Prisoner of War
review by Bobby Blakey
Martial arts action star Scott Adkins has racked up an impressive resume and shows no signs of slowing down. Adkins and Louis Mandylor teamed up in 2018 for The Debt Collector and its sequel Debt Collectors and look to be back add it for the upcoming Skyline: Warpath. Now the two are reteaming once again with Mandylor in the director’s seat and Adkins starring in their latest film Prisoner of War, co-starring Peter Shinkoda and Michael Copon. Could this film bring the usual kick ass action fans are used to or will it fail to make the escape?
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Prisoner of War follows British SAS officer James Wright, who is captured by the Japanese and held in a Philippine POW camp. Before the entire colony embarks upon the Bataan Death March, Wright and his fellow prisoners are forced to compete in brutal death matches for the entertainment of their captors. Adkins puts in a career best performance as the man who may be able to save them all.
As a hardcore fan of all things Adkins, I am sure I am biased to his films, but even ones that might be lower on the quality scale are always elevated by his masterful execution of action. This latest film harkens back to an old school vibe that could have been one that exploded right out of the 80s or 90s and I am here for it. It had me reminiscing of Missing in Action with Chuck Norris for a new generation. Make no mistake, this isn’t that movie, but I mean it as a compliment in every way.
The story is simple as it gets into the thick of the prison war camp, but there is a bigger story that is book ended to it. Obviously, there is a focus on the action, which is top notch as usual, but a deeper story of honor throughout. To no surprise
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Adkins kicks all kinds of ass from beginning to end like only he can. They have a great assortment of action that blends well into the core story even though there are a lot of coincidences to get them there.
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There is an element of Hogan’s Heroes here minus the comedy of how they are coming and going which is kind of silly at times but still works to push the narrative along. Let’s be honest this film is all about Adkins kicking ass and he does plenty of it. The film wrapped around him works just fine to entertain and showcase his skills both acting and fighting perfectly and yet another good addition to his filmography.
Decide for yourself and check out Prisoner of War available now on digital and then on Blu-ray and DVD on November 11th from Well Go USA.
