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Undisputed II - Last Man Standing by Isaac Florentine
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DVD Cover InformationActor: Ben Cross, Eli Danker, Mark Ivanir, Michael Jai White, Scott Adkins Director: Isaac Florentine Brand: Warner Brothers Producer: Alexander Peytchev Producer: Avi Lerner Producer: Boaz Davidson Producer: David Varod Producer: John Thompson Writer: David N. White Writer: James Townsend DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled) Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen Picture Format: 1.85:1 Running Time: 93 minutes DVD Release Date: 2007-01-16 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Studio: New Line Home Video
Movie Reviews of Undisputed II - Last Man StandingMovie Review: penitentiary pugilism at its most professional Summary: 4 StarsWow! I liked this way more than the original, and I liked the original. I've waited a long time for a prison fight movie with action that's this frequent and this good. The producers could have changed a couple more things and not had to slap this with a franchise tag but, after watching it, who cares? The fight choreography is some of the best I've ever seen from a U.S. production. Yeah, the story is silly and implausible, but this is a "B" movie, and fans of this type of thing will have much to relish.
There are some reasons it's a sequel: The character of George "Iceman" Chambers, and the story about organized fights in prison, including gambling and mafia-involvement.
The differences: Ving Rhames has become Michael Jai White; the antagonist has become the protagonist; the U.S.A. has become Russia; rape has become narcotics possession; and Western Boxing has become Mixed Martial Arts.
Our story begins with ex-heavyweight boxing champ Chambers, in Russia with his agent, trying to make some money doing commercials. He returns to his hotel to find some thugs going through his stuff. He attacks them, but is hit from behind and rendered unconscious. When he awakens, the cops are going through his possessions to look for any clues, and find a hollowed-out bible full of contraband. He is then taken to a prison where the current champ, Uri Boyka (Scott Adkins, "The Bourne Ultimatum") would like a shot at him. Chambers refuses to fight until the Russian mob pays him a visit to inform him that his lack of participation will only result in a longer, more unpleasant stay.
Michael Jai White ("Exit Wounds", "Spawn") finally gets a good lead role to show off his excellent fighting abilities and acting chops. He is one tough, profane Bad A--. However there's a problem: Scott Adkins steals the show. Other than this, I've only seen Adkins briefly in Jet Li's "Unleashed", but he is fantastic. Director Isaac Florentine has used him in every movie he has done since this. It's only a matter of time before other directors want to do the same.
My only gripe about the disc is that it is not widescreened. I gripe about that a lot. Though the entire film takes place in Russia, English is the only language spoken, but the DVD has optional Spanish subtitles. This New Line release features a "behind the scenes" extra, and audio commentary by the director and the two leads. If you like "B" movies with great fights, this has to be seen. I will be tracking the other collaborations between Florentine and Adkins. The only one that is currently available is "The Shepherd: Border Patrol", starring Jean Claude Van Damme. Though we can look forward to the upcoming "Ninja", and the rumored "Undisputed 3". RECOMMENDED.
2006
Summary of Undisputed II - Last Man StandingSequel to the 2002 film. This time, Heavyweight Champ George "Iceman" Chambers (White) is sent to a Russian jail on trumped-up drug charges. In order to win his freedom he must fight against the jailhouse fighting champ Uri Boyka (Adkins) in a battle to the death. This time he is not fighting for a title, he is fighting for his life! Michael Jai White replaces Ving Rhames in Undisputed II: Last Man Standing, a sequel to the 2002 Undisputed, in which a heavyweight champion boxer is sent to prison as a ruse to get him to fight a champion pugilist on the slammer circuit. White is serviceable as "Iceman" Chambers, this time arrested in Russia (framed for drug possession) and sent to hard time in a horrible prison. There Iceman resists efforts to convince him to fight a champion kickboxer (Scott Adkins), but the system is determined to break him or get him to cooperate with the plan. This brutal adventure is pretty much by-the-numbers as follow-up features go, but it is generally exciting, and martial arts buffs will certainly enjoy the taut action sequences. --Tom Keogh
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