Valentine: The Dark Avenger DVD Review & Full Guide Physical Media Superhero Movie

Product reviewed

Valentine: The Dark Avenger (DVD) — a straight-to-DVD live-action Indonesian superhero movie.

Key details (format / release / packaging)

• Runtime: 97 minutes
• Release:
  • Indonesia: 23 Nov 2017
  • Rest of world: 16 May 2019 (digital streaming, DVD + Blu-ray)
  • No 4K release (as of the video)
• Packaging impression (physical media):
  • Front cover: a “painted cover” that’s visually engaging and “comic-book-esque.”
  • Spine: basic / not standout.
  • Back cover: praised for comic-panel style and white outline.
  • Disc: standard colored disc; praised more for effort than content depth.

Story & concept (what the movie is)

• Setting: Batavia, overrun by crime; police are overwhelmed.
• Protagonist: Samaya, a waitress who wants to be an actress.
• Inciting event: She meets a director planning a superhero film about a female vigilante named Valentine.
• Premise twist: After Valentine’s crime-fighting videos go viral, Samaya becomes the hero the city needs—until she realizes her heroics were essentially a “dress rehearsal” for a bigger villain showdown.
• Tone / vibe: compared to Kick-Ass, but Samaya isn’t initially trying to become a hero—she’s pushed into it.
• Verdict on execution:
  • Rushed pacing: the movie moves too quickly into a “fully fledged hero,” making the first and second acts feel jammed.
  • Dragged conclusion: the third act feels overly extended.
  • Dialogue / script: “by the numbers,” with clunky dialogue and telegraphed twists.
  • Villain reveal: the identity is figured out about halfway through.
  • Ending: anticlimactic.

Characters, casting, and performances

• Hero design / comic connection:
  • Valentine comes from an Indonesian comic line associated with Skylar Comics.
  • The reviewer notes that Valentine looks similar to her comic version (seen as a positive).
• Villains / henchmen:
  • Three main female henchmen have outfit changes frequently and don’t follow a consistent comic-book style, which the reviewer felt could confuse viewers.
• Acting:
  • Mostly Indonesian cast; the reviewer mentions one American actor (Matthew something) plus many Indonesian actors.
  • Acting is described as over-the-top / “Bollywood style” with soap-opera-ish melodrama.
  • Upside: fight scenes are well choreographed.

Action & standout elements (pros)

• Fight scenes: consistently highlighted as the standout, with “very well choreographed” action.
• Overall vibe: more martial-arts/action energy than a traditional superhero movie.
• Weapon choice: Valentine uses handcuffs—called original, but also “pretty friggin lame,” for a mixed reaction.

Cons & major criticisms

• Writing / pacing issues: rushed early arc and dragged later arc.
• Dialogue and predictability: clunky, trope-heavy, and twists feel telegraphed.
• Weak villain reveal / anticlimactic ending.
• Home media extras are missing:
  • No special features
  • No scene selection menu
  • The menu button returns to the start of the movie (described as “cheap” and unusual)
• Overall “not blockbuster” feeling: enjoyable at times, but not fully executed.

Comparisons made

• Kick-Ass: similar “kick-ass” vibe and femme vigilante premise, but Valentine’s path is more coercive than chosen.
• The reviewer also notes potential similarities to American comic hero visuals (femme fatale / biker / lawless-city vibe), while pointing out that the villains don’t match the comic style.

Mid-credits scenes (additional franchise tease)

• Two mid-credits scenes:
  • First: a glimpse of another Skylar Comics character, The Vault, implying a potential cinematic universe (though nothing is confirmed).
  • Second: vague/unclear, leaving uncertainty about whether it sets up a villain return or continued plot threads.

Ratings & scores mentioned (multiple viewpoints / systems)

• Packaging score (cover / disc): 8/10
• Story score: 11/30
• Character / acting / overall (from that section): 38/20
• No special features score: 0/10
• Critic vs audience (external):
  • Critic: 0%
  • Audience: 75
• Rounded overall (from discussion): 7/10
• Another “overall” point (action / mid-credits / execution): 11/20
• Collectibility: “for comic book geeks and up”
• Final total (grand total): 50/100
• Overall recommendation framing: mid-range (“smack in the middle”)—best for casual viewing or collectors, not a must-own.

Unique points mentioned (consolidated list)

1. Straight-to-DVD live-action superhero movie
2. 97-minute runtime
3. Release dates: Indonesia 2017; worldwide 2019 (DVD/Blu-ray + digital), no 4K
4. Packaging: praised painted front cover; plain spine; praised comic-panel back cover
5. Colored disc is visually praised
6. Disc/cover quality score: 8/10
7. Premise: Samaya becomes Valentine after viral videos and a director connection
8. Batavia is crime-ridden; police are overwhelmed
9. Tone: Kick-Ass-like, but the protagonist doesn’t start as a hero
10. Rushed pacing in the early arc
11. Dragged third act / extended ending
12. Script issues: clunky dialogue, trope-heavy, telegraphed twists
13. Villain reveal is anticlimactic (figured out halfway)
14. Valentine matches comic look visually
15. Villain/henchmen outfit inconsistencies
16. Acting described as over-the-top melodrama
17. Fight scenes are well choreographed (major pro)
18. Valentine’s handcuffs: original but “lame”
19. Two mid-credits scenes (Vault tease / vague second tease)
20. No special features; no scene selection; poor menu behavior
21. External ratings: critics 0%, audience 75%
22. Collectibility: better for serious collectors/comic geeks than general viewers
23. Availability: easy to find; standard retail / second-hand
24. Price ranges mentioned: DVD (~$7–$28), Blu-ray (~$22–$50)
25. Final verdict: “dark avenger” and “dark pretender” mix—watchable but not a blockbuster

Speaker breakdown

• Single main speaker (Troy): provides nearly all observations—packaging, story critique, acting, action praise, lack of extras, and final scoring.
• No other speakers are clearly identified beyond occasional references to external critics/audience scores.

Concise verdict / recommendation

Recommendation: Buy/rent only if you’re interested in Indonesian superhero/comic collectible media or want a mid-budget action/fight-scene-focused movie.

Visually appealing on the shelf and strong choreography, but it struggles with rushed/uneven storytelling, predictable writing, an anticlimactic villain payoff, and a very barebones DVD release (no extras / limited menu functionality).