Oh yeah. This is my jam! Scott Adkins in a period piece? Yes! Scott Adkins and Marko Zaror in a Undisputed rematch! Yes! One of them vs. Cung Le? Yes! Keith David? Oh hell yes! I don’t know much about fight choreographer Luke LaFontaine, but here’s hoping he brings the goods. I have a few worries about martial arts films in 2017, but this makes me optimistic. Check out the trailer below, and let me know what you think! By the way, Keith David makes anything better.
Not even internet pirates can keep Boyka down, and finally, FINALLY we have the trailer for the long-awaited Undisputed 4 ( No more numerals! Now it’s just Boyka!) It looks as if Scott Adkins and Isaac Florentine are going to bring us the best Boyka yet! This looks fantastic, seeing Boyka fight in both the real world and in the ring. Check out the trailer below. Then watch it again. And again. The most complete fighter in the world is back. As the song says, ‘There Can Only Be One King!’
Starring Scott Adkins, Nick Chinlund, Tony Perez, Caitlin Keats, Madison Lawlor, Robert Dill, Dennis Ruel, Jimmy Chhiu
Fight Choreography by Jeremy Marinas
Directed by Isaac Florentine
Scott Adkins has to be one of the best martial arts actors in the last 10-20 years to NOT get a real shot at an A-list film. And no, The Expendables doesn’t count. So many of us like-minded folks have been waiting for Scott to get a Steven Seagal/JCVD film with those budgets and worldwide releases, but alas it may never be, simply due to entertainment today. I’ve come to grips with this, and will enjoy the hell out of whatever he puts out, particularly if Isaac Florentine is behind the camera. More than most directors at his level, he truly understands what martial arts should look like onscreen. While many of us are waiting with baited breath for Undisputed 4: Boyka Kicks More Ass* Florentine and Adkins bring us a modern day man-with-no-name western: Close Range.
Scott Adkins plays Colt Macready, an ex-soldier who is on the run for criminal acts committed while on a mission he didn’t agree with. Now a mercenary, the film opens where many films end, with Colt saving his sister’s daughter from an Mexican drug cartel, and killing a lot of men in the process, but in doing so takes something far more valuable to drug lord Fernando Garcia (Perez). Colt takes his niece back to her mother but their victory is short lived as the local law enforcement led by Sheriff Calloway, who is in the pocket of Garcia, tries to arrest Colt, and it is there that all hell breaks loose as Colt must avoid the police and Garcia and his men, who arrive to end Colt and his family once and for all…
The story here is pretty basic, but very cool in the way the film begins. It does have a western feel to it, and Florentine stretches his directing muscles a bit, with camera angles and a style that does—in a small way— evoke westerns of old. Adkins is okay here, but I had a hard time liking his character, nor that of his family. I wish the film had stopped to expand the characters through their actions. So much of their characters are told in exposition, it was hard to really get into them. The look of the film is spot on, and should be as they didn’t use much of the budget for locations, as the majority of the film takes place on his family’s ranch.
Yes, this scene is as silly as it looks. Still cool, though!
The fights are damn good here, featuring some of Adkins’ best, especially his fight with Reina (Dill) and his end fight with Jimmy Chhiu, which gets to showcase some rare knife fighting from Adkins and some really fast-paced fighting, which are all choreographed expertly by Marinas. I was always looking forward to the next fight, and was never bored as the dynamics of each fight change. Groundbreaking? No, but very, very entertaining to watch.
I would not mind seeing Colt Macready in a sequel film!
A solid actioner that further cements Adkins as one of today’s best martial arts action stars!
*not the real title. But C’mon!
Wahoo! So here we go with another giveaway to start this new year the right way! So what do you need to do to get a copy from the good folks at XLRATOR Media?
After Undisputed 4, what other in-development films would you like to see Scott Adkins a part of? Submit your answer along with your mailing address to kiaikicks@gmail.com! Best answers win a free copy of Close Range!
Contest is open to everyone! Contest ends on January 5th! Winners to be announced on January 6th!
The most complete fighter in the world is back!! This is just a teaser for the trailer but…Boyka! Boyka! Boyka!
While we’re all waiting for Undisputed 4, Scott Adkins and Isaac Florentine decided to tide everyone over with their newest film, Close Range! Scott looks to be back in form and brings the ass-kicking. My review of the film will be out the day before its release, but how about an ass-kicking clip from the film to tide ya’ll over?
