June 1, 2010

Fight movies are as much of an American pastime as fighting games that attract thousands of gamers that play these titles based upon going toe to toe with computer driven and human controlled characters. Some of the greatest films in the fighting genre include Bloodsport, The Karate Kid and Enter the Dragon. The newest movie in this knockout feast of a genre is Undisputed III: Redemption, the title that I am reviewing today.

This is the third film in a series that started out with Wesley Snipes. The franchise has since transitioned to feature a new star fighter in each new telling. In Undisputed: Last Man Standing viewers were given their first glimpse of Russian fighter Uri Boyka. At the end of that film his knee was badly injured leaving him a hobbled version of his former self. In this third installment we once again focus on Boyka as he fights his way back up to his former glory.

The story of Undisputed III picks up some years later with Boyka scrubbing toilets in the Russian prison that he is incarcerated in. After an encounter with his former backer Gaga, Boyka wishes to return to the ring despite his old partner’s objections. After (spoiler alert) winning the first fight he and seven other fighters are entered into a secret, survival-of-the-fiercest battle completion by an underground gambling syndicate. The prize for being the last man standing: his freedom and a big fat payday for the fight organizers. Unbeknownst to the fighters, the guys operating this underground fight club have no intentions to let anyone go free.

The elite fighters in the film hark from all over the world, each serving time for murder or some other serious crime. Their histories are never really explained but serve no real consequence to the story save the brief interaction between Turbo and Boyka. These two fighters constantly go after each other throughout the film but eventually join forces to undermine the syndicate. Boyka must stop at nothing to win his unlikely freedom and stop the syndicate’s plan and ultimately redeem himself.

Filmmaking: 8
In a fight film the story is only one part of the tale, which for the most part is not bad at all. But the part that really matters most is the fight itself. The fight scenes in Undisputed III: Redemption is brilliantly choreographed to the point that you feel the pain that the fighters experience with every jab, punch, and spin kick. The camera work was also pretty sweet complete with quick camera shifts from one person or location to another.

Visuals: 9
Undisputed III: Redemption looks really good presented in 1080p High Definition. Every sweaty bone-crunching punch and blood spewing mouth guard scene is beautifully displayed in its widescreen 1.78:1 VC-1 format. Like the demos that stores showed back when Blu-Ray was the next big, there are a few scenes in Undisputed III that show that kind of crystal clear detail, but one stands out more than the others which I particularly liked. In one scene Boyka has water thrown in his face and the sharpness of the water in his beard and on his face is really clear.

Sound: 9
Undisputed III: Redemption features some pretty good fight music as well as background melodies that are definitely supposed to give the view some feel of the world that these fighters live in. The music is your standard hip-hop/rap fair that I’ve seen in most modern fight films and fits well which the environment and moods. Presented in DTS-HD Master Audio English 5.1 you hear every bone crunching slam and every jaw-shattering hit with great clarity.

Value: 4
Undisputed III: Redemption offers nothing in the way of special features in this Blu-Ray. There is no audio commentary, no behind the scenes footage anything. But what it lacks in features it gains in marketing. Accompanying the Blu-ray is a combo disc featuring a standard DVD presentation of the film as well as a digital copy of the film for those on the go. The combo pack of Undisputed III: Redemption retails for around $30 dollars at most retailers.

Overall: 8.5
Undisputed III: Redemption is one of those films that is a blast to watch. We all like the underdog stories, real or not, because they are entertaining and make good films. This film is a no holds barred knockout feast complete with great acting by Scott Adkins and the rest of the cast that actually speaks more than a few lines. The fights are enjoyable and painful to watch and the music is good. If you like fighting movies then Undisputed III: Redemption on Blu-Ray is definitely worth a purchase.