Every so often we get a film into the office that really surprises us. Underground is certainly one of them. A UK low budget martial arts flick that really pushes the definition of what you can expect from a limited budget.
12 fighters compete in a series of bare-knuckle brawls for a £500,000 cash prize. Backed by 6 dubious characters, the film dispenses with the formalities and cuts right to the heart of the story, the fights!
The writing’s tight, the acting is more than adequate and the hand-to-hand fights are easily the best we’ve seen since The Bourne Supremacy. In fact, we guarantee you you’ll be wincing with every punch and smiling with the sheer inventiveness of each fight.
Not being familiar with the fight scene in general, the names of the actors meant nothing to me. Mark Strange, Nathan Lewis etc, I didn’t have a clue who they were (sorry chaps!). But that actually added to the enjoyment of guessing which characters were going to make it to the final. You’ll have loads of fun playing along with the crowd, wondering who is going to get knocked out.
A few well known faces turn up round the board room table, Cat from Red Dwarf, that guy from the second series of Minder and even Dr Legg from Eastenders! If there is a failing in the film, it’s these sections; they feel slightly stilted yet still manage to link the ever-engaging fights together quite well. You get the feeling the director, Chee Keong Cheung, knows this and wisely keeps the wordy talking bits to a minimum. But fear not, we’re never too far away from another round of fisty cuffs!
In tone and content it’s not a million miles away from the great French film 13 Tzameti, which is certainly no bad thing as far as we’re concerned.
Special mention must go to Mark Strange for bringing an unexpected emotional depth to his part as The Homeless. A down on his luck father, who takes part in the contest to provide a better life for his daughter. The emotion he brings to the role cements the film with an air of reality, that would otherwise be lacking. Surely a name to watch out for in the future.
So to some up, Underground does exactly what it says on the tin! A great looking film that’s perfect for those with an interest in the sport, or those who just like a good old fashioned and inventive fight film. Looking for brutal and bloody film for a boy’s night in? You could do a lot worse that checking this out.