Scott Adkins is the best action hero you've never known!
I haven't written anything for a long time because nothing worthwhile has appeared. That is, in a positive sense. There were several films that impressed me so much that I wanted to take off my shoe and throw it at the screen.
A friend of mine came in with the DTV movie “Undisputed 3: Redemption.” How to drink, category “B”. Martial arts tournament in a Russian prison. [yawn] How original.
Prisoner Yuri Boyka was once a champion, but he injured his knee in his last fight and now he is just a champion at cleaning toilets, scrubbing and cleaning - that's all he can see through his long, unkempt hair and beard. [yawn] That's why it's called "Redemption." The parole officer tells Boyka that he won't see a parole hearing for the next 15 years. Thus, he realizes that the only way to stop cleaning toilets is to participate in an international tournament among prisoner fighters. [yawns again] So he cuts his hair and goes out in public - not bad, I tell you, this dude looks impressive. Then he gets into the ring, takes off his robe and shows off one of the most perfectly proportioned male bodies. Well, nothing special. The battle begins. Several quick punches and kicks. Then Boyka does this - a jumping kick with a flip. I have never seen such a blow (and I have seen a lot of things, believe me)! Holy shit! What a kick! And without wires!
As I watched, I realized: damn, cool movie! The characters are very distinct, they have their own clear motivations, the dialogue is crisp and stomach-churningly funny, and the filming and editing are truly stylish and complement the story and combat. In short, a B movie with everything you would expect from an A movie.
A villain appears - “Dolor”, aka “Pain”. Real name Marko Zaror is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson's stunt double. Although Yuri Boyka looks huge, Dolor towers even above him. And then he does this - a double spin kick in the air! My eyes almost popped out of my sockets! Holy shit! A guy of this size (at least 1 m 90 cm) and build performs acrobatic stunts!
But stop listening to my nonsense already. Watch this damn trailer.
You know that pleasant feeling of lifting up when you've watched a movie that truly satisfies you? This was the last thing I expected from this film, and yet, by the end of it, a stupid, satisfied grin appeared on my face. I've seen some of the most impressive and serious fights I've ever seen - the only ones that rival Tony Jaa's work in Ong Bak and Tom Yum Goong. The most entertaining action hero I've seen in the West. He has an impressive set of kicks, a great athletic physique and acrobatic skills, and on top of all that, he's also a damn good actor! His Russian accent was so good that I thought he really was Russian and that's why the film took place there. And then his name appeared in the credits.
Scott Adkins...!
What the…! Scott Adkins? If this is a Russian name, then “momo” is a native American food. I looked everywhere for information about him, then I found out that the guy is actually British! And he not only practices martial arts, but is also a good actor, having starred for the first time in the British television series “Holby City” and “Mile High”.
“Damn it, why isn’t this guy in any A-movies yet?” – I thought. Then I looked at his filmography...
Without taking the entire movie into account, did anyone else think the final fight in The Wolverine between Sabretooth, Wolverine and Deadpool was awesome? I remember looking up the name of the actor who played Deadpool, since Ryan Reynolds obviously couldn't do all those stunts. Then I remembered - yes, his name was Scott Adkins. He played the roles of Deadpool/Weapon X.
Now take a look at his showreel:
Stunning and amazing, I tell you. There will never be another Jackie Chan. Tony Jaa is an incredible fighter, but you'll never see him on an acting awards list. The only guy I see with real potential to be the next biggest action superstar is Scott Adkins. He is what we need. No wires. “If you are a fighter and need a send-off, you should consider a career change.” Hell, I'll say he would even make a great Bond. He's damn good looking, he's tall, he's British, and he'll look convincing as the guy kicking ass. If Daniel Craig gets bored, I'll vote for Adkins.
Over the past few weeks, I've watched all of his videos and films that I could get my hands on. After a long time I felt like a fan of his.
“Undisputed 2”:
Starring Michael Jai White (mob boss Gambol from The Dark Knight), and Scott Adkins as the villain. Absolutely right, Yuri Boyka was the villain there. The film is just as tough and entertaining as Undisputed 3, but there isn't as much martial arts in it because the main character is a boxer.
Here we should mention Isaac Florentine, the director of these two films, as well as the director of the action movie “Ninja”, which I will talk about later. There's no better B movie than one that doesn't try to be an A movie. There are no boring moments in these three films, which were released straight to DVD - the plots are so-so, even predictable, the characters and situations are hackneyed, but overall they are so exciting, and the actors are so talented that these films are like a sip of refreshing tea. I'm surprised Florentine hasn't been commissioned to direct a major film yet. The first “Undisputed” from director Walter Hill with Wesley Snipes and Ving Rhames is disastrously boring and too serious compared to the sequels. JJ Perry, a fight choreographer and stuntman with a long list of credits including “Wolverine,” “Avatar” and “Iron Man,” once said of Florentine: “I know a lot of A-movie directors who don’t even deserve to make him coffee.”
"Ninja":
Adkins's first leading role. Predictable plot, but have we ever expected Inception-level plotting from a martial arts film? All we are interested in are fights, and the intervals between them simply should not cause boredom, that’s all. “Ninja” turned out to be good in this regard. In the recent Ninja Assassin, pop singer Rain played the role of the ninja, so a lot of tricks had to be used to make the fights look convincing. This is not the case in Scott Adkins' Ninja. He beats the crap out of guys in a room full of them - without wires. Any guesses which fights I liked the most?
"Shepherd":
Van Damme as the main character, Scott Adkins as the “right hand” of the main villain. The only thing worth watching is the final fight between these two, which you can watch on YouTube and save yourself the trouble. And keep in mind that this fight ends too suddenly, and all because Van Damme did not want to make it full-fledged.
“American Special Forces”:
This movie definitely looks like a B movie from start to finish. He is saved only by a very good fight in the final. This is the only film I've seen in which Adkins speaks in his authentic British accent.
Scott Adkins also made a cameo appearance in:
- “Tournament”, where he fought with Kelly Hu;
- “The Last Bachelor Party,” a horror movie that I turned off in the middle of watching it because they killed him;
- “The Bourne Ultimatum”, where he and another agent get beaten up by Jason Bourne (haha) in one of those extremely annoying and totally cool fights with super fast and messy editing that makes it impossible to see who the hell it is , who is being beaten, and who is reading John Donne’s sonnets in the background.
Author: Kenny
Source: passionforcinema.com
Translation: EvilDollaR
I am waiting. I hope there will be something exciting.
I would like to mention Pasha as a person who has been an active participant in this project since…
Sad ending, albeit with a joke...
Added a video from the filming of "Twilight of the Warriors".