ART OF SUBMISSION is a dull drama detailing mixed martial arts fighting in an urban setting. The main character is played by Ernie Reyes Jr. as a tough fighter desperate to make a name for himself but who finds his life spiralling out of control after making some difficult choices. Finding himself in prison, he befriends the warden who has him released so that he can take part in some televised fighting contests.
There's little more plot to it than that, and indeed the narrative exists merely to feature a string of fighting scenes. An early multi-participant brawl in a garage is the highlight here, although there's a whole bunch of MMA fights at the climax. Unfortunately, the fights are very poorly filmed in an ugly style, all quick editing and cross cutting, so that it's very difficult to tell whether any of the participants are truly skilled or not.
This film wants to be NEVER BACK DOWN but doesn't come close. A bunch of seasoned performers make appearances, including a typically weary Ving Rhames who seems to appear in any old thing. '90s B-movie favourite Matthias Hues appears in support but doesn't really get to do much while George Takei makes no impact as the clichéd master villain. Maria Conchita Alonso, of THE RUNNING MAN fame, plays the hero's mother.
