Indisputed 3

Isaac Florentine's Undisputed 3: Redemption is, in my opinion, the best of the Undisputed series may be meaningful to those who know the earlier films. Scott Adkins reprises his role as Russian inmate Boyka, now severely hobbled by the knee injury suffered at the end of Undisputed 2. No longer the feared prison fighter he was, he has declined so far that he is now good only for cleaning toilets. But when a new prison fight tournament begins - an international affair, matching the best fighters from prisons around the globe, enticing them with the promise of freedom for the winner - Boyka must reclaim his dignity and fight for his position in the tournament.

He succeeds, of course, and is packed off to Georgia where he meets his opponents. The brash American. The Brazilian capoeira expert. The North Korean tae kwon do expert. A Greek. A Croat. And, most to be feared, the Colombian(Mark Zaror).

The fix is in, of course. While all of the other fighters are forced to do hard labor, the Colombian - the fighter backed by the host prison - is left to live in relative luxury. While the others are denied basic food, the Colombian has drugs hand delivered by the warden.
ScottAdkins plays Boyka - the villain of the last installment - here as a gruff antihero looking for personal redemption. All the story stuff works as it should.

It's rare that a DTV movie can impress as completely as Undisputed II - Last Man Standing did: aside from being the best film Isaac Florentine had directed, it was arguably the single best martial arts flick released that year. The fact that it was filmed for under $10 million and still managed to attain cult status without a theatrical release makes it simply more impressive. Florentine followed this masterpiece up with the questionable The Shepherd: Border Patrol and Ninja, both of which were a decisive step down from the quality he had pioneered for the low-budget market. Thus, it was with some apprehension that I awaited the release of "Redemption", fearing it wouldn't do the original justice...but I am happy to report that Florentine is back on par and delivers what is once again possibly the best straight karate flick of the year. Is it as good as its predecessor? Let's see...

The story: after his defeat by George Chambers, former prison fighting champion Yuri Boyka (Scott Adkins) is left unable to fight with a crippling knee injury, but his warrior's spirit doesn't die. Rehabilitating himself, he earns both the renewed esteem of the warden (Mark Ivanir, Schindler's List) and entry to an international prison tournament where the prize is freedom. However, when the conditions are manipulated to favor an unstoppable Colombian powerhouse (Marko Zaror, Kiltro), he must accept an alliance from an American boxer (Mykel Jenkins, "The Bold and the Beautiful") if he hopes to taste freedom again.

Boyka is back to fighting within 10 minutes of the movie; at first, I was disappointed that it seemed the entire rehabilitation angle was fudged, but it turns out that his injured knee remains a focus throughout the film. It never really heals, and you know that at any moment it could give way or an opponent could catch on and take advantage. It's a good plot point in the story of Boyka's redemption - redemption I don't believe he truly attains, considering his acts in the last movie, but it's interesting to see him become more of a human being than he was the first time around. He has little choice, since Marko Zaror does such a good job of playing his darker half: like Boyka, Dolor the Colombian is religious and even spends time reading the works of Federico Garcia Lorca, but has attained his physical greatness through drugs and his sadism knows lesser limit than even the old Boyka's. He makes a great villain, but the real devils are always the ones working behind the scenes, headed by veteran actor Vernon Dotcheff (The Name of the Rose) who has dark plans for everybody but Dolor; it's an old ploy to arouse sympathy for unsympathetic characters (the fighters), but a successful one for that you really end up loathing the conspirators.

Speaking of fighters, "Redemption" showcases plenty of excellent up-and-coming talent. In this field, it surpasses its prequel since that one only featured two real standout fighters - Adkins and Michael Jai White - while "Redemption" has four or five, depending on your standards. Adkins and Zaror are rightfully making names for themselves as solo stars but I was just as pleased by the casting of lesser-known athletes like Ilram Choi and Lateef Crowder. Mykel Jenkins isn't a martial artist but has a great build and convinces you of his proficiency in boxing. Fresh from a lackluster outing in Hellbinders, Esteban Cueto is a decent brawler but only has a couple matches in the beginning of the film. There are plenty of better fights to see than his - fights so good that picking the best one is a real challenge since most of the nine brawls seem to set a new standard for how fast I could jump out of my chair in amazement. Eventually, I give the nod to the much-anticipated showdown between Adkins and Crowder, the capoeira fighter who tore down the house with Tony Jaa in The Protector: their unprecedented agility and flexibility is complimented by extremely satisfying back-and-forth choreography and long, uninterrupted camera shots; no quick cuts or excess editing, here. Florentine is to be commended for putting so much effort into his craft. The only thing I can find fault with regarding the fights is the choice of soundtrack that occasionally plays in the background; the hip-hop is very unfitting.

Production values are strong enough to have qualified for a theatrical release, with the exception of a few zoom-in close-ups that are a trademark of Florentine's lesser work. The acting content - always a gamble in the director's work - comes off as surprisingly strong. I was a bit disappointed that not a lot of authentic Russian is spoken, but the returning roles of Scott Adkins and Mark Ivanir still feel legitimate. Mykel Jenkins' career should receive a boost following this film, for he proves himself a competent leading man in the role of the arrogant boxer after ten years of supporting parts. In terms of realism, "Redemption" shies even further away from the realities of Russian prison life than "Last Man Standing" did, but it's easier to forgive this time around.

Is "Redemption" a great martial arts movie? - absolutely. Is it as great as "Last Man Standing"? Well, the production quality is certainly matched and the fight scenes prove that Florentine can always outdo himself, but some of the oomph from the prequel is lost on this one. Having Boyka as an antagonist helped make the first film so strong, and I don't think his shoes were 100% filled by Dolor and the wardens. Michael Jai White's presence is missed, but Mykel Jenkins provides an interesting alternate angle on the role of an American boxer in a European prison, if not the same level of hand-to-hand action, but Zaror, Crowder, and Choi fulfill that duty marvelously. Regardless of any perceived flaws, this movie will be hard to beat in the DTV market; you really don't need to bother with Van Damme, Seagal, or Lundgren if this movie is within reach. Buy it!

If a casual fan of B-rate fight flicks were to come across this in the video store having not heard of the franchise, one could easily justify its dismissal. Typically direct-to-video sequels to direct-to-video movies give fans just enough to barely keep them interested. The fact that each new film in the series has switched the directions and motives of the main characters, in addition to making the previous antagonist the current protagonist is extremely refreshing. Add to that some of the best fight choreography, filming, and editing this side of the Pacific ocean and you have a series of films that have increased in quality with each new release! Director Isaac Florentine has taken his sweet time to give fans what they want to see. And God bless him for it. So much art is lost in the pursuit of cash. I hope other directors are taking notes on his work.

Scott Adkins ("Ninja", "X-Men Origins: Wolverine") returns as Uri Boyka, former prison fighting champion, who now has a bum knee after his crushing defeat at the end of "Undisputed 2". He wants Russian mob boss Gaga (Mark Ivanir, who makes a very welcome return) to enter him in the first international prison tournament where the grand prize is total freedom. Gaga refuses, knowing of his bad leg and absense from competition, until Boyka absolutely wastes the current Russian champ. Boyka then packs for the Republic of Georgia and the 8-man elimination contest. There are fighters from France, Croatia, Brazil, Greece, Korea, America, and the favorite, Columbian born Dolor (Marko Zaror, "Kiltro"), resident of the host prison. If the odds were not already stacked against Boyka, prison officials and mob bookies may have a few tricks up their collective sleeve to favor Dolor.

The fights? Awww, yeah! Adkins has already proven he belongs at the top of the list of current martial arts actors. I was particularly excited to see Lateef Crowder again after his awesome fight with Tony Jaa in "The Protector". He has two fights here, neither of which disappoints! The casting of Chilean actor Marko Zaror as the lead bad guy is really where the brilliance comes in to play. I had heard much about his skill from word-of-mouth and youtube clips but I really didn't know what to expect. He is fantastic, not only in physical skill, but in his character portrayal as well. He speaks excellent English, even to the point where his sly wit comes shining through. I want to see a lot more of this dude! He is 6-and-a-half-feet of spin kicking mayhem!

This DVD has no special features and for that reason alone is disappointing. Just a few trailers. Not even a chapter selection! I would like to see a lot more stuff with a release like this. The blu-ray may have more, I'm not sure. Who cares? This is still the most enjoyable film that I've seen in a LONG time. I liked it more than "Undisputed 2" but I can't necessarily say that it's a better movie. The script is nothing fancy but is more than adequate for fans of this type of movie. Good character development, especially with Boyka and the American fighter, Turbo (Mykel Jenkins) and a few surprises. 4.5 of 5 and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!

2010

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