My first thought upon seeing this movie at my local video store was wondering why Samuel L. Jackson was appearing in a direct-to-DVD movie - did he have some gambling debts he had to pay off quickly? Anyway, Jackson gives the movie a little spark, though he does seem to be acting in his sleep. But he's not one of the main problems of the movie.
For starters, the main plot elements and plot turns are VERY familiar. We have a hero who has lost a wife and is a drunk... who is seen fighting in a bar by people working for the main bad guy... who is subsequently kidnapped... who is forced to fight to the death with multiple opponents, in fights that are sent around the world to people on the Internet. We have seen all this MANY times before, except maybe for a minor plot twist towards the end.
The movie might have been saved by exciting fights and professional treatment, but the movie is lacking in those areas as well. Although there is some bone crunching and blood spilling in the fights, most of the fights are surprisingly lacking impact. There's bad use of slow motion, stuff happens out of camera range, and many times we just see a few seconds of a fight. The movie also looks surprisingly ugly, with unattractive colors or lighting throughout.
I will admit that this movie is far from the worst direct-to-DVD movie that's been made. But there's not enough positive stuff in it to make it worth a rental.
For starters, the main plot elements and plot turns are VERY familiar. We have a hero who has lost a wife and is a drunk... who is seen fighting in a bar by people working for the main bad guy... who is subsequently kidnapped... who is forced to fight to the death with multiple opponents, in fights that are sent around the world to people on the Internet. We have seen all this MANY times before, except maybe for a minor plot twist towards the end.
The movie might have been saved by exciting fights and professional treatment, but the movie is lacking in those areas as well. Although there is some bone crunching and blood spilling in the fights, most of the fights are surprisingly lacking impact. There's bad use of slow motion, stuff happens out of camera range, and many times we just see a few seconds of a fight. The movie also looks surprisingly ugly, with unattractive colors or lighting throughout.
I will admit that this movie is far from the worst direct-to-DVD movie that's been made. But there's not enough positive stuff in it to make it worth a rental.