Prisoner of War

Old fashion adventure movies are getting back to the trend!! Special effects are hilarious and the plots even more! But we'll all agree that a hilarious movie will be always worth a visit to our vintage comic movies.

Very enjoyable at the beginning for the scripts most less when it comes to true meaning.

Scott Adkins has made some really good movies like: Undisputed, Ip man, Hard Target, Avengment, Universal Soldier etc.

However, I felt lately that some of his movies were going a bit down hill. In JW4 I didn't like his character it was like he was put in there just to be with Keanu. Then Diablo, both Marko zaror and Adkins are great martial artists but the fighting in that movie was poor. Killer's game with Batista, it was just comical and didn't suit Adkins, it had such a good line up of action stars but was done poorly.

Now to the main point there was good action scenes in this from the start; Adkins surviving in the orient, it provided a good thrill and great use of camaraderie between the characters. I enjoyed the fighting scenes in the pitch. The scenery reminded me a bit of hard target 2 and Savage dog. The only downfall I would say of this movie was the setting, too small and felt cyclical; it was just the fighting pitch and the sleeping bunker which was making it a little montonous. If it explored other areas like the jungle or had a few more locations it would have been done better. Still, alright movie and Scott these are the types of action we want to see.

A slightly unusual take on a war film, created and written by Mr Adler himself. In these days of political correctness and international cooperation with Japan, it's unusual to find a film which revisits (at least some of) their brutality to POWs during World War II and shows them in a bad light.

Scott Adkins attempts to demonstrate that some of the Japanese followed the Bushido code of honour, but that aspect of the film is largely lost even in the limited cruelty and violence shown here.

The film is a must-see for Scott Adkins fight fans, and he performs in spades.

However, if you are a WWII afficianado, close your eyes and move on. Historically and militarily accurate it is not. To be fair, any film dealing accurately with this subject matter would be sickeningly unwatchable. At least Mr Adkins has created something reasonably entertaining if you leave your brain at the door.

Prisoner of War is a refreshing entry in Scott Adkins' filmography-one that blends martial arts action with the grit of a World War II survival story. Adkins plays a British POW forced into brutal fights against Japanese soldiers determined to break his spirit, all while plotting to escape the camp.

The movie feels like a clever genre mash-up: part The Great Escape, part martial arts tournament film, and part survival drama. It works because it doesn't get lost in the crowd of generic action flicks-there simply aren't many (if any) World War II tournament-style prison escape movies out there. That uniqueness alone makes it stand out.

What really sells the film is its solid storytelling. The objectives are clear, the characters are compelling, and the stakes feel personal. It's not just another flashy martial arts showcase-it's a down-and-dirty survival tale, with echoes of The Deer Hunter's intensity and the grit of Bridge on the River Kwai, but scaled to fit the kind of stripped-down storytelling that suits Adkins' best work.

The action is thoughtfully staged, with wide takes that let you appreciate the choreography. When Adkins faces multiple opponents, it feels grounded and believable rather than over-the-top. At the same time, the emotional hooks run deep-particularly the rivalry between Adkins' character and the Japanese camp commander, which gives the fights weight beyond just physical spectacle.

Ultimately, Prisoner of War is one of the stronger Scott Adkins vehicles in recent years. It balances genre-blending with tight, impactful storytelling, making it not just one of the best Adkins films but also one of the strongest direct-to-video action releases of the year.

Scott Adkins is, undoubtedly, one of the top five (5) best martial arts movie stars in the world today. He has the distinction of not just being a great martial artist, but a formidable actor, as well. Prisoner of War, a World War II martial arts action film gives Adkins the opportunity to have both fully on display. This film has great drama and martial arts action.

The story of Prisoner of War is set in 1942 during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. This occupation was the subject of one of the most notable and brutal demonstrations of the Japanese wartime cruelty, the Bataan Death March. In this act of cruelty American, British, and Philippine Prisoners of War were made to walk sixty-five (65) miles from one prison camp to another. Many soldiers died in this atrocity.

Adkins is a British soldier captured and imprisoned by the Japanese. He is not just an ordinary prisoner. He is skilled in the Japanese "art of the Empty Hand", as well as being proficient with a Samurai Sword. During this period it was considered forbidden for Asian practitioners to teach their respective martial arts to Westerners. This theme carried through the 1960's, when Bruce Lee was widely criticized for his teaching of the Chinese art of Kung Fu to Westerners.

His fighting skills makes him the subject of numerous, cruel, and deadly face offs at the hands of the Prison Camp's General, played adeptly by Peter Shinkoda. There is a race against time as Adkins fights to stay alive, and his fellow prisoners to notify the outside world of their existence in this cruel internment camp.

Adkins wrote, produced, and stars in this film.

The film smartly is set in one basic location; the prison camp. This provides a great setting for the telling of this dramatic story in a cost effective way. The film is small, but it doesn't seem that way. This is in part because of smart Directing by veteran film actor and tough guy, Louis Mandylor. Mandylor is a good character actor who also seems to have some chops as a Director. He may be the future Jesse V. Johnson, someone I am sure who has influenced his filmmaking style greatly.

Prisoner of War has some smart resemblances to some other good films. There is a strong sense that it was influenced by another Adkins' film, Savage Dog. There are also traces of the Ip Man films in this one. While they have influenced this film, it does not seem like a knock off by any means. It stands on its now.

As for the fights and choreography, they are top notch. This film starts out with an exciting martial arts fight scene and they exist throughout this action packed drama. The fights are well choreographed, well executed, and well filmed. These fight scenes include some great weapon ones. This is, certainly, a testament to Adkins' skill in this endeavor.

The supporting cast was largely unknown to me; however, they were all very good.

Prisoner of War is a great historical action and martial arts film.

The film is violent and brutal in parts.

I highly recommend Prisoner of War.