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Accident Man

I have been surreptitiously following Scott Adkins career for a few years with films such as Ninja, Shadow of a Tear; Close Range, Savage Dog and Boyka; watching him slowly make his ascent into blockbuster movies like Dr Strange.

Accident Man is a same, same but different kind of film for Scott which although, like many of his movies, follows the tried and tested storyline of revenge for a loved one; is filmed in London with a selection of accomplished and not too well known American, Irish and Scottish actors parading as cockney Brits. I wouldn't go so far as to say it is a love child of Quentin Tarrantino and Guy Richie, but there are elements of the two as well as a good dose of John Wick storyline and action.

It's not a bad movie, the action is good and the storyline keeps you entertained. Jesse V. Johnson shows some potential in the direction; the acting is okay with good efforts from Ray Stevenson, Ashley Greene and David Paymer; an okay script and a raw edge with a respectable musical score. However, the film lacks depth and intrigue. Fight choreography is decent and the dry humour keeps the movie from taking itself too seriously. I would say that this is definitely a step in the right direction for Scott; I could and would like to see him in Bondesque roles. I feel he is still to have his major breakthrough part but all in all I would give this a score of 6/10.

Modern punch 'em up movies often have terrible fight scenes, but this film's fight choreographer (apparently Tim Man) has clearly watched a bunch of classic Hong Kong fights. The punches look as hard and heavy as early Sammo Hung, the in-camera editing is as crisp as Yuen Woo-Ping's, and the overall stunt work is up there with Jackie Chan. This is high praise indeed, but as it turns out Tim Man has experience on Ong-Bak and the Mad Max reboot. There's no shaky-cam, the space for each fight is coherent and readable, overall it's a feast for action buffs. The plot was as good as one of those classic HK movies too: Revenge? Revenge! Kick punch.

Solid B movie. Which is better than many A rated movies. A black comedy action movie. There is lot of heart in the movie, you can see every dollar is well spent.

Not big budget but few good action scenes. Adkins has great screen presence, reminds of JCVD. Both Scott and Micheal Jai white deserve so much more, they are fantastic Martial Artiest and good actors. For a small budget movie, it is quite good.

Give this a shot without much of a expectation and you will not be disappointed.

Pretty good. Good, brutal fighting scenes and surprisingly decent, funny script. Nothing deep or great of course, but real fun if you like Adkins films or films like Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels or John Wick.

Back in the early 1990s a bunch of UK comic creators decided to have a go at doing their own comic so they could control the content and keep the profits. The comic was called Toxic and it was a good idea handled badly. One of the undisputed highlights was Accident Man, created by writers Pat Mills and Tony Skinner in tandem (visually brought to life by Martin Edmund and later Duke Mighten), and it introduced us to Mike Fallon, an assassin whose hits were made to look like accidents, hence the name. Full of violence and black humour, it was a cracking read while it lasted and it was obvious to all it would make a great film. Thing is, no one made it...

Enter Scott Adkins. Adkins is a veteran Uk actor and action movie star. Not just a pretty face and a lethal right foot, he is a professional actor who is also a very good martial artist. Coinicidentally, he has been wanting to make an Accident Man movie since reading it as a kid. Not known for his screenwriting, this is his first attempt (with another newbie writer Stu Small), after putting up his own money to secure the rights. Basically, it's a total passion project for Adkins, and passion is very important when making a movie, right?

First up, I have to say that I loved Accident Man through and through. The plot is taken from the comic itself, although embellished for filmic purposes, as are several characters. For those who get annoyed with film adaptations messing with the source material this is a godsend - this would even bring a smile to Alan Moore's face (okay, that might be stretching it). Adkins himself is pretty spot on as Fallon, and would have been inspired casting even if he weren't otherwise involved. Elsewhere he ropes in stunt and fighting mates like Michael jai White, Ray Park and the impreesive Amy Johnston to bring some of Fallon's fellow hit persons to life. Also in the mix is Ray Stevenson as the owner of the assassins bar where they all congregate and get their jobs. (There's more to the character than this but I don't want to spoil anything). Throw in some recognisable, reliable British character actors and you have a surprisingly solid cast.

As far as action goes, it's all done brilliantly. All the players are experts at on screen (and off) butt kicking, so the level of expertise rivals some of Jackie Chan's movies. The direction eschews the usual Hollywood fast cutting for lengthier shots showcasing the moves involved and it makes quite a difference to the feel of the film. A nice touch is Fallon's voiceover that permeates the film, bringing some very nice humour to the proceedings and mirroring the narration in the comic exactly. The whole thing is very British, very violent and very amusing and very not safe for work.

If you enjoed Adkins in the Undisputed movies this is a must.



If you've not read the comic, it's well worth checking out. If you liked Deadpool you will love this as a more grass roots version (Adkins and Reynolds are quite similar looking, too). If you like guff like Rise Of The Foot Soldier and the like you'll love this for the cockney smack ups and superior plot/dialogue. If you just lik action movies with decent fights you'll love this. Most of all, if you ARE a fan of the comic you have no excuse, as this is one of the best comic to screen adaptaions yet. Set up nicely for a sequel, Accident Man doesn't slip up even once.