## Scott Adkins Delivers Classic action in “Prisoner of War”
“Prisoner of โWar,” the latest film starring Scottโฃ Adkins, โขharkens back to the era of hard-hitting, physically-driven actionโข films reminiscent โof what Bruce Lee and โคMr.Miyagi โpioneered. directed by Isaac โflorentine, the movie blendsโข intense fight choreography with a compelling World Warโ II setting.
The film quickly establishes its action-packed premise. Sergeant Johnโ wright (Adkins) crashes in โtheโค Bataan Peninsula of theโ Philippines during โthe war and swiftly defeats โseveral Japanese soldiers before being captured.โค
At the prisoner of โwar camp โin Bataan, Wright faces a formidable โฃadversary in Ito (Peter Shinkoda), whoโฃ orders hisโ execution. Wright’s strength โallows him to overcome Ito’s โฃmen, prompting โIto to challenge him to a deathmatch as โคa demonstration โขof Japanese dominance.โ Wright emerges victorious in this โคbrutal contest as well.
The script, penned by Mark Clebanoff based on a story by Adkins, elevates the typical martial arts movieโ plot with a layer of ancient and political subtext. Ito’s desire to defeat Wright stems not only from national pride but also from personal ego. He โขbelieves,with no rescue imminent,he โhas the time to break Wright’s โspirit before ultimately executing him.
The stakes escalate further when its revealedโค Wright is fluent in โNavajo, a language famously utilizedโ as a secure code byโ the โU.S. military during the war. Ito โthen shifts hisโ focus to forcing Wright โฃto translateโ Navajo, addingโ another layer ofโค motivation for Wright to endure relentless punishment.
Adkinsโฃ is aโ veteran of โaction โฃcinema, having โฃappeared inโ films like *Expendables 2*, *John Wick:โฃ Chapter 4*, and *The Killer’s Game*. He previously starred in direct-to-video and video-on-demand releases including *Ninja* โ(2009) and *Undisputed โIII* (2010),โ which โคrecast the villain from *Undisputed II* as the protagonist.
The review highlights Adkins’ fighting styleโฃ as “aโข thing of grace and intensity,” showcasingโ his skill whether facing oneโค opponent, multiple attackers, or a large group of soldiers. โค
Florentine’s direction focuses on theโข details of the camp and surrounding jungle, creating a believable period settingโ without needingโฃ to depict the broader scope of the war.
Wrightโค isn’t alone in his struggle, finding allies in fellow American prisoners sgt.โค Villanueva (Michael Copon) and Captain Collins (Cowboy Cerrone),as well as Theresa (Gabbiโข Garcia),a nurse at the camp infirmary. These alliances lead to thrilling escape attempts alongside Wright’sโ individual battles, makingโค “Prisonerโค ofโ War” more than just a showcase of fighting prowess. The film delivers aโฃ “full-bodied throwback to โphysical action moviesโข where the heroes really getโค their hands dirty.”
“Prisoner of War” was released in theatersโค and video-on-demand onโค September 19.
*Fred Topel, a film critic as โ1999 and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles.He is a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001โค and attended โขfilm school at Ithaca College.*