Pit Fighter (2005)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

A lot of fun.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

There is so much to this movie it's difficult to know where to begin. Being a martial arts freak, I had been following this film through its production stages and I was not disappointed with the end result.The story is a tale of one mans redemption through violence. It is here where the fun begins – the fight scenes are kept to a more real approach opposed to going for the wire work ballet found in a huge back catalogue of hong kong flicks and many recent Hollywood outings. Favouring a more UFC/ K-1 approach, the fights have a gritty edge and the hero played by an enigmatic 'Dominique Vandenberg' who demonstrates a legit martial arts prowess! Vandenberg plays it very cool as Jack Severino/ El Yanqui and Steven Bauer puts in a very respectable performance as his manager and friend. The shoot-outs are wonderfully brutal, special mention to the end blaze of glory which is an almost tongue in cheek effigy to the high grossing action films of the 80s and a few classic samurai flicks.The tone of the movie is set by a distinct quote."Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." And this is exactly what Director 'Jesse Johnson' does with a great passion for action. On a reported budget of $500,000.00 (aka nowt!) he has deftly crafted a intriguing tale of brotherhood, vendetta and redemption through violence.

This is a hard kicking, hard punching fight fest that seems to be becoming something of a cult hit amongst genre fans. What the film lacks in frugality it more than makes up for with it's bone crunching fight scenes. This really is an action lovers film. it's simple entertainment and enjoyably violent.The films plot involving a kick-boxing and amnesiac Christian is at times perfunctory for this type of movie. However Steven Bauer, as the Pit-Fighters manager and friend does a very good job in keeping a sense of humanity in the film, while leading man Dominique Vandenberg does reasonably well, as far as kick boxers turned actors go. However when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of kicking ass, Vandenberg looks at home. Director Jesse Johnson, whose previous effort The Honourable, proved as popular amongst action junkies (those who saw it) has a good understanding of style. He shoots the film nicely and it has an interesting and unique look. There's a hint of that Erin Brockovich, Traffic type colour pallet that Soderbergh used and the film almost looks documentary at times. There are times when this film looks really good and there are interesting choices in editing. The fights in particular get right into the face of the action. You feel every crack and crunch of sinew, every tear of cartilage. It's gloriously violent at times and nicely stylish. it's a far cry from the showy antics of Mr Van Damme's similar themed films. The film also features a nice low key and at time's interesting score.Overall this is a highly polished and enjoyable piece of action cinema, considering it's measly $600,000 budget and while it's been there done that, with an end action scene that borders ludicrous, it gets by on some of the most wince-worthy fight sequences for sometime. ***

This movie is all about fighting ("no rules" type of fighting) and shooting. Don't look for anything else, because you won't find it. In my opinion, there are movies (like "Chek law dak gung - Naked Weapon" or this one) that can not be judged by their artistic value. They are not supposed to make you think, to impress you, to make a difference. They are simply made for entertaining. This movie is not very good, but fighting and shooting scenes are done pretty well, even though that stuff that's supposed to be blood doesn't look at all like the real thing. Some of the scenes are more violent than usual, because it is brutal street fighting we are talking about here, not those stylish, beautifully choreographed fight scenes we can find in most of Jet Li's movies.My rating: 6 out of 10.

Jack (Dominique Vandenberg) gets amnesia after a bullet in the head almost kills him. Five years later, still haunted by dreams and visions of a woman he loved in his previous life even while attempting to stay the top pit fighter, his past catches up to him. However he might not like what he remembers. Writer/Director Jesse Johnson made a film that looked significantly better then his meager budget would suggest. The fights are pretty brutal and well choreographed. The story while not the most original one is serviceable enough and while this is the sole film that I've seen or heard of Dominique Vandenberg, I can already tell that a more interesting actor to watch then, say, Don "the Dragon' Wilson. Now on to hunting down Vandenberg's "The Honorable" which I've heard great things about. the film is not without a few flaws, but I found it entertaining even if the ending comes across as more than a tad bit silly. Oh and Steven Bauer's the best he's been since "Gleaming the Cube" in this one.My Grade: B-Eye Candy: Adult film actor, Aspen Stevens, gets topless as well as shows her ass