One Shot

It's called One Shot because they only have one shot to stop a terrorist plot, but also, because the entire movie was filmed in one take! That takes a lot of work and skill to create and I'm sure is exhausting, yet this is novice filmmaker James Nunn's first writing credit, and his 5th full length feature film directorial credit. And he did not disappoint.

At first it will feel like you're behind a player in Call of Duty, and then it's like you're right there, behind the action, turning your head to whoever is talking or shooting. It's kinda epic and magical when you really think about it. It's non stop energy, excitement and suspense. Obviously the pacing is fast, so the 96 min runtime flies by quickly.

Then add the excellent tactical action choreography, cinematography and special effects, plus the outstanding, convincing and commanding performances ny all - especially Scott Adkins, and you'll be on the edge of your seat the entire time. I'm pretty sure I forgot to breath a bunch of times.

My only complaint was that I wanted more story and not as much shooting, which seemed to be the majority of the film. But nevertheless, if you're into this genre, you will not be disappointed. Hats off to Nunn for giving us this amazing action film. It's a well deserved 8/10 from me.

An adrenaline-fuelled & macho-flavoured B-movie action fare that delivers exactly what the package advertised, One Shot is a competently crafted genre romp that packs a simple plot and executes it with skill & flair. And despite the gung-ho attitude & 'Murica crap, it manages to be a tense & thrilling affair, thanks to its no-nonsense action & fluid camerawork.

Directed by James Nunn, the story unfolds in real time with the camera capturing the events and following our characters around in a way that gives it the appearance of being shot in a single unbroken take. It sure is a gimmick but it does add to the immediacy of the chaos and keeps us invested in the proceedings while also heightening the tension & suspense at times.

The camera manoeuvres through the spaces in slick & smooth fashion and the neat editing deftly masks the various scene breaks. The drama & performances are serviceable at best but Scott Adkins plays his part with conviction. However, the film loses momentum and begins to go downhill after that big explosion, not to mention that the ending feels a tad drawn out as well.

Overall, One Shot does what it set out to do and does it in style. It is a surprisingly well made example of its genre that's quite aware of its strengths & limitations, and gets ample mileage out of its straightforward premise. Scoring high on action, violence & body counts, this is one solid actioner that plays out like a video game and offers an entertainment that's at least satisfying if not wholly rewarding.

Scott Adkins is the reliable, taciturn star of low-budget action flicks that Steven Seagal still thinks he is. The man is a legit martial artist. He looks tough, yet smart enough to be the hero of any sort of action flick he's offered, whether grounded in kick-boxing, organized crime or, as here, soldiering. Adkins leads a S. E. A. L. team deployed to a black-site island prison to transport a suspected terrorist to Washington ASAP. He supposedly knows what's needed to prevent an imminent nuclear attack in a major American city. His crew brings a civilian agent (Ashley Greene) to try to coax the intel from the detainee, since a period of "extreme interrogation" failed. The guy running the place (Ryan Phillipe) resents the hell out of this insulting intrusion on his domain and resists the extraction order, despite the claimed urgency and scale of the threat.

Horrible timing. Before they can leave, a horde of heavily-armed, disciplined terrorists crashes the party (literally and figuratively), killing the guards, destroying the means of exit, and cutting off communications before reinforcements could be summoned. They want the same inmate for whatever their end-game may be, regardless of the body count on either side.

What follows is a long, large-scale shootout between a horde of bad guys, amplified by the other prisoners they set free, and a greatly outnumbered and outgunned cluster of Adkins-led defenders. The clash plays out somewhat like a video game through the large, maze-like complex, both indoors and out, racking up a massive body count of anonymous characters, plus casualties among those we know by name and care about.

Adkins does what Adkins does as convincingly as ever. I started this review by calling him reliable for a reason. His brand of predictable is a significant asset, not a critique. The dude delivers exactly what his fans expect of him, which is largely a high score on the adrenaline scale that minimizes cerebral exertion. Here's a satisfying example for your guilty-pleasure enjoyment.

For the B movie - this is the good one. Nice realistic gun and fist fights, amazing cameraman and choreography work, good CGI. No wokism or PC BS. Predictable and enjoyable action. Minus for 200 people in one truck and some cheese. Rare find in modern agendas-ruled cinema.

6.5/10; About this film, Scott Adkins shines as usual. This man is a legit on screen action presence and acts well. He sells the character of the Navy SEAL team leader. And the fights are amazing too, starting with extended shootouts to close quarter pistol fights and hand to hand fights. The action is directed well. It is really tense and well choreographed.

The supporting cast is ok. Ashley Greene is good. Ryan Phillip looked bored. Others were just fine. The story is your generic good guys rescuing prisoner from bad guys. And the script is mediocre. Many scenes in the film would have made an impact had the characters been fleshed out and the script a better one. The one take becomes a bit strenuous at times too.

Overall it's a fine movie. Without Adkins and the cool fights, it would have been a boring mess. Do give it a watch.