Look, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that Undisputed III: Redemption is a great film. It features a tired premise, uneven acting, and a penchant for Leone zooms that becomes downright distracting. But it does know how to put together some exceptional fights.
Redemption uses the tired “martial arts tournament” premise to get its performers in the ring. It mixes the prison tournament’s corruption with a dash of The Defiant Ones to provide some kind of narrative throughline, but its lead performers lack the ability to convey any sense of nuance or humanity. And those zooms – oy! I get it! These are hard men! Now, move along!
Nevertheless, Undisputed III: Redemption has those fights going for it. And it’s here, in the ring, where the film excels. With one glaring exception, the makers of this film cast gifted physical performers. These men leap, spin, kick, and fall like men on wires, and the fact that there’s nothing between them and the mat but air makes their work all the more impressive. Director Isaac Florentine understands this, and trusts his performers, coordinators, and choreographers enough to go with long takes that makes it possible for the audience to actually see the rhythm of a given fight, to enjoy the acrobatic skill of the performers, and to admire the clockwork displays that can only come from days and days of careful practice and preparation. Sure, the film has one notable exception to this: one Mykel Shannon Jenkins, who plays the token American. Jenkins isn’t a fighter or an acrobat: he’s just a guy in really great shape. This means that during his fights, the rhythm of the film has to change to one dominated by creative editing. It pulls us out of the proceedings and drags the film down, but what are you gonna do?
So, there it is: Undisputed III: Redemption, while not a great film, provides phenomenal fight scenes and the chance to see some real pros do some great work. If you like the genre, you’ll like this film.
No comments:
Post a Comment