Macho Movie Monday #4 - Undisputed II: Last Man Standing
- Details
- Published on Monday, January 05 2015 18:53
- Written by Johnny M
It's Saturday night and you know what that means! Time for Macho Movie Monday!
What movie is this?Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006)
Who is in it?
Michael Jai White, Scott Adkins, Mark Ivanir
Who directed it?
Isaac Florentine
How long is it?
98 minutes
What country is it from?
Kuwait
What language are they speaking?
English
What’s the irrelevant Rotten Tomatoes Score?
70% (audience)
What’s it about?
Imprisoned in Russia, a man (Michael Jai White) relies on his street-fighting skills while fighting boxers in the ring.
How about a trailer?
Sure, but beware this is what we call "Red Band". It is unrated and has some salty language.
Why should I watch it?
As I flipped through my substantial blu-ray collection looking for titles to cover in the future, the same two actors kept popping up. Michael Jai White and Scott Adkins. They are very similar in that they are both very talented and charismatic martial arts talents, and they both seem to be struggling to break into mainstream movies. Sure they have had small roles in big big films like White’s cameo in The Dark Knight and Adkins’ in Expendables II, but neither of them have reached the action star status that you would expect. White seems to have been doomed by his portrayal of Spawn in the 90’ lives action adaptation and you could even blame Adkins’ struggles on his involvement in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Hopefully this has begun to turn around for White, who has landed a recurring role on TV’s Arrow as The Bronze Tiger. Luckily for the both of them, they have carved out a great niche in the direct to video action market, and Undisputed II was basically what started it all.
Undisputed II is really what this blog is all about. It’s a no nonsense action movie with great talent, superb fight choreography and larger than life characters. The franchise has been very well received and a financial success. While White did not return for the sequel, Adkins’ “Boyka” has reached cult hero status, and returned for Undisputed III. Part 4 is in development now and Adkins has confirmed his involvement. Any fan of the martial arts movie genre needs to check out Undisputed II. The fights are legendary and continually show up on “best of” lists all over the internet. This movie is what really changed my preconceived notions about direct to video action movies and hopefully it will do the same for you.
Ok, you sold me. Where can I get it?
The Blu-Ray is not in print in the US. There is a German import out there, but it is Region B, so you would need a region free player to watch it.
The DVD is available on Amazon and Amazon Instant Video!
See you next time! No promises.
In Macho Movie Monday, John spotlights his favorite lessor known action, adventure, martial arts and assorted B-movies from around the globe. While the title of the blog may demonstrate superb use of alliteration, it doesn't actually come out on Mondays or any other regular schedule.
Send recommendations, comments and complaints to John at hhwlod dot com.