Forget Mortal Kombat, the hot-ticket martial arts tournament you need to know about has been unleashed, with reviews and reactions hailing the unknown action movie as one of the best in years. The story of a struggling fighter entering a deadly game and putting his skills to the ultimate test is a tried-and-true staple of the martial arts action genre, thanks to the likes of Enter the Dragon, Bloodsport, and many more, with this latest effort not just being one of the best examples, but also one of the best recent action movies, period.
Titled Gladiator Underground, which should tell you all you need to know, the indie action outing groups together all manner of elite stunt performers and skilled martial artists and throws them against each other in this tale of two brothers who find themselves fighting for their lives in the world’s deadliest underground fighting tournament, where they must decide whether to play by the rules or to cast their honor aside and team up to bring down the dark syndicate running the tournament.
Gladiator Underground is now available via digital streaming and is headed to the free streaming channel The Roku Channel on December 18. The reactions and responses that have emerged heap praise on what promises to be an unrelenting action extravaganza, as well as an exhibition of everything that truly makes an action movie stand out. As X/Twitter user and action fan @DerekBrocks put it…
“Gladiator Underground – one of the best martial arts movies I’ve seen not just this year, but in quite some time. The intricacy of the choreography, the energy of the camerawork by Joseph Le, Martial Club and the Thai stunt team is impeccable. Well-told, fast-paced badass film.”
‘Gladiator Underground’ Is “A Fast, Ferocious & Compelling Martial Arts Spectacle”
The praise continues courtesy of Aaron Neuwirth of We Live Entertainment, who said, “In a world where stunts and effects are rarely given the credit they deserve, this is the sort of movie that shows what great work is being done on a smaller scale and by filmmakers that really understand how to choreograph proper martial arts sequences.” While MAAC’s Darren Murray admits Gladiator Underground “won’t win any awards for its acting,” it should win all the awards for its “bone shattering, gravity defying” fight scenes.
Finally, Gazettely’s Zhi Ho applauded not just the action on display, but also the drama, declaring Gladiator Underground “a fast, ferocious, and compelling martial arts spectacle” that genre fans should “prioritize.”
Gladiator Underground succeeds by perfectly blending classic fighting tournament tropes with high-octane modern choreography. The film’s energy is infectious, driven by the exceptional Martial Club leads and the inventive tournament mechanics like the Steel Wheel. The dramatic heart, involving the conflicted Yen brothers, gives the extensive brutality necessary emotional context. While the budget shows occasionally and the antagonists could be more imposing, this is a fast, ferocious, and compelling martial arts spectacle. Genre fans should prioritize this one.
Directed by Chaya Supannarat and led by a trio of action stars in D.Y. Sao (Everything Everywhere All at Once), Andy Le (The Paper Tiger), and Brian Le (American Born Chinese), Gladiator Underground also stars Apasiri Kulthanan (Fistful of Vengeance), Selina Wiesmann (Full Moon), Geoffrey Giuliano (Squid Game), Bear Williams (Alien: Earth), Elliott Allison (The Creator), Ron Smoorenburg (Meg 2: The Trench), Sahajak Boonthanakit (Only God Forgives), and Byron Bishop (Kate). You can check the official synopsis for Gladiator Underground below…
“Witness the birth of the next generation of combat! From the stunt team behind “Everything Everywhere All at Once” — GLADIATOR UNDERGROUND tells the story of Max and Wu, two estranged brothers, who are competing in the world’s most dangerous underground fighting tournament, where powerful crimelords can gamble and influence who they fight and what weapons will be used. In this high-stakes bloodsport where one wrong move can mean certain death, they must decide whether to play by the rules or to cast their honor aside and team up against the dark syndicate running the tournament and bring the entire system down.”
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
