw a door that was glowing so he entered it, and inside was the god shakti wich she says that he is worthy of the power! She gives him the sword of power and a modified shorten version of a three wooden staff. While all this is happening his girlfriend is kidnapped by Satanist for a sacrifice. Once the protagonist is back he finds out his girl is kidnapped and so he goes after her. I guess the leader has psychic ability becouse he knows the hero is on his way so he sents his crew after him. When our hero get there he is stopped by the guards wich were closed to ten men with weapons. To overhelm he chants the magic word shakti in a very spectacular transformation. His whole body was on fire burning his old clothes and the new costume appears on him, he didn't where a mask! Now the fight scene against the guards was the same as the one in enter the dragon, the hero first fights hand to hand combat then uses the shorten three wooden staff then by saying sword of power the sword appear on his hand and start cutting people up like the blade opening scene. Before i forget the soundtrack for the fights scenes resembles that of mortal kombat film and blade. After that he enter the mansion where the leader was and notice a big explosive device so he rescue his girl and while fighting the guy his girlfriend ran outside. thinking she was safe he fought the leader until the bomb went off killing him the leader and even his girl becouse she was outside waiting for him. At the end of the movie the hero and his girlfriend end up in heaven dress in royal garmets surrounded by children and the god shakti sitting on her throne. The hero then wrapped his cape over him and his girlfriend, once the cape removed they turn to little kids and they ran to the god shakti and all the children followed. A massage about pollution and stuff that dont have nothing to do with the movie was showing with the hero of the film narrating it then the screen goes black and our hero with sword in hand and full costume appears and says that the fight is not over that he will return. And thats the end of the movie to my recollection. I hope that helped!
Best Movie Ever
rogelioayala-0617827 January 2023
Joseph Lando delivers a powerful message in this movie, he shouldve been one of the top action stars of his generation, I only say this because this is an old movie and its just being remastered for newer audiences, the plot is well tought out, the acting is superb... Overall a great and enjoyable movie that I advice anyone wanting an action adventure movie with some heart in it as well to go watch it, Im just gonna fill this up with letters because it seems it needs to be longer for me to be able to post it, so anyway... Go watch it, you wont be dissapointed, and Jodeph Lando, you shouldve been a bigger star!
Simply an amazing experience
jose-oreng27 January 2023
This movie has more then meets the eye and left people craving for more. Sadly I didn't see the original but I feel like this movie aged really well considering that most of the audience appeared to be young adults and teens and most of them if not everyone's reaction was full of excitement and joy something I rarely see. Overall great movie filled with action and well executed effects. I really hope to see more in the future like many others do as well. This will forever be a core memory of an experience. Me and all my friends really enjoyed this piece of history. Thank you for this treasure!
Puertorrican Cult Classic Remastered
jarosarionieves5 February 2023
This movie premiered in 1996 when I was a teenager. For some reason it was a short-lived release, and I failed to watch it then and had to wait 27 years to watch it. It is very entertaining, and perhaps the first action/adventure film from Puerto Rico (the other one being Zack: Enfrentamiento Mortal, also starring Sifu Joseph Lando). It showcases various elements such as the archetypical hero's journey, a healthy dose of martial action scenes (Lando's bonafide martial arts practitioner), and deep spiritual insight. I hope it gets released on Blu-ray format. Puerto Rico has its own superhero in Sam, the avatar of El Poder del Shakti!
Puertorrican Cult Classic
jarosarionieves26 January 2023
This movie premiered in 1996 when I was a teenager. For some reason it was a short-lived release, and I failed to watch it then and had to wait 27 years to watch it. It is very entertaining, and perhaps the first action/adventure film from Puerto Rico (the other one being Zack: Enfrentamiento Mortal, also starring Sifu Joseph Lando). It showcases various elements such as the archetypical hero's journey, a healthy dose of martial action scenes (Lando's bonafide martial arts practitioner), and deep spiritual insight. I hope it gets released on Blu-ray format. Puerto Rico has its own action hero.
It's not as bad as I remembered
skelyrata16 June 2023
I saw "El Poder de Shakti" - Remastered
Sam (Joseph Lando) is chosen to become a "Shakti" warrior to combat the evil Cherenz and his apprentice Crowley. For this, he has to overcome several deadly tests and reach the supreme goddess to receive the powers and fulfill his destiny.
In 1996, "El Poder del Shakti" was the first attempt to make a Puerto Rican superhero movie mixing action, martial arts, special effects and fantasy. It was the first time that a production tried to get out of the mold of sociocultural films that dominated local cinema at the time.
The film had all the elements to be a megahit from a rumored budget of around $2 million, top-notch actors like Miguel Ángel Suárez, Alba Nydia Díaz and Gladys Rodríguez, good set design, and Wilkins singing the theme song.
I remember as yesterday, that Thursday night, some friends and I, after leaving the university, instead of going to the Ibiza nightclub as was the custom, decided to go in a caravan to the cinemas in Plaza Río Hondo to see "al Shakti " on its opening day. And we left convinced that we had just seen the worst Puerto Rican movie ever made.
"El Shakti" faded into the shadows without a trace for nearly 30 years becoming a legend of local cinema. I was always intrigued as to what my opinion would be if I could see her again.
Last night I had that opportunity... "The Power of Shakti" returns to the big screen remastered, reissued and digital special effects. The first thing I am going to say is that it is clear that the transfer is from a VHS or television copy, because it looks stretched. But they did a good job of improving picture and sound quality.
I don't remember much of the original, but this edit meets my requirement of establishing the plot in the first scene. It seems to me that they eliminated subplots and irrelevant dialogues, because the film maintains a rhythm that is not boring and prefers to jump to another scene before slowing down.
At the center of this film is a message that in 1996 seemed ridiculous and childish but when I watched it last night it seemed to hit the mark.
"Let's corrupt today's youth with clubbing, drugs and sex so we can control them when they're old," said the villain.
That made me see the film from another perspective and better appreciate the Shakti's battle to bring light to a society submerged in shadows.
In the end I was pleased and even surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie that even has a post credit scene.
"The Power of Shakti" is not a movie for everyone, and the visual quality is distracting at first, but then you forget about it and get caught up in the action.
So after so many years talking bad about "El Shakti" now I have to change my position and say that it entertains, and surprises with how ambitious it was in 1996.
Sam (Joseph Lando) is chosen to become a "Shakti" warrior to combat the evil Cherenz and his apprentice Crowley. For this, he has to overcome several deadly tests and reach the supreme goddess to receive the powers and fulfill his destiny.
In 1996, "El Poder del Shakti" was the first attempt to make a Puerto Rican superhero movie mixing action, martial arts, special effects and fantasy. It was the first time that a production tried to get out of the mold of sociocultural films that dominated local cinema at the time.
The film had all the elements to be a megahit from a rumored budget of around $2 million, top-notch actors like Miguel Ángel Suárez, Alba Nydia Díaz and Gladys Rodríguez, good set design, and Wilkins singing the theme song.
I remember as yesterday, that Thursday night, some friends and I, after leaving the university, instead of going to the Ibiza nightclub as was the custom, decided to go in a caravan to the cinemas in Plaza Río Hondo to see "al Shakti " on its opening day. And we left convinced that we had just seen the worst Puerto Rican movie ever made.
"El Shakti" faded into the shadows without a trace for nearly 30 years becoming a legend of local cinema. I was always intrigued as to what my opinion would be if I could see her again.
Last night I had that opportunity... "The Power of Shakti" returns to the big screen remastered, reissued and digital special effects. The first thing I am going to say is that it is clear that the transfer is from a VHS or television copy, because it looks stretched. But they did a good job of improving picture and sound quality.
I don't remember much of the original, but this edit meets my requirement of establishing the plot in the first scene. It seems to me that they eliminated subplots and irrelevant dialogues, because the film maintains a rhythm that is not boring and prefers to jump to another scene before slowing down.
At the center of this film is a message that in 1996 seemed ridiculous and childish but when I watched it last night it seemed to hit the mark.
"Let's corrupt today's youth with clubbing, drugs and sex so we can control them when they're old," said the villain.
That made me see the film from another perspective and better appreciate the Shakti's battle to bring light to a society submerged in shadows.
In the end I was pleased and even surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie that even has a post credit scene.
"The Power of Shakti" is not a movie for everyone, and the visual quality is distracting at first, but then you forget about it and get caught up in the action.
So after so many years talking bad about "El Shakti" now I have to change my position and say that it entertains, and surprises with how ambitious it was in 1996.
WANTED!!!
hewvandergoes23 September 2018
--This movie was briefly screened in a few theaters, I remember the trailer during a visit to the movie theater at a young age ..and at the time I wasn't interested(like:"what a piece of trash!), But I wish to see this movie, being a fan of b-movies now, I believe this may be a local gem, hope the movie isn't lost forever.. if you(reader) know something about this movie, have a bootlegged copy or Watched the movie,please write a Description about the story!
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