Review: THE LEGEND OF HERCULES, All Bow Down To King Scott Adkins

Scott Adkins out-fights, out-glowers, and out-growls everyone else with whom he shares a scene in Renny Harlin's The Legend of Hercules. That poses a challenge, because Scott Adkins is not playing Hercules, the half-breed son of Zeus. Instead, the mild-mannered Kellan Lutz smiles bashfully, squints manfully, and yells as loud as he can while he battles in slow-motion against all manner of men and computer-generated pixels. From a visual standpoint, Lutz fits the role of the Greek mythological hero at the age of 20. He is a splendid physical specimen, which is a good thing, since his chest remains bared during most of the movie. Alcides, as he is called by everyone, meekly accepts his subordinate place in the kingdom ruled by King Amphitryon (Scott Adkins), recognizing that his sneering, insecure, possibly cowardly older brother Iphicles (Liam Garrigan) is heir to the throne. He doesn't even raise an objection when Iphicles claims credit for killing the fearsome Nemean Lion. But he's none too happy at the prospect of his beloved Hebe (Gaia Weiss), princess of Crete, being given in marriage to Iphicles in order to secure an alliance between the two kingdoms, especially when King Amphitryon orders him to military service in Egypt. After fighting a battle in the desert and surviving gladiatorial servitude, Alcides learns of his true nature and his real name; his mother, Queen Alcmene (Roxanne McKee, in a strong performance), kept the truth from him in order to protect him. Eventually he rises up to become a mighty warrior in behalf of his people against the evil King Amphitryon, a despot who is defined by his angry glare. The storyline, as crafted by Harlin and several other writers, is charged with establishing a framework for the action sequences, which are mounted so as to showcase Lutz's dreamy musculature as he flies through the air in Zack Snyder-style stop-and-go motion, stabbing opponents with the greatest of ease. The fight scenes are filmed so as to ensure a PG-13 rating in the U.S., which means bloodshed is not evident after sharp objects are inserted into soft flesh; warriors crumple to the ground and there is no lingering on the violence. That's not a major stumbling block, because Harlin and his editor Vincent Tabaillon keep the action snappy; the emphasis is not on the dead bodies but on the growing legend of Hercules as an invincible fighter. Unfortunately, that brings things back around to Kellan Lutz's limitations as an actor. Even though this is an origin story for Hercules, the young man still needs to hold the promise of something more, and be able to communicate a sense of that potential, that this is a creature who is about to burst forth with a series of amazing accomplishments. legend-of-hercules-07-350.jpgSurrounded by a tornado of action and flocks of extras and a very game supporting cast and all the whiz-bang that Harlin can throw at the screen, Lutz comes across as a hero only be default, a good-looking guy who is in over his head. Frankly, he doesn't come across as the sharpest tool in the shed, and even his supposedly passionate love scenes with the lovely Gaia Weiss look a bit too sibling-esque to convey any heat. By taking a serious tone and aiming the material at a broad, family-friendly audience, Harlin and company evidently sought to create a classic, heroic tale. Instead, I kept wishing that the movie would magically transform into The Legend of Evil King Amphitryon and How He Easily Dispatched Young Hercules and Ruled Forever and Ever. Alas, 'twas not to be. The film opens wide across the U.S. on Friday, January 10, and in Canada on Friday, February 7.

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Interview with Scott Adkins, Part 1

Happy New Year 2014! With Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear just having been released yesterday we realised our Ninja-searching efforts were coming to a close, and our covert task in the jungle dojo complete, well…almost! We felt there was something missing, so mustering all our Ninja-fu we continued to explore going out on a limb and sticking our necks out of our proverbial Ninja-turtle shells and finally who did we happen to cross paths with and find fresh from his own mission of stealth but the main Ninja star himself. We’re especially pleased to bring you the first in a two-part exclusive interview with martial arts action superstar Scott Adkins! He’s worked with some of the very best action movie heavyweights of the world from Jackie Chan, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Hugh Jackman, to the prodigious Michael Jai White and starred in Expendables 2. Scott Adkins on set of Ninja II Scott Adkins on set of Ninja II We get to find out a little more about how he started out and gravitated toward fulfilling his dreams of being an actor adept in martial arts action. Passionate, driven, yet down to earth and extraordinarily dedicated, Scott is a modern-day warrior and it’s not hard to understand why he’s in growing demand as one of the best in the world. Whether you prefer him playing the notorious Boyka “The Most Complete Fighter in the World”, a Koga Ninja or any other of his diverse characters, what better way to jumpstart the New Year than by a talk with the man himself, please welcome…Scott Adkins! Hi Scott good to be speaking with you and, first things first, Happy New Year!Hi Raj, Happy New Year to you too! We’re keen to discuss and share your views on the just released Ninja II as well as other things which I’m sure is going to get interesting, so let’s get started on some of the basics: When were you born and where are you from originally? I was born on 17 June 1976 in Birmingham. What is your height and weight? I’m 5ft 11in (1.80m) tall and weigh 12.9st -13.5st (82-86kg) How did you first get started in the martial arts, can we get a bit of background? Sure. I started when I was ten years old, I did judo because my dad and brother practiced it. Eventually, they stopped and I continued and I never stopped. After that I got into taekwondo for many years as I’ve always been very flexible with my legs. Since I was a fan of martial arts films from the start and I was interested in doing the flashy kicks, I had a natural affinity for taekwondo with that high kicking style. A tender moment with his wife in Ninja II A tender moment with his wife in Ninja II Bruce Lee was also a main influence for you, can you tell us about that? Yes, I remember that Enter the Dragon would be on late at night, so I would stay up late or set the video to record Enter The Dragon. I hadn’t seen all his other movies until a while after but in Enter The Dragon he’s so vicious, so mean and so lithe with muscles everywhere. I was very impressed with him! Later I got more into Bruce Lee and would go to these Bruce Lee conventions when I was around fifteen years old and of course, watched his back catalogue of movies. Back in those days I remember trying to get any and all uncut footage of Bruce Lee, which was hard to get, but you could get them at the conventions. Which other teachers inspired or instructed you? My main instructor was Ron Sergiew from the TAGB (Taekwondo Association of Great Britain). He’s a great kicker, I learned a lot from him and also did kickboxing under Anthony Jones for quite a while. Now I train with Vaughan Lee the UFC fighter at the UTC (Ultimate Training Centre) in Birmingham. I’ve picked up a lot from him. Which other styles have you practiced? Aside from judo, taekwondo and kickboxing (which I’ve also taught via the PKA -Professional Kickboxing Association) , I’ve also done some capoeira, krav maga, Jeet Kune Do (JKD), and wu shu kung-fu to learn the weapons and their style of kicks. In fact, I’m interested in doing seminars around the UK if I’ve got the time in 2014. You play Yuri Boyka in Undisputed II: Last Man Standing and Undisputed III: Redemption, and are well known for your incredible range of manoeuvres, when did you get into gymnastics and acrobatics? I didn’t get into gymnastics until I was eighteen, however I could already do back somersaults and some flips, I could pick up those moves fairly quickly. At one point I was toying with the idea of being a stuntman, so I was doing the gymnastics qualification but I decided not to continue with that because I always had it in my mind to be an actor in the movies like Van Damme and Jackie Chan. At times there were some doubts from people around me advising me to be realistic and so on, but once I made my choice, I never looked back!Let’s talk about the first Ninja before going into Ninja II. Director Isaac Florentine and yourself expressed discontent about the first Ninja, what was it that you wanted to significantly improve this time around? In the first one, we found that the story was weak and the character (Casey Bowman) a little bland, a bit of a wet blanket basically. The ‘flash-factor’ that wows the audience that featured in, for example, Undisputed II, was definitely missing in the first Ninja, so basically we wanted to improve everything. For those who may not know, can you tell us briefly about your character Casey Bowman and his modus operandi here? Casey is now the lead instructor of the dojo and is settled down and happily married with Namiko the love of his life, with a baby on the way. Everything’s going well but sadly his wife gets killed, Casey then goes on an unrelentingly rough revenge rampage to make everyone involved in his wife’s murder pay. What can fans expect fom the movie? Well, it’s an old school martial arts film with tons of action and around thirteen fights! What was it like working director with Isaac on this one? Well, we’ve come a long way since he discovered me and persuaded the studio for me to play Boyka in Undisputed II years ago We understand each other so can get straight down to the work we both enjoy. I can give my all to the movie, while he knows I will be there often going beyond the call of duty for the sake of the film as the directing is left in his capable hands. Can you tell us a bit about the fight choreography in the film and the stunt team behind it? Tim Man along with Brahim Achabbakhe did a great job on the fight choreography. They were really organised, and had it planned out in the gym before arriving on set. They’ve got their own set up too, so that helps. Still, it was brutal doing three fight scenes a week, we had limited time and budget, so it was really very ambitious getting that much action into the film. You really do need to be well prepared, so well done to those guys. Scott Adkins with Jean-Claude Van Dammage! (Assassination Games) Scott Adkins with Jean-Claude Van Dammage! (Assassination Games) Which is your favourite fight scene? The end fight with Kane Kosugi’s character (Nakabara). I have to say he’s so amazing to work with, so humble and such a nice guy. His talents should be made more and better use of because, as a martial artist and screen fighter, in my view, he’s as good as the likes of Jackie Chan or Jet Li. I’d like to partner up with him again sometime and do something perhaps like Assassination Games like I did with Jean-Claude Van Damme. We heard you injured your back, (but It looks like you’re perfectly fine throughout the movie) what happened? Well, after a move where I drop kicked one of the Burmese officers, my back tightened up as there was only a thin mat to land on so my back felt odd. By the time we came to the bar scene my leg was numb, but still we managed to pull through and finish it. Were there any other challenges on the set? Wearing the ninja suit was a challenge, and by the time I was fighting the evil Goro near the end of the film, we had flames on the set too, it was really hot, the place was like a sauna! Onto other movies now Scott, you played the Weapon XI/Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine with Hugh Jackman what was that like? Yes, even though I did stunts there, I was actually on an actor’s contract. I have to say, and everyone will tell you this, Hugh is a really nice guy, he’s genuinely interested in everyone around him including the crew. His background in theatre means he can easily remember choreography sequences and his physique is better than most action actors out there. He’s the type that would be up at 4.30am everyday training in the gym, before being on the set all day. Scott in Ninja Scott in Ninja Surely Scott, you’ve been asked this a lot but we’re dying to ask: How is Undisputed IV shaping up? We’re just waiting to get the green light! Who would you ideally like to draft in for the fights, who comes to your mind as possible candidates? Well, I was thinking about Nathan Jones (the WWE wrestler) someone who could play a mean role, Darren Shahlavi (who played The Twister in Ip Man 2) would be great too as would Kane Kosugi too, but it really depends on the script. It’s not going be Tony Jaa, or Jason Statham, this time round, sorry guys!Any chance George “The Iceman” Chambers might return? Probably not, as it would change the dynamic of the story. Hercules: Was that beard real? (Laughs) For the Young King yes, that’s real but for the old King no, that’s added-on beard. Don’t let the abundance of testosterone scare you! Scott pumped and rearing to go! Scott pumped and rearing to go! You did El Gringo with Christian Slater, would you like to do more comedy action movies? Yes I would, actually, I enjoyed making it, was a lot of fun! We only had three and a half weeks to shoot that, again quite an intense schedule. It might have lacked a great climax maybe, but I’m happy with the result overall. You’re starring in Wolf War with Hong Kong director Wu Jing, can you tell us more? It’s a military movie, and I play the bad guy, someone who’s pretty disparaging of Chinese competence in modern warfare (I hope the Chinese will forgive me!). I get to fight Wu Jing head to head too and he’s someone I sincerely respect as both a martial artist and a person. The action co-ordinator is Nicky Li who is the stunt team leader from the Jackie Chan Stunt Team. Now your views if we may on some well known martial arts actors and their work. Benny “The Jet” Urquidez? I’m a fan of his work, my favourite movie of his is Wheels on Meals with him and Jackie in their prime going hard at it! Bruce Lee? My favourite movie of his is Enter The Dragon, the character is scary and I like the scene where he fights O’Hara (Bob Wall). Jackie Chan? Worked with him on Accidental Spy and The Medallion. Jackie’s up there with Bruce Lee, it’s amazing to sit down and watch him do thirty-six takes, very hard-working, a living legend. I was very star struck being around him as I was just doing some stunts back then. Taking on the Burmese single-handedly Taking on the Burmese single-handedly Jet Li? My favourite of his is Fist of Legend, in my view, one of the best ever made with Yuen Woo-ping handling all the without-wire fights, great retelling of Fist of Fury. Jean-Claude Van Damme? One of my favourites, and I know you’re probably smiling Raj, but for me, it’s…Double Impact! Double the Van Damage, he was so charismatic here! I also watched Bloodsport tons of times, and Kickboxer. Donnie Yen? My favourite is Flash Point, he mixed in MMA and raised the bar. Tony Jaa? My favourite of his is Ong Bak, it was a real eye opener! Mark Dacascos? I like Drive, and also Only The Strong. I’ve conversed with him before, Mark’s a really nice guy. Gary Daniels? I’d say my favourite of his is Bloodmoon. Michael Jai White? Out of his movies, I would say Blood and Bone is my favourite. Read on for part two where Scott talks about his movies, training and much more! In case you missed them, read our earlier interviews with Ninja II star Kane Kosugi, action choreographer Tim Man, action actor/martial artist Jawed El Berni and director Isaac Florentine.

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Action Superstar Scott Adkins Talk For Ninja 2 And More!

When it comes to high octane action cinema, Scott Adkins is the most dynamic and exciting performer working in industry today. His latest film is another example of how this dynamic performer can light up the screen. In &#8216;Ninja 2: Shadow of a Tear,&#8217; Adkins reprises his role as Casey Bowman, a martial artist whose life of domestic bliss has been shattered by a savage act of violence and must fight to avenge as well as survive. His target: a sinister drug lord flooding the streets with deadly meth cooked at his remote jungle factory. Kane Kosugi (Fight the Fight, Ninja Masters), Vithaya Pansringarm (Only God Forgives, The Burma Conspiracy), Mika Hijii (Ninja, Alien vs. Ninja, I’m Coming to Get You) and Tim Man (Bangkok Adrenaline, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li) also star. Jason Price of Icon Vs. Icon recently sat down with Scott Adkins to discuss his longevity in the industry, the challenges of bringing an action film to the screen, what the future may hold for him on-screen and much more!Last time we spoke, you were doing press for &#8216;Universal Soldier 4&#8242; at which point you had sustained some injuries which kept you out of the action game for a bit. What can you tell us about the physical challenges injuries you took and the road back?Six weeks before &#8216;Universal Soldier,&#8217; I tore the ACL in my left knee. It is a terrible injury to have, especially if you are a footballer or martial artist. All through &#8216;Universal Soldier,&#8217; &#8216;El Gringo&#8217; and &#8216;Expendables 2&#8242; I was injured. I also picked up another injury in my back. It was a slipped disk that was pushing on the nerve which led to my losing feeling in my left arm. Basically, when I had the operation on my knee, I was able to rehab my neck as well but I couldn&#8217;t do any action films for a good six months. I gave myself eight months because I knew how important it was if I was going to come back the same guy I was before the ACL injury. I needed to rehab it properly and have the best surgeonWhat expectations or goals did you have when taking on this project and returning to the character We just wanted to make the lead character, Casey, more interesting for the audience. I think with the first film, he was a little bit bland and not very proactive. The character in the script was a kid out of his depth just trying to survive. We were a little disappointed with how the character was perceived in the first film, so we wanted to shake things up at the very beginning. A typical staple of the ninja movie is revenge, so we figured right from the get-go; we would have something happen to Casey’s wife. She turns up dead and for the rest of the movie Casey is on a revenge mission, hell bent on making the people who killed his wife pay. That was enough to drive the character forward and make him more interesting.</p> <p><span style="color: #993300;"><strong>This film is another example of what a great team director Isaac Florentine and yourself make. Having worked with him extensively, what do you feel he brings to the table as a director and how do you feel he has evolved along the way?</strong></span></p> <p>Isaac is fantastic with the way he moves the camera. He is a very glossy filmmaker given the budgets you have to work with; which aren&#8217;t very big. We don&#8217;t have a huge shooting schedule either. With him and Ross Clarkson, who is the director of photography who we always work with, he can make a film look glossy and impressive. Isaac is a dear friend of mine. He is pretty much the guy who discovered me back in the day when I did &#8216;Special Forces&#8217; in 2003. I am an actor who does a lot of martial arts films, so if I am going to do a martial arts film, I want to do it with Isaac Florentine. He is the best in the business. There is nobody better in the western world at making a martial arts film. We are the perfect team really! We have worked together so many times now we have a short-hand together. We know each other and there is no bullshit. We can just say what we think and get on with it! We are both there to make the best film we can.Working with Kane was absolutely fantastic! You couldn&#8217;t ask for a more humble guy, which is even more impressive when you see how good looking he is! He is in fantastic shape. He is one of the best martial artists I have worked with in my life and I have worked with a lot. He is a very good actor who has everything going for him and he is still so humble. He is a real gentlemen and a joy to work with. It is amazing to me that he is not a bigger star

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Florentine & Adkins show their 'Range'

You can't keep a good partnership down. Ninja's Adkins and Florentine are joining forces once more for 'Close Range'... Scott Adkins and Isaac Florentine team up againThe star and director behind two of the most high-impact action martial arts movie franchises, Ninja and Undisputed, will be joining forces once again for a new project entitled: Close Range. We’ve long championed the careers of both men and its been a pleasure to see the two of them craft their careers as in our opinion some of the best Western martial arts action films ever produced: from Special Forces through Undisputed 2 & 3, Ninja and their most recent release Ninja Shadow of a Tear. Their latest project will be produced by Bleiberg Entertainment’s Compound B. The plot revolves around a man desperately trying to save his family from a drug cartel and corrupt authorities. After rescuing his kidnapped niece from the powerful cartel, Colton MacReady (Adkins) begins a relentless fight to save his family who are now being targetted. The cartel has descended upon his secluded ranch with a thirst for revenge - in tow is a corrupt local sheriff and his crew of deputies, ensuring that help won’t be coming any time soon. What ensues is a non-stop assault on the ranch, a blow-by-blow survival marathon for Colton to protect his loved ones and save his life. There's no word if the third member of their regular team,'the man with the deadly lens' Ross Clarkson will be joining them on their latest adventure, or who will be handling the films fight choreography. Adkins and Florentine have worked with everyone from JJ Perry, Larnell Stovall and most recently Tim Mann and Brahim Acchabakhe, all of whom have helped bring their vision of martial arts movie artistry to the screen with great effect. Close Range was written by Chad Law (who wrote Van Damme's Six Bullets) and Shane Dax Taylor (Bloodworth).

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Scott Adkins Fans Interview

First off Thank you to Scott for doing this interview. Ok so with The Shepherd being officially released what are your thoughts on how it turned out, with all the delays behind the scenes? It’s a big disappointment to me. Isaac, JJ and I all had high hopes that we could help deliver a return to form from Van Damme. We are all fans of his work and it’s no secret that he was one of my idols, he had a huge impact on why I’m in this business and why I want to do what I do. I know that Jean Claude had been concentrating on his acting in recent films and it definitely shows but I was under the impression that this was going to be an Isaac Florentine film and considering that Undisputed 2 was his last film you would have thought that JC was going to want to go all out in the fights, it was a perfect opportunity for him to combine his unquestionable talents with the rest of us and make an action movie we could all be proud of. The script read like an exciting action ride so that is what we wanted to make it. First of all, we are working in the low budget end of film making. The reason why Isaac can deliver such exciting cinema on small budgets is that he likes to use fight scenes. When you have gun fights and explosions and car chases it all eats into the budget and what sounds great in a script is very difficult to execute without time and money and we definitely didn’t have time and money on this one. It’s much easier with this type of film to concentrate on the fights but I think there were too many cooks in the kitchen and different people had different ideas of what kind of film we were actually making. Originally Isaac wanted me to play Meyers but there was a lot of opposition from various corners so I opted to take the role of Karp as long as they beefed up the part and gave him all the fights. The original script was much different and had a scene where Karp is forced to take on two of his own men; it was to be a very exciting fight scene, two against one. By the time I got to Bulgaria the whole scene was cut. Also the action scene I have outside the barn was reduced to about two hours of filming time and there was lots of opposition for us to do that properly. The action at the start of the film was done at around 5 in the morning so that wasn’t ideal either. Ultimately I don’t think Isaac got to make the movie he wanted to make and I certainly didn’t because my character didn’t really have much else to do bar fighting and that wasn’t what I signed up for. So are you happy with the end fight between you and Jean Claude? That is the biggest disappointment, it had been choreographed ahead of time by JJ, it was huge. I was very excited and it had the makings of being one of the best fights of JC’s career, it would have lasted around 7 minutes. We wanted my character to be flashy and cocky with his legs in this one, a Tae Kwon Do guy. This is why I’m clocking JC with so many kicks at the beginning of the fight. Van Damme was going to figure me out and systematically take my legs away from me and end up breaking my back. It became clear that Jean Claude didn’t like the style of fighting we had created and he ended up finishing the fight only a third of the way in and having him take me out rather quickly. There’s not a lot I can do about it but if I’m known for anything it’s exciting fight scenes, and I’m not used to doing a third of a fight and then throwing the towel in. Basically the fight is too short because Van Damme decided not to do it. I know he doesn’t like to do much fighting these days but he really had an opportunity to do something great with this fight. He’s one of my biggest inspirations and I respect him in many ways but I truly believe that if he’d listened to us and let us do our thing we would’ve had a much better movie. I don’t know why a martial arts star will do a film with Isaac Florentine and not want to do martial arts. The script was written as a fun action ride and we should have backed it up with decent fights but we were never given the chance. Is it true that Isaac did not get to edit the movie? Isaac did not get to finish editing the movie; he was removed from the project. I don’t know what the real reason is for this I I’m not sure Isaac does either. I believe that Isaac’s version would have been the best but ultimately there were too many problems with the film whilst we were shooting it so we’ll never know. I look forward to getting the chance to work with Isaac and JJ in the future so you can see what we’re really capable of. So everything that was filmed for the fight is up there on the screen? Yes. It was just very short, that is why there is a lot of post production slow motion used, because the fight was just too short anyway. There is an odd edit where I kick JC and you see him already on his back and I think this is because you could tell that it wasn’t JC flying through the air onto his back. It’s a shame because I finished off the move with a dragon kip back onto my feet. It looked cool. Ultimately I think it’s a great shame that JC didn’t trust us enough to let us do our thing, I think we’ve proved that we know what we’re doing and we could have made something spectacular. You worked on one of the biggest films of 2007 The Bourne Ultimatum. What was the experience like working on such a high profile movie? It was strange to be honest. I auditioned for the part on a Thursday, was told I had the job on Saturday and was flying off to Madrid on the Sunday. I didn’t know what the role was or what it really entailed and I found myself filming the first shot without having even met Paul Greengrass yet. It was a great experience though and I’m happy to be a part of such a successful franchise, even if it is only small. I can’t say enough about Matt Damon, he was extremely down to earth and a consummate professional. "STAG NIGHT" What type of role do you have in this film? i do know that your character is soley based on acting. Stag Night is a horror film and I play one of four guys that get trapped underground in a disused 1950’s subway. Turns out we’re not the only ones down there. It’s a straight acting role which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone because I started off working in British TV. You recently worked on The Tournament and got to film with Kelly Hu in a fight scene, how did this go and was you worried about doing an intense fight scene with a woman? Well I’m not sexist or anything but it is much harder working with a woman because it makes you hold back in case you do hit them. If I’m fighting Mike Jai then I can go all out but with a pretty little thing like Kelly it does freak you out a bit. She was great though and I think The Tournament movie is going to do very well. It looks great and has a great cast and you can expect to see it at your local cinema late 2008. Actually Kim Chiang, Kelly’s stunt double is the best stunt woman I have ever worked with. She’s fantastic. With “Undisputed II” and “The Tournament”, people have commented on how you can transform yourself greatly into a character. Do you find this a challenge? Also does a lot of preparation go into doing these types of characters? There was a lot of reservation about me being able to pull off the character in Undisputed 2 at first and now I get lots of people wanting me to recreate that part. They really wanted Boyka for The Tournament but I decided I wanted to play the guy in The Tournament more like a grizzly bear type. I wanted to make him Irish but the director was too scared to give me that opportunity so I ended up having to make him a Russian as well. I’m in danger of getting type cast as a bearded Russian but the upside is at least I can walk the streets and not get recognized. Moving back now to Undisputed 2 which now has a cult following with martial arts fans, were you surprised with the response this film received? I was very happy with the way New Line promoted it in the States, there was actually talk of trying to get the UFC to back it but they didn’t think it spread the right kind of message for Mixed Martial Arts which I agree with, as the UFC has had its battles with the sport being thought of as too violent. I could be wrong but I think we were the first movie to really showcase mixed martial arts and I think part of that is why it was received so well. Also it’s definitely a throwback to the old 80’s early 90’s films like Bloodsport which I think people miss. At the end of the day I think a lot of the success is because people want to see actors who can be completely believable in these kinds of roles and that’s because we are real martial artists and are not just pretending to be. You worked with Michael Jai White in Undisputed 2 who is also an awesome martial artist, what was it like to work with Michael? It was fantastic and I would love to do it again. He’s a real martial artist, no doubt, but he completely understands the difference with film fighting. It’s worth mentioning again that we didn’t have the luxury of time on this movie and it’s because we worked well together that we were able to pull it off. Also did he get frustrated with not being able to kick in this film? He did yes but he stuck to his character which is great. I was getting to do all the flashy stuff and there were times in between takes where he’d be throwing a few kicks to get it out of his system I think. You’ll get to see him let loose in his next movie Blood & Bone. Isaac Florentine, JJ Perry and yourself have now built up a great reputation in whatever you guys do people expect it to be great. What do you think it is that has made you guys a force to be reckoned with when making films together to get this reputation from fans? It’s definitely Undisputed that has created that expectation and I’m looking forward to getting the opportunity to do it again. Do you have new films possibly in the pipeline for this year? Will any involve you being the main character? We were all set to start shooting a film in August with Isaac at the helm, JJ choreographing and me starring but the plug was pulled at the last minute. It basically comes down to me not being a big enough star to single handily front a movie. It’s a bit of a catch 22 trying to become a star when you’re not given the opportunity but there you go. Have you seen any martial arts/action films recently that have really impressed you? Flashpoint. And I’ll be looking forward to seeing the new Pracha Pinkeew film Chocolate. I liked Rambo a lot too. With you using a lot of martial arts in most of your films, which martial art have you found to be most demanding? And have you been practising any new ones? I can’t say I stick to one martial art, it’s the art of screen fighting. I come from a Kick Boxing and Tae Kwon-Do background so a lot of that is in my style but like any martial artist these days you mix it up. Do feel yourself and Tony Jaa have set a standard of not using wires in your fight scenes and put pressure on up and coming martial art stars who may need the use of wires in films? If you think you’re a martial arts star and you do need wires then it’s time for a change of profession. Undisputed III was pushed back, so Isaac could focus on a new film called "NINJA". Will you have any involvement with this? As far as I know the lead character will be Japanese, so no. Can you tell us anything about Undisputed III? The story centres on Boyka as the good guy. The villain of Undisputed became the good guy in the second one so it makes sense that the villain of the second be the hero of the third. What I like about the series is that every character in it is basically a bad guy; it’s just a case of who’s the lesser evil. I’m not going to give anything away but we’re basically going to put Boyka in a situation where everyone else is even more messed up in the head than he is. We’re going to take it up a notch on this one and put him in a no holds barred fight tournament to the death. You can expect twice the amount of action in the third. Finally do you have anything you want to say to your fans? Thanks for enjoying my work and supporting what I do. I really hope that I can get the chance to show you what I can really do in a leading role and I’d like to thank you Nik, for your support and for making a great fan site, I’m trying my best to live up to the hype!! Scott thank you for taking time to answer these questions and your fanz are behind you 100% in whatever your apart of in the future.

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Exclusive Scott Adkins interview

First off Thank you to Scott for doing this interview.

Ok so with The Shepherd being officially released what are your thoughts on how it turned out, with all the delays behind the scenes?

It’s a big disappointment to me. Isaac, JJ and I all had high hopes that we could help deliver a return to form from Van Damme. We are all fans of his work and it’s no secret that he was one of my idols, he had a huge impact on why I’m in this business and why I want to do what I do. I know that Jean Claude had been concentrating on his acting in recent films and it definitely shows but I was under the impression that this was going to be an Isaac Florentine film and considering that Undisputed 2 was his last film you would have thought that JC was going to want to go all out in the fights, it was a perfect opportunity for him to combine his unquestionable talents with the rest of us and make an action movie we could all be proud of. The script read like an exciting action ride so that is what we wanted to make it. First of all, we are working in the low budget end of film making. The reason why Isaac can deliver such exciting cinema on small budgets is that he likes to use fight scenes. When you have gun fights and explosions and car chases it all eats into the budget and what sounds great in a script is very difficult to execute without time and money and we definitely didn’t have time and money on this one. It’s much easier with this type of film to concentrate on the fights but I think there were too many cooks in the kitchen and different people had different ideas of what kind of film we were actually making. Originally Isaac wanted me to play Meyers but there was a lot of opposition from various corners so I opted to take the role of Karp as long as they beefed up the part and gave him all the fights. The original script was much different and had a scene where Karp is forced to take on two of his own men; it was to be a very exciting fight scene, two against one. By the time I got to Bulgaria the whole scene was cut. Also the action scene I have outside the barn was reduced to about two hours of filming time and there was lots of opposition for us to do that properly. The action at the start of the film was done at around 5 in the morning so that wasn’t ideal either. Ultimately I don’t think Isaac got to make the movie he wanted to make and I certainly didn’t because my character didn’t really have much else to do bar fighting and that wasn’t what I signed up for.
So are you happy with the end fight between you and Jean Claude?

That is the biggest disappointment, it had been choreographed ahead of time by JJ, it was huge. I was very excited and it had the makings of being one of the best fights of JC’s career, it would have lasted around 7 minutes. We wanted my character to be flashy and cocky with his legs in this one, a Tae Kwon Do guy. This is why I’m clocking JC with so many kicks at the beginning of the fight. Van Damme was going to figure me out and systematically take my legs away from me and end up breaking my back. It became clear that Jean Claude didn’t like the style of fighting we had created and he ended up finishing the fight only a third of the way in and having him take me out rather quickly. There’s not a lot I can do about it but if I’m known for anything it’s exciting fight scenes, and I’m not used to doing a third of a fight and then throwing the towel in. Basically the fight is too short because Van Damme decided not to do it. I know he doesn’t like to do much fighting these days but he really had an opportunity to do something great with this fight. He’s one of my biggest inspirations and I respect him in many ways but I truly believe that if he’d listened to us and let us do our thing we would’ve had a much better movie. I don’t know why a martial arts star will do a film with Isaac Florentine and not want to do martial arts. The script was written as a fun action ride and we should have backed it up with decent fights but we were never given the chance.
Is it true that Isaac did not get to edit the movie?

Isaac did not get to finish editing the movie; he was removed from the project. I don’t know what the real reason is for this I I’m not sure Isaac does either. I believe that Isaac’s version would have been the best but ultimately there were too many problems with the film whilst we were shooting it so we’ll never know. I look forward to getting the chance to work with Isaac and JJ in the future so you can see what we’re really capable of.
So everything that was filmed for the fight is up there on the screen?

Yes. It was just very short, that is why there is a lot of post production slow motion used, because the fight was just too short anyway. There is an odd edit where I kick JC and you see him already on his back and I think this is because you could tell that it wasn’t JC flying through the air onto his back. It’s a shame because I finished off the move with a dragon kip back onto my feet. It looked cool. Ultimately I think it’s a great shame that JC didn’t trust us enough to let us do our thing, I think we’ve proved that we know what we’re doing and we could have made something spectacular.
You worked on one of the biggest films of 2007 The Bourne Ultimatum. What was the experience like working on such a high profile movie?

It was strange to be honest. I auditioned for the part on a Thursday, was told I had the job on Saturday and was flying off to Madrid on the Sunday. I didn’t know what the role was or what it really entailed and I found myself filming the first shot without having even met Paul Greengrass yet. It was a great experience though and I’m happy to be a part of such a successful franchise, even if it is only small. I can’t say enough about Matt Damon, he was extremely down to earth and a consummate professional.
"STAG NIGHT" What type of role do you have in this film? i do know that your character is soley based on acting.

Stag Night is a horror film and I play one of four guys that get trapped underground in a disused 1950’s subway. Turns out we’re not the only ones down there. It’s a straight acting role which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone because I started off working in British TV.
You recently worked on The Tournament and got to film with Kelly Hu in a fight scene, how did this go and was you worried about doing an intense fight scene with a woman?

Well I’m not sexist or anything but it is much harder working with a woman because it makes you hold back in case you do hit them. If I’m fighting Mike Jai then I can go all out but with a pretty little thing like Kelly it does freak you out a bit. She was great though and I think The Tournament movie is going to do very well. It looks great and has a great cast and you can expect to see it at your local cinema late 2008. Actually Kim Chiang, Kelly’s stunt double is the best stunt woman I have ever worked with. She’s fantastic.
With “Undisputed II” and “The Tournament”, people have commented on how you can transform yourself greatly into a character. Do you find this a challenge? Also does a lot of preparation go into doing these types of characters?

There was a lot of reservation about me being able to pull off the character in Undisputed 2 at first and now I get lots of people wanting me to recreate that part. They really wanted Boyka for The Tournament but I decided I wanted to play the guy in The Tournament more like a grizzly bear type. I wanted to make him Irish but the director was too scared to give me that opportunity so I ended up having to make him a Russian as well. I’m in danger of getting type cast as a bearded Russian but the upside is at least I can walk the streets and not get recognized.
Moving back now to Undisputed 2 which now has a cult following with martial arts fans, were you surprised with the response this film received?

I was very happy with the way New Line promoted it in the States, there was actually talk of trying to get the UFC to back it but they didn’t think it spread the right kind of message for Mixed Martial Arts which I agree with, as the UFC has had its battles with the sport being thought of as too violent. I could be wrong but I think we were the first movie to really showcase mixed martial arts and I think part of that is why it was received so well. Also it’s definitely a throwback to the old 80’s early 90’s films like Bloodsport which I think people miss. At the end of the day I think a lot of the success is because people want to see actors who can be completely believable in these kinds of roles and that’s because we are real martial artists and are not just pretending to be.
You worked with Michael Jai White in Undisputed 2 who is also an awesome martial artist, what was it like to work with Michael?

It was fantastic and I would love to do it again. He’s a real martial artist, no doubt, but he completely understands the difference with film fighting. It’s worth mentioning again that we didn’t have the luxury of time on this movie and it’s because we worked well together that we were able to pull it off.
Also did he get frustrated with not being able to kick in this film?

He did yes but he stuck to his character which is great. I was getting to do all the flashy stuff and there were times in between takes where he’d be throwing a few kicks to get it out of his system I think. You’ll get to see him let loose in his next movie Blood & Bone.
Isaac Florentine, JJ Perry and yourself have now built up a great reputation in whatever you guys do people expect it to be great. What do you think it is that has made you guys a force to be reckoned with when making films together to get this reputation from fans?

It’s definitely Undisputed that has created that expectation and I’m looking forward to getting the opportunity to do it again.
Do you have new films possibly in the pipeline for this year? Will any involve you being the main character?

We were all set to start shooting a film in August with Isaac at the helm, JJ choreographing and me starring but the plug was pulled at the last minute. It basically comes down to me not being a big enough star to single handily front a movie. It’s a bit of a catch 22 trying to become a star when you’re not given the opportunity but there you go.
Have you seen any martial arts/action films recently that have really impressed you?

Flashpoint. And I’ll be looking forward to seeing the new Pracha Pinkeew film Chocolate. I liked Rambo a lot too.
With you using a lot of martial arts in most of your films, which martial art have you found to be most demanding? And have you been practising any new ones?

I can’t say I stick to one martial art, it’s the art of screen fighting. I come from a Kick Boxing and Tae Kwon-Do background so a lot of that is in my style but like any martial artist these days you mix it up.
Do feel yourself and Tony Jaa have set a standard of not using wires in your fight scenes and put pressure on up and coming martial art stars who may need the use of wires in films?

If you think you’re a martial arts star and you do need wires then it’s time for a change of profession.
Undisputed III was pushed back, so Isaac could focus on a new film called "NINJA". Will you have any involvement with this?

As far as I know the lead character will be Japanese, so no.
Can you tell us anything about Undisputed III?

The story centres on Boyka as the good guy. The villain of Undisputed became the good guy in the second one so it makes sense that the villain of the second be the hero of the third. What I like about the series is that every character in it is basically a bad guy; it’s just a case of who’s the lesser evil. I’m not going to give anything away but we’re basically going to put Boyka in a situation where everyone else is even more messed up in the head than he is. We’re going to take it up a notch on this one and put him in a no holds barred fight tournament to the death. You can expect twice the amount of action in the third.
Finally do you have anything you want to say to your fans?

Thanks for enjoying my work and supporting what I do. I really hope that I can get the chance to show you what I can really do in a leading role and I’d like to thank you Nik, for your support and for making a great fan site, I’m trying my best to live up to the hype!!
Scott thank you for taking time to answer these questions and your fanz are behind you 100% in whatever your apart of in the future.

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Is Boyka back? Scott Adkins talks ‘Undisputed 4′

Scott Adkins, the mega-talented actor and martial artist from Undisputed III and Assassination Games, let out a few tidbits of information over Twitter: - When asked why Assassination Games was suspiciously low on action (as cityonfire.com detailed in our review), Scott said he and Jean Claude Van Damme tried to inject more fight scenes in the movie but there simply wasn’t enough time - A script for Undisputed 4 is completed; both director Isaac Florentine and Scott Adkins want to make it; but it’s difficult to find funding. Undisputed 3 was not a big hit, due in large part to people pirating the film - At this point, financial backers are more interested in funding a Ninja 2 than a Undisputed 4, despite the fact that Adkins’ Undisputed character Uri Boyka has developed a cult following among fans. “Go figure,” says Scott Updates: Boyka is back! Audiences at Fantastic Fest are currently being bowled over by the visceral fight scenes in Ninja 2: Shadow of the Tear, the latest collaboration between Scott Adkins and director Isaac Florentine. Ninja producer Frank Di Martin also took to the stage at Fantastic Fest to reveal that screenwriter David White is hard at work on the screenplay for Undisputed IV, which will likely be Scott Adkins’ next project. BREAKING NEWS: During an interview with Impact (via EP.com), Scott Adkins had this to say about Undisputed 4 while promoting Ninja 2: Shadow of the Tear: It’s great to do the festival circuit with films like this but I don’t think watching it at home will spoil your experience… the real problem is the piracy and I really would hope that people that enjoy these types of films. Let’s be honest, we don’t get that many anymore. I hope they support it by buying it on whatever platform when they get the chance because it is getting harder and harder to finance these films because they make no money. If you want Undisputed 4 then you’d better make sure you support Ninja 2 (here’s your chance to follow Adkins’ advice).

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‘Undisputed IV’ – First News

The Undisputed films are some of the best modern kick-ass action movies today, with the third in the series – featuring Scott Adkins in the lead role as Boyka (reprising his part from Undisputed 2) – was an immense meld of old-school 90s Bloodsport-style action with some ridiculously Ott fight scenes that got fight movie fans everywhere, myself included, very excited. Well prepare to get even more excited… News reaches us that a Fourth film in the series, once again starring Scott Adkins, is in the works. Where does the news come from? From Adkins himself, who has been tweeting and Facebooking up a storm recently, offering insights into the movies he’s currently working on And his future projects. He had this to say about the film on Twitter when asked …is there any chance of seeing an Undisputed 4? Maybe next year. Which, eight days later, he followed up with: For those asking Undisputed 4 is coming. » UNDISPUTED MOVIE'S 1-Undisputed heavyweight boxing champion George "Iceman" Chambers is convicted of rape and sentenced to a new prison in the desert called Sweetwater. The high-security facility is populated by hardened criminals. Unaware of the prison's ways and its unique hierarchy, the pompous and bratty Chambers tries to impress upon the inmates his status as a champion boxer. The prison camp, within its own walls, has a riveting competition on which a betting syndicate thrives. Criminals fight in boxing matches with very lax rules, thus making it a very addictive and lucrative venture for the syndicate while their conscience is kept at bay. The most popular boxer behind bars is Sweetwater's undefeated Monroe Hutchens, who ends up in solitary confinement after Chambers picks a fight with him in the mess hall. Sensing the brewing hatred for the heavyweight champion, an incarcerated mob boss named Ripstein senses potential in a match between the modest Hutchens and the egomaniacal Chambers. A match is proposed by Ripstein, a lifelong boxing fan, and the warden is persuaded to look the other way. As all the arrangements are finally organized, an eagerly awaited fight night arrives. All hell breaks loose with the haughty professional champ going all out against the unputdownable prison warrior. Chambers finally meets his match. When he is later released from prison, he regains the "undisputed" heavyweight championship of the outside world. 2-Undisputed II: Last Man Standing Visiting the Russian Federation for a series of boxing matches, George "Iceman" Chambers is subsequently framed for possession of cocaine and sent to prison. There, he discovers a series of illegal full-contact Mixed Martial Arts matches dominated by inmate Yuri Boyka. The prison officials arrange these fights and place large side-bets to make a personal profit, often at the expense of the fighters. Once inside, the warden and legal adviser for Chambers state that if he fights Yuri in the ring, he will likely get an expedited appeal and early release. He initially refuses, but after spending time in demeaning physical labor in the prison's sewer system and experiencing firsthand the brutality of the guards, he reluctantly agrees. He is rescued from both forms of humiliation by a crippled inmate, Crot (Eli Danker). Both fighters train hard for the match, though Chambers still relies on his boxing background while Boyka prepares a series of deadly kicks, throws, and grappling combinations designed to humiliate his opponent in the ring. Prior to the fight however, Boyka's friends force George's cellmate, Steven, who is acting as his cornerman, to spike his water with a light sedative during the fight. During the fight, Chambers is somewhat taken by surprise at the flurry and variety of Boyka's attacks, but manages to hold his own through the first round by keeping his distance, staying calm, and dealing out painful punching combinations whenever possible. At the end of the first round, Steven slips the drugged water into Chambers' mouth and he takes a few sips. During the second round, he starts to lose his focus and begins taking more and more punishment until Boyka knocks him out with a devastating flying kick. Following the fight, Steven kills himself out of guilt. After the fight, Chambers (having learnt of the truth from Crot) confronts Boyka, believing that he was responsible for drugging him, and the warden, for going back on the deal. Boyka coldly tells him that he does not need drugs to win, and the warden denies knowledge of the deal. Upon learning of the truth, Boyka is furious, believing himself to be the first practitioner of the "ultimate fighting form,". Chambers asks for a rematch mainly to ensure his release. He makes a bet that he can defeat Boyka to win his freedom, though the officials also offer a substantial cash incentive to make sure that Chambers trains hard. Chambers seeks help from Crot, who then reveals that he helped train Boyka in his fighting style. Crot is actually a former soldier and martial arts expert who committed murder in order to protect his family. However, he feels this guilt so acutely, as well as a feeling of alienation from his family, that he has resigned himself to permanent confinement. Even so, his desire to see justice for both Chambers and Boyka inspires him to reeducate Chambers in mixed martial arts techniques. Working together, the two practice grapples, holds, and kicks which stretch Chambers' abilities. As the training continues and Chambers improves, the two begin to form a bond and relate their individual philosophy of fighting. Chambers begins to extend his mental discipline from the ring into his private life, while Crot begins catching some of Chambers' ambition, specifically the narrow and slim hope that he might one day be released and reconcile with his family. Near the end of the training, Crot teaches Chambers a devious leg Joint lock designed to end the fight. He somberly instructs Chambers to use it to its full effectiveness if he gets the opportunity. Since Boyka enjoys brutalizing his opponents and other inmates with a passion that borderlines on sadism, and his mixture of personal pride and high tolerance for pain make it unlikely that he will submit, Crot instructs Chambers not to hesitate and to break Boyka's leg to end the fight if he gets the chance. Chambers agrees, but privately believes that he can fight Boyka to a knock-out. Once the fight begins it is apparent to all the viewers that the combatants are much more evenly matched and Chambers is much more impressive in his style. The fight is long and intense, with flurries of combinations, grapples, and throws traded between the two. Eventually, Chambers realizes that Boyka will not lose consciousness, will not submit, and will likely knock him out if the fight goes on too long. Chambers alters his strategy and manages to get Boyka in the joint lock and ends the fight by breaking Boyka's leg, proving that he is the undisputed new champion of the prison. Shortly thereafter, Chambers is released from prison and uses his winnings to buy Crot's freedom as well. In a final scene, he wheels Crot, who is now cleaned up and in possession of several gifts, to a train station to meet with his estranged niece in a happy reunion. Crot thanks Chambers for giving him the remainder of the winnings to start his life again, while Chambers expresses his gratitude for the help and training. Crot then meets with his niece and the two embrace for the first time. 3-Undisputed III: Redemption The film picks up several years after the Yuri Boyka's fight with George "The Iceman" Chambers. Boyka, humbled and resigned to his fate inside the prison system, has become the facility janitor and spends time mopping the hallways and sewage system. Due to his nearly crippling knee injury from his fight with Chambers, he has taken solace in religion and tried to ignore fighting—the one thing that he really loves—altogether. His former manager has begun to expand his previous enterprise of prison tournaments to extend the first ever inter-prison competition, gathering the best prison fighters from around the globe to compete for a chance at a cleared record and early release. As Boyka hears the preliminaries taking place within his prison, as well as failing in his parole, he begins training privately to bring his knee back into fighting shape. Just when the prison champion is declared, Boyka challenges him on the spot, which both the warden and his former manager, Gaga, agree to out of mutual respect and a belief that Boyka is attempting suicide and wants to die with dignity. When he easily defeats the current prison champion, they enter him as a longshot in the inter-prison tournament, while Boyka tries to hide his significant knee pain. Boyka is transferred to Gorgon prison in the republic of Georgia where he is joined by a diverse group of prison fighters from around the globe. The eight inmates are from Russia, USA, Colombia, Brazil, France, Greece, Croatia and North Korea. An American fighter, "Turbo," quickly identifies himself as a brash and insubordinate prisoner, to the chagrin of the prison warden and to Boyka, who is reminded of Chambers through the loud-mouthed American. Though the fighters are allowed one hour each day for training, they are still grouped into general population for "fresh air and general exercise," or hard labor, which Boyka uses to conceal his injury and train his leg by offering it to be chained to a rock. When a fight almost breaks out between Boyka and Turbo, they both notice that one fighter, Dolor, is getting preferential treatment. Later, the Warden privately gives Dolor both illegal drugs (presumably steroids and opiates) and private sparring sessions, showing that he is being groomed as the predetermined champion. During the first round of fighting, Turbo wins his first match, revealing his superb speed and use of "dirty" boxing; while he has very little grappling skill and no ability to kick, he is able to defeat his opponent using elbow blocks and strikes to break the bones in his opponent's hands. As Boyka starts his first round fight, he appears to be back in top form, and he quickly defeats his opponent with his speed and agility—making him a crowd favorite immediately. Dolor wins his fight, using a fast and brutal style. Rodrigo Silva also wins his fight, demonstrating a superb blend of kicks and punches. The losers are later escorted out of the prison under the guise of being transferred back to their home penitentiaries; however, they are summarily shot by waiting guards, revealing that losing fighters will be treated as loose ends. As hard labor continues the following day, Boyka is chained to Turbo for the duration, where Turbo successfully provokes a fight. After a quick scuffle in which Boyka finishes dominant in grappling, they are broken up and put into isolation by the guards. Still within earshot, Turbo continues to verbally jab at Boyka's confidence, having saying Boyka's sneak attack was a "Bitch Move" and by stating that Boyka shouldn't be here. However, as the isolation continues, Turbo begins to wear down mentally while Boyka wears down physically; forced to stand, Turbo is psychologically distraught when he realizes that he has to defecate while standing and that he cannot see the rats moving around at his feet, whereas Boyka, who is used to the dirt and darkness, struggles more with the pain in his knee, which he cannot elevate to relieve. The two are eventually released due to some manipulations by their managers, Gaga and Farnatti, who are old friends and rivals. When the managers find out about how their fighters are being treated, they (now thoroughly enraged) confront the warden. Rezo, the chief mastermind behind the tournament, who is also present explains to the managers that the tournament has always been fixed to ensure the "highest profit at the lowest risk." Though the managers are upset, having believed this to be a straight, sporting tournament (and thinly concealing their own concern for their respective fighters), Rezo recommends with complete honesty that they liquefy their assets and bet on Dolor to walk home rich men. The managers, realizing that their loyalties to their fighters only extend to their payout, agree to this arrangement. Slowly, Turbo and Boyka begin to trust each other during hard labor, as they are often chained together and forced into cooperate. At first they direct their anger towards fighting again in the ring, but later start to turn their attention toward beating Dolor. The two begin training alongside, each using the other for motivation. As their prowess gets noticed, they are put to more hard labor and deprived of food to ensure the "fix" for the fights. As Turbo starts to wear down, Boyka reveals his strategy for turning the situation around: use the hard labor as part of the training. With Turbo's attitude eroding, he starts showing signs that his ego evolved from a highly disciplined past as a US Marine. In addition to reciting, "Improvise, Adapt, Overcome" as part of his training, he recommends some holistic medicine for Boyka to soothe his knee. In the semi-finals, Boyka defeats the contender Andriago Silva from Brazil with style in a much more difficult match. After winning by submission, for the first time he helps his opponent up from the mat and states, "Good fight." Unfortunately, Rezo and the warden realize that Boyka and Turbo are stronger than predicted. In a preemptive strategy, they isolate Turbo and provoke him into attacking the warden so that the guards have a justification in beating him before his match with Dolor. When the prisoners are taken for the next round of hard labor, Boyka tries to convince Turbo into escaping rather than face Dolor wounded. Knowing that Turbo used to be in the military, the plan is to escape to the forest where the security is lightest and survive long enough to eventually get in touch with the black market. Turbo initially disagrees, until another prisoner reveals that the losers are executed. Caught trying to break their chain, the two fight off the guards who are armed only with clubs long enough to get a key. Freed, Turbo heads for the forest.

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INTERVIEW: SCOTT ADKINS HATES PIRACY, LOVES THE RAID, TALKS NINJA II

Ed Travis: Hey Scott, it is good to talk to you again! So do you have a full day of press interviews today? Scott Adkins: A little bit, but it is all good, man. Spreading the word! ET: Well, you know I’m on record as loving Ninja II. I think it is THE action film of 2013. So let’s dive in and talk about it! Most audiences haven’t gotten a chance to see the film yet as it hits Blu-ray in North America this week, December 31st. What do you want to say to North American fans that are about to get a chance to see this movie? SA: It’s a proper, old-school martial arts film. If you like that sort of stuff that is exactly what you are going to get. And you are going to get it from some of the best people working in the business of this particular genre. If you DON’T like martial arts films… don’t watch it. If you do, you are going to get the best one of 2013. ET: Absolutely! So you mentioned working with some of the best people in the business. Besides the awesome talents that you bring to the screen, who are some of the secret weapons, behind the camera or in front of the camera, that make this film special? SA: You can be the best action performer in the world and have the best choreography available, but if it is not shot right, then it amounts to nothing. And that is what so many people making these films don’t seem to understand. And Isaac Florentine is the best director for this type of movie that there is. And that’s an obvious reason why I’ve done so many films with him. If I’m going to do a martial arts film, I want it to work. And that is why I want to do it with Isaac Florentine. He’s a master of that! You’ve also got Ross Clarkson, the DP and camera operator on Ninja II. If there is any one person that worked harder than me on the film, it was Ross. He is constantly having to hold the camera through fight scenes with very fast performers. He has to keep up with them and film the action. And sometimes he gets a bit of a telling off if he misses something. So he gets pressure from all angles. But this was a great team! Tim Man and his team also did a great job of choreographing the fights. It all really worked out.ET: I watched it again last night with an eye out for some of that camera work and choreography and it is pretty phenomenal. I understand that Isaac Florentine collaborates with Ross Clarkson a lot. SA: He did Undisputed II, yeah. ET: One of the most stand out fights to me is the single-take dojo fight sequence towards the beginning of the film. To my eye as a fan, that looks like the most physically challenging of all the fights in the film, especially for you. Would you agree? And/or what were some of the biggest physical challenges for you in this film? SA: Well that definitely was a challenge. And to be honest I unsure that we should do a one-take fight. It has been done before by other people really well. But Isaac wanted to add a little flavor to one of the fight scenes; to add something different. I think it was the right idea. But there are better versions of a one-take fight out there, with Tony Jaa being at the top of that list. But yes, that was really difficult. It made me realize I need to work on my cardio a little bit. I think we did 6 takes and we got it on number 4. We felt the last move wasn’t perfect so we tried it again but I was getting a bit too tired. One of the hardest things on the film, though, was that I injured my back. It was pretty painful and I couldn’t kick with my right leg for a whole week and of course, that was a week that I had three fight scenes to do. It is never good when you get injured. Some you can work through, like it if is a sprained ankle or something. But when it is something integral to your core and the way you move? That was pretty difficult. ET: You are doing such physical work. It seems like you stand a pretty high chance of getting injured. I think you had really messed up your knee last time I talked to you for El Gringo. SA: I had a lot of injuries in 2011 and then had been okay, but yeah… I hurt my back. Sometimes you get injured, sometimes you don’t. I hope it’s not a sign of age, but it probably is. I’m going to continue to do it to myself, though, because I love what I do. ET: I want to talk more about your career and what you have in store but before we stray away from Ninja II: Over the years it seems like I’ve heard you and Isaac regularly expressing that you weren’t as happy with Ninja I as you wanted to be. So Ninja II was an opportunity to kick it up a notch. What are some areas you guys tried to attack with Ninja II to make sure this was a film you were both proud of? SA: I guess the first thing, which is definitely my fault, is that the lead character Casey was flat in the first film and a bit of a wet blanket. I guess I was trying to play the character that I read on the page, but it was my job to bring that character to life and I failed to do it in an interesting way. I never thought I was going to do a ninja film, period. But then we did Ninja. Then I certainly thought we would never get the chance to do a Ninja II, but apparently it sold very well! So the opportunity to do Ninja II came up and we took that as an opportunity to correct some things that we did wrong. We made it too comic book-y. There was bad CGI that didn’t need to be in there. The character was weak. The story in general was balls. [Both laugh]. So we just tried to do better! Look, the story isn’t always up to us. There is a committee of people. Especially me as an actor, I’m not in a position to say “Hey, change that, change this.” For me it is: Am I going to do it or not? I focus on the acting side of things and the action stuff. But yeah, we really wanted to make Casey a more interesting lead, which is why we kill off Namiko at the beginning, to take him to a dark place that changes him. He becomes more of an anti-hero and does things he wouldn’t have otherwise. And revenge is a typical plot device for martial arts films, and it works! ET: You are mentioning being a part of a committee in order to get projects off the ground. You’ve done a ton of films with Nu Image, which is part of Millennium Entertainment. Why do you think that team is the team that seems to be bringing us so much old school action these days? What is it about that team that allows a home for action cinema? SA: This type of movie was their bread and butter 10 years ago. They have moved now into bigger budget theatrical films, which they’ve had to do because of the piracy. But a film like Ninja or Undisputed can do very well on DVD, although not as well as it used to. But those films still do very well for them. So they still have to go the DVD action film route but they have much bigger projects that are higher up in the pecking order than us. But I’ve been with Nu Image since Special Forces in 2003 so they know me very well. ET: You were talking about this on social media last week, mentioning to fans that if they wanted to see an Undisputed IV, then they need to support Ninja II through legal means and avoid any piracy. It may seem obvious to many people, but piracy has become a huge problem and I wanted to see if you could outline the best ways that fans can legally support your work and exactly how piracy hurts what you do. SA: A big film comes out in the cinema and hopefully makes its money back, and then it earns revenue on the DVD release. Although, nothing compared to what they used to now that people are downloading films for free. But then those bigger films make more money on television runs. But these genre movies that are made to go straight to DVD are hitting the marketplace and they aren’t making any money because people are downloading them for free. And these movies don’t get a big bump on television either because the bigger films are getting priority. So these films are making just small amounts of money. And then the massive question becomes: “Are you going to finance this project?” For instance, everyone loves Undisputed III. I’m always asked “When are you going to make Undisputed IV?” Everyone loves it, but it wasn’t a financial success. So anyone who wants to invest in Undisputed IV is going to think twice, because the last one didn’t make a lot of money. I think people think it doesn’t affect films to pirate them. They think they are sticking it to the big Hollywood bosses sitting on millions. But that guy doesn’t get affected, it is the people like me, and others in this genre… the crew and their families. Piracy ensures that someone like that isn’t making as much money as they used to. And there aren’t as many of these films being made anymore, and when they are you have to make them in 2 weeks rather than 5 weeks, which isn’t what it should be. The piracy situation is disturbing and depressing. I urge people to support Ninja II through legal means. Rent it off iTunes, buy the Blu-ray, whatever you need to do. If Ninja II isn’t a success, I don’t think there will be an Undisputed IV, and that is the sad truth. ET: Thanks. That is really helpful. It might seem obvious to some but I think fans need to hear from folks like you exactly how piracy affects the industry. Because if you love stuff like Ninja II, then you have to support it in order to get more of it. SA: Another big part of the problem is, you know, Ninja II comes to North American December 31st, but I don’t think it hits Russia until March. And people don’t want to wait those months. And that is an issue that needs to be sorted out by distributors but it shows that this is not an easy topic to tackle. Certainly things have really changed drastically. ET: On that note, as a North American fan who is trying to check out all of your work via legal means, do you know anything about when we might be able to get our hands on Green Street Hooligans 3 or Metal Hurlant Chronicles? (Neither of which I’ve yet had a chance to see.) SA: It is a pain isn’t it? And I have got no idea. I know Green Street has been very popular in the UK. ET: I’ve heard lots of good things on Twitter, yeah. So you got a chance to collaborate with Kane Kosugi on Ninja II, which is exciting for all of us fans of his father Sho Kosugi. And you’ve gotten to collaborate with some incredible names such as Van Damme and all the Expendables guys. Can you talk about working with Kane and any dream collaborations you’d like to see happen in the future? SA: I’d love to work with Kane Kosugi again, actually. I’ve always been a fan of his and didn’t know him personally, but we jumped at this opportunity when it came up. He couldn’t be a more humble guy. He’s the nicest person you’ve ever met and he’s such a good-lookin’ bloke. [Both laugh]. He’s one of the best martial artists I’ve had the pleasure to work with, he’s got the body of a god, speaks perfect English, his dad is Sho Kosugi… why the hell isn’t he a bigger star? I don’t understand it so I’m hoping to contribute somehow to opening people’s eyes that this guy needs to be a bigger star. And I cannot wait to work with him again. ET: The last couple years you’ve had a ton of big stuff coming out, between smaller roles in big films like Expendables II and Zero Dark Thirty, and starring roles in stuff like Green Street and Ninja II. And you’ve got Hercules right around the corner. But besides the often-discussed Undisputed IV, are there any projects coming up that you are able to discuss? SA: Well, actually I do need to start working again. There is a Chinese film I did that was called Wolf War, although it may not have a proper English title yet. That film stars Wu Jing. It is a modern Chinese military film which is quite interesting. That will be coming next year as well. Wu Jing was in SPL and just signed on to SPL 2 as well, so that is exciting. That will have Tony Jaa in it as well. Andy On is also in that film and it is great to see him doing well because we worked together back on Black Mask II and now he’s the villain in Donnie Yen’s latest, Special ID. He seems to be doing quite well. ET: You did a lot of work on Asian films earlier in your career and I had been meaning to ask if you have further interest in that, which it seems like you do considering the film you just told us about. SA: Yeah, well I went back and worked with Wu Jing. There is a totally different culture of making movies there in China. It is a lot harder. You don’t get a lot of the luxury afforded to you that you do as an actor in the West. But that is alright. They are all about making a good movie and nothing else matters. But I do enjoy working on films with the Chinese because they are so good at what they do. ET: You may not have a lot of time to see action films on your free time but I wanted to ask if you have any recommendations for films or talent in the action world that we should be looking out for aside from the great work that you’ve been doing? SA: Well, nothing has impressed me as much as The Raid since having seen The Raid. So I can’t wait for The Raid 2. Gareth Evans is extremely talented. The martial arts and everything are great but his direction goes far beyond. I thought The Raid was tense and well-directed and you are on the edge of your seat. I still haven’t seen Special ID yet, either, so I want to see that. But beyond that I’m not too sure what else to recommend. ET: This is more of a personal question but I know last time we talked you had recently become a father and between all of the duties as a dad, an athlete, an actor, and all the promotion you need to do as well… how to you keep up your energy? Do you have any practices that keep you on track? SA: It is true that children sap your energy, but no, I’ve been lucky. Generally I spend about 6 months a year working and get about 6 months at home. On average it works out about like that. I was really busy at the beginning of the year but I’ve had a long stretch to be with my family since August. Actually, I can hear her trying to get through the door now… “Hello, I’m on the phone!” But yeah, it is great to spend time with them. So I have to make sure I get to the gym to stay in shape and then my daughter will tire me out for the rest of the day. ET: You’ve really done a great job of integrating social media like Twitter and Facebook into your career, between getting in touch with fans and sharing information with us about your films. I’m a big fan of social media as a platform builder. How integral is social media to someone like you who is trying to build up your career and your audience? SA: It is really important and amazing that social media has become what it has become in such a short amount of time. These things are crucial to my career because I can immediately put information into the palm of someone’s hand. “Here’s a clip to my new movie!” You can’t ignore it and you’d be a fool to ignore it. I use it to try and expand my fanbase and let more people know about what I do so I can do more of it. ET: So North America is getting a chance to see Legend Of Hercules on January 10th. What should fans expect from you and your role in Hercules and what brought you onboard that project? SA: My relationship with Millennium Films brought me to the film. It was a different part for me and I had never made a film like that before. So it was cool to make an ancient Greek epic. So I auditioned for it, talked to Renny Harlin about it, he agreed, and it was a great experience. I went back to Bulgaria, my home away from home. And I haven’t gotten to see the finished film yet. Hope it is good and I hope people respond to it. ET: I’m looking forward to it. Can you talk about what your experience was like working with Renny Harlin? SA: Brilliant! Obviously he really knows what he is doing. I’m a big fan of lots of the films he has done. He’s also a really nice guy. On set, but also socially. He had great dinners for the cast on a weekly basis. So I have great memories from that set and he is a lovely guy. ET: So just to start wrapping us up, obviously this has a lot to do with what kind of business Ninja II does, but has there been any talk of the further adventures of Casey Bowman in Ninja III? SA: If it is a success I could certainly see that happening. And now that we’ve done a second it would be nice to see a trilogy. And I much prefer the character now that we’ve done the second film. But it is all going to come down to financing, as you say. I hope people get behind Ninja II. Movies like this aren’t around as much any more and if we make some money, we’ll want to make some more. ET: I do believe the critical response has been very strong. I obviously love the film but reading around the work of my peers in the critical community, the film seems to be topping a lot of lists as the best action film of 2013. I hope the critical response excites fans and promotes the success of the movie. It is already a huge hit with us critics. Well enjoy the rest of your down time and I’ll look forward to hearing about whatever projects you line up for the new year. SA: Thanks Ed, always a pleasure to talk to you and hopefully it won’t be long before we connect again. And I’m Out.

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The Legend Of Hercules

IN THE EPIC ORIGIN STORY THE LEGEND OF HERCULES, KELLAN LUTZ STARS AS THE MYTHICAL GREEK HERO – THE SON OF ZEUS, A HALF-GOD, HALF-MAN BLESSED WITH EXTRAORDINARY STRENGTH. BETRAYED BY HIS STEPFATHER, THE KING, AND EXILED AND SOLD INTO SLAVERY BECAUSE OF A FORBIDDEN LOVE, HERCULES MUST USE HIS FORMIDABLE POWERS TO FIGHT HIS WAY BACK TO HIS RIGHTFUL KINGDOM. THROUGH HARROWING BATTLES AND GLADIATOR-ARENA DEATH MATCHES, HERCULES EMBARKS ON A LEGENDARY ODYSSEY TO OVERTHROW THE KING AND RESTORE PEACE TO THE LAND.THIS MOVIE IS 3D

Release Date January 10, 2014 Genre Action Studio Summit Entertainment, A Lionsgate Company Starring Kellan Lutz, Scott Adkins, Liam McIntyre, Liam Garrigan, Jonathan Schaech, Roxanne McKee, Gaia Weiss, Rade Serbedzija Directed By Renny Harlin Written By Sean Hood, Daniel Giat Produced By Danny Lerner, Les Weldon, Boaz Davidson, Renny Harlin

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Ninja Shadow Of Tear Out Now

Ninja: Shadow of a Tear (also known as Ninja II) is an American martial arts / action thriller film directed by Isaac Florentine and starring Scott Adkins, Kane Kosugi, Mika Hijii and Shun Sugata. It is the sequel to the 2009 film Ninja. The film was shot in Bangkok, Thailand,[1] and it made its premiere at the 2013 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas.[2] It was released for download through iTunes on December 17, 2013[3] and for Blu-ray Disc and DVD on December 31.[4]American martial artist Casey Bowman has settled down at the Kōga ninja dojo and married Namiko Takeda, who is pregnant with their first child. One day, while shopping for a pendant in town, he encounters and fends off against two knife-wielding muggers. Later that night, Casey goes grocery shopping, but when he forgets that the muggers took his wallet, he rushes home only to find Namiko slain, with markings of a barbed wire weapon around her neck. On the day of the funeral, the dojo is visited by a former student named Nakabara, who offers Casey to train at his dojo in Thailand to ease his pain, but Casey declines the offer. Remembering the fighting style of the muggers he encountered, Casey heads to the Azuma dojo to know their whereabouts before ambushing and killing them in a dark alley. Days later, Casey takes Nakabara's advice and travels to Bangkok. While sparring with Lucas, one of Nakabara's students, Casey suddenly loses his temper and assaults him with a bokken. Nakabara reminds him to control his emotions by having him undergo the fire walk practice, but Casey stops halfway through the walk due to memories of Namiko lingering in his mind. He goes on a drinking binge at a nearby bar and gets into a fight with several drunk guests. The next morning, Lucas is killed by the same barbed wire weapon used on Namiko. Nakabara reveals to Casey that his father and Sensei Takeda, along with a man from Nagoya named Isamu, were the top students of the Kōga dojo. When their sensei died, Isamu challenged Takeda for control of the dojo; Takeda killed Isamu in the fight and continued as sōke. Isamu's younger brother Goro witnessed the fight and swore to avenge his death, even if it took three generations. Years later, Goro became head of one of the largest drug cartels in Myanmar. Nakabara urges Casey to return to the U.S., as being Takeda's son-in-law has made him a target of Goro. Casey instead asks Nakabara to help him find Goro. Nakabara gives him an old map of Burma from his father's days in World War II, with markings that indicate locations of ninja weapons. Casey heads to Myanmar, where he befriends a cab driver named Mike. Later that night, he enters a bar and fights a group of drug dealers. He returns to his hotel room to rest, only to find himself arrested by the SPDC, who accuse him of being an American spy and torture him. He escapes from his cell and extracts information on Goro's whereabouts from SPDC General Sung before Mike drives him to the jungle. There, Casey finds the cemetery of Japanese soldiers and arms himself with a boxful of ninja weapons from under a tombstone marked with the Nakabara clan symbol. He sneaks into Goro's hideout, setting the complex on fire before facing Goro's right-hand man Myat. The fight ends with Casey stabbing Myat in the heart and breaking his neck. He then squares off against Goro before slashing him in the midsection. In the middle of the fight, Goro wraps his barbed wire manriki around Casey's neck, but Casey uses his strength to free himself and throw Goro to the ground before decapitating him. Casey returns to Nakabara's dojo, only to discover that Nakabara was the one who murdered Namiko and Lucas. Nakabara is revealed to be a drug lord himself, and he used Casey to wipe out Goro's cartel to monopolize the Southeast Asian drug trade. He then gives Casey the choice to either join him or die. Both men engage in an intense fight until Casey kicks Nakabara through a thin wall, revealing a room full of ancient artifacts. They continue the fight in the room with weapons, with Casey slashing Nakabara in the midsection and Nakabara impaling Casey's left shoulder with his katana. Nakabara lunges toward Casey, but Casey grabs a manriki and wraps it around Nakabara's neck for the kill. Later, Casey reveals Nakabara's true motives to Toji, one of the dojo's students. Knowing that such actions would ruin the dojo's reputation, Toji states the incident never happened and bids Casey farewell. Casey returns to Japan and drops Namiko's pendant in a pond, bringing closure to his loss. Cast[edit] Scott Adkins as Casey Bowman Kane Kosugi as Nakabara Mika Hijii as Namiko Takeda Shun Sugata as Goro Vithaya Pansringarm as General Sung Mukesh Bhatt as Mike Jawed El Berni as Lucas Futoshi Hashimoto as Toji Tim Man as Myat Takato as Hiroshi Production[edit] On November 2012, Nu Image and Millennium Films announced that Ninja 2 is in production, with Isaac Florentine returning to the director's chair. Scott Adkins and Mika Hijii have been confirmed to reprise their roles from the first film. Kane Kosugi confirmed on his website that he will play the new antagonist in the sequel. Fight choreographer Akihiro "Yuji" Noguchi is replaced by Chinese-Swedish martial artist Tim Man (Kill Bill).[1] Filming completed in Bangkok, Thailand, on February 2013 and the film is currently undergoing post-production before a slated release later this year.[5] On July 2013, Adkins revealed on his Facebook page that the film has officially been titled Ninja: Shadow of a Tear.[6] Reception[edit] Fred Topel of CraveOnline gave the film a rating of 7.5 out of 10, citing that it is "loaded with fights: really awesome work whether Casey is sparring, picking fights in a rage or actually going up against bad guys. Hollywood movies don’t give you this much value."[7]

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