Underground

I decided to watch this movie thinking it was going to be an action movie with a similar plot to most other fighting type movies where you follow the story of one man as he struggles to reach the top. That was not at all what this was. The director decided to make this basically a movie version of a reality TV show, by having these black and white cameras at times, and these cheesy background stories to the characters that you are given sometimes. Then there is the sequence when a fighter loses, similar to getting voted off in Survivor, except instead he goes home with a broken arm or something. While that may have been an interesting idea to have a reality fighting show, it certainly didn't pan out well in this movie. The fights seemed pretty realistic, where it only took a few hits to get knocked out, but the characters were just too cheesy.

So for anyone interested in no flairs fights with blood, and a cheesy storyline about people living with each other before fighting each other for 500k pounds, then you can watch this, but anyone interested in an exciting and action packed story-driven movie, go somewhere else.

To everyone else who's posted about this film, imagine it was named street fighter and released in the 90's.

If they'd used this formula with the film street fighter in the 90's instead of the whole UN army vs terrorists thing it would have suited it down to the ground.

If you like martial arts go watch it, if you feel you need x amounts of twists and turns in a movie to enjoy it then don't.

The plots simple, explain the structure of the tournament. 5 minutes on each fighter's background and motivation. 2 minutes deciding who's up for the next fight, then on with the fight.

A film that sounds like a rehash of Kickboxer or Dead or alive and it is but with more of the hash. That is the messy kind of hash rather than the weed kind of hash.

The film places 12 fighters against each other in a series of elimination bouts which take place in various 'street' arenas, with the aim of finding the ultimate winner. Much like a computer game, say, Tekken. The film feels like a computer game too and having as much depth as a paddling pool this point is further endorsed. The character development also follows suit.

We are thrown straight into the first fight within minutes of the film starting and with very little background on each fighter given at this point. This leads too the viewer not really caring for the fighters. Win or lose. This feeling is further struck home by the fact that the fighters in the film don't speak, only the suits running the show do. Furthermore the fighters are only known as the pigeonhole of the life they lead e.g The Homeless, The teacher, The Model etc.

The fights scenes are quite convincing and shot well with very little confusion and good fluidity. This is where the film gets 3 of the stars I have given it. The rest of the filmed is...awful.

Wow, this film doesn't just "break" the British film industry mould - it shatters it!

I've read comments on here which drone on about the script, acting and direction all being bad, but those comments were clearly remarked by morons. The screen-play is totally apt for the film's concept, the actors all perform their own fights and stunts and frankly, are each a spectacle to behold, and the direction - from angles, edits, to fight choreography - is excellent.

I had a slight problem with the "shaky cam" used in a certain (brief) hospital scene, but considering how most modern high profile TV programmes nowadays look like they've been shot on a boat at high sea in the middle of a tsunami, it's most forgivable.

The film follows a simple premise: twelve fighters, one winner - now just watch them go at it!

From the above sentence you can now decide if you'd like to see this film or not... it's all a matter of personal taste.

Personally, I take each film as its own and rate them by the entertainment value it gave me whilst watching - it is for this reason that I've given Underground an 8.

My only glitch with this flick was that I found the contest organiser to be really annoying (with his constant cheesy grinning) and was hoping from the first two minutes in for one (or more) or the fighters to give him a well deserved slap. Then again, perhaps this was the intentional portrayal of an immoral villain one would just WANT to see meet a gruesome end...

The inclusion of sharp weapons was a bit much, but overall, an indie pic' well worth checking out.

Even better than Geochilmaru.

I watched this movie last night by accident as the title is the same of the movie I wanted to watch. Not being afraid of trying it out I watched it none the less.

Overall the movie is pretty bad all tho it does try, characters are shallow and bland yet the acting isn't _that_ bad. The names of the competitors are so cheesy it gets annoying at times, and the little flashbacks/stills hardly deepen them out. The more the movie tries the more B it gets, yet it has some overall good cinematic's.

Did I enjoy it? not really. Did I hate it? not really. A predictive nobrainer with semi good acting and bland and predictive characters.