Another great win from Mahal Empire. It seems that every time I see one of their movies they get better and better. Certainly, this is the best one yet (out of about 15 movies). Indeed, it compares favorably with many movies that come with Hollywood movie budgets, even though it was crowdfunded on a relatively small budget.
So, without spoilers, what is the movie about? Basically in the not too distant future. The public is entertained by violent blood-sports on TV. The TV show "Arena Wars" normally draws it's "contestants" from the prison population. However, as the show's ratings have been trending down, the executives have to come up with creative ways to boost ratings such as putting an innocent man onto the show. It draws heavily on the idea of the Roman coliseum and most closely resembles "The Running Man" with a bit of "Hunger Games" and "Rollerball" thrown in for good measure. Though it is heavily influenced by movies such as "The Running Man", it is definitely it's own thing and does it well. The movie zips along and the running time fits perfectly (and make sure to stay for the closing credits which are pretty funny too).
Of particular note is the extremely high perceived production value. The soundtrack keeps you pumped up and the color grading is excellent. The practical effects are, for the most part, convincing and only a few CGI shots were used. The storyline, written and directed by Brandon Slagle, is also action packed, consistent and solid. Though there is a fair amount of gore, none of it feels forced and is all relevant to the ongoing story line. There is also one of the most satisfying deaths I have seen in a movie which is both hilarious and well earned. You'll know it when you you see it! :-p
There is a solid cast of well known actors whose talents and skills were well used to move the plot forward. Robert LeSardo plays one of the prisoners and is serious tough guy who kicks some ass. Michael Madsen and Robert Donovan play well off of each other as the hosts of the Arena Wars show. Eric Roberts makes an appearance as a friend and confidant of one of the prisoners.
There were a couple of standout performances that stole the show. Kevin Hager played an absolutely epic and believable antagonist in his role as Belladonna. John Wells also showed incredible emotional range in his role as the main protagonist Bender. That being said, there wasn't really a bad performance in the entire movie and many of the supporting actors have strong character arcs of their own.
Was the movie perfect? Of course not. There were a few minor niggles. There was a great establishing shot showing a fly over of the city. This was great the first time we see it bit became a bit jarring when exactly the same shot appeared multiple times throughout the movie. Also, it would have been nice to have a little more variety in each of the arenas. That being said there was still plenty of room in each arena to have some great fight choreography with multiple cast members.
In summary, if you like 80s style action movies, Arena Wars is an absolute gem. The story is solid and logical, the action never lets up and it looks and sounds beautiful. Well worth the hour and a half of your time!
