Left for Dead (2005)

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It's funny how you sometimes come across films and how the first time you see a film can colour your perception of it forever. My first viewing of Left for Dead was of a screener copy sent to me for possible inclusion into a film festival I was running at the time.Unfortunately things didn't bode well at first and the disc kept freezing up in my DVD player, but I persisted and I'm really glad I did as Left for Dead is a lot of fun.This fast paced British martial arts flick (yes, you don't hear that said every day!) unfolds in the fictional city of Hope (ironic name me thinks!), which is ruled over by the iron fist of Kincaid, a mobster with a touch of class, played by Adam Chapman. His minions are highly trained warriors and no one dares to cross him, until one of his own enforcers (Williams) discovers he was set up by the boss and sets out to settle the bad guy's hash. Williams (a convincing Glen Salvage) is assisted by Kelso (a prize fighter with a personal grudge against the mob), and together they take on Kincaid and his not so merry men.Shot over a period of 18 months in Brighton and Eastborne, (of all places), this Brit-flick demonstrates that it's not just Hong Kong and the US that can pull off action films. However, its main failing is its toilet tissue flimsy plot, which is simply used to string together oodles of ultra-violent fight scenes, some of which are admittedly well executed and exciting to watch. Director, Ross Boyask is to be commended for his handling of these scenes, which really elevate LFD above many similar flicks.My main problem with the film, and I'm sure it's makers would agree with me, is with its length - at 105 minutes it's 15 minutes too long and needs to be cut down. There are a few scenes which are unnecessary and could easily be dropped, in particular the introductory sequence and the bike 'chase', although admittedly these do look cool.In summary then, a fun slice of over-the-top martial arts mayhem that keeps you watching (even if your DVD player is struggling!) because of its audacious set pieces and the level of enthusiasm on show. Oh, and yes I did screen it at my film festival in the end!

Kick! Punch! Kick! Punch! Kick! Punch! Punch! Punch! Kick! You get the point but then again so did I after about 5 minutes of this small budgeted British action feature. There's no shortage of action.Looking at other reviews here this seems like the kind of film that will and has split opinions in two. You either love it or loathe it. I love it but then again I grew up watching ripped VHS imports of Chinese and Hong Kong movies, in the days where subtitles were written by someone with no idea about either language they were translating.On occasion the modest budget does show up and by the end you are wishing that a few explosions or the like could have been thrown in for good measure. But in this age of cynical studio produced McMovies, it nice to see a film with a raw passion.Looked at as just a movie it still has a lot to offer (there's more action in this that most of the Hollywood films of last year put together), but looked at as what this is, a calling card that says 'Look at me', this film is one hell of an achievement rather than being just another low budget action movie. And that makes it rather special….I looked and enjoyed and I hope that there is more to come.

LFD is the most unwittingly hilarious film I have seen for ages.The painfully long opening scene is a dialogue-free killing spree peppered with pantomime deaths and schoolboy-like 'Aieee!' shrieks of terror.An inexplicable (bad) fake-American narrator intones low voiced nonsense by way of introduction to 'the streets' (or a Brighton industrial estate to be precise).Some of the overly-serious hard man facial expressions make Eastenders Mitchell twins look like Pacino in Taxi Driver.The laughs just keep coming. A scene where two henchmen receive a stern ticking off by the yellow teethed grimacing boss reaches surreal heights of humour. In the background a man is chained to a fence and is being teased by a WWF looky-likey bloke pulling cartoon –character baddie faces and pointing at him threateningly. This goes on all through the overly long scene.After our hero has been shot, he makes it back home to his flat where he fumbles in his bathroom cabinet, crashing amongst deodorant and other jars. The same shot of a blood stained hand, shaking and crashing (its owner out of shot) around the cabinet is seen twice within a couple of minutes. What was he thinking of ? This is no time for a shower.Budget Jackie-Chan-meets-Bugsy Malone (without the songs) Worth a watch for the laughs alone.Heading for the so-bad-its-good genre.

I don't normally DO action or martial arts films. I'm a girly girl. But every so often you have to relent and let the boyfriend watch something HE wants.'Left For Dead' was it. He followed the production of this in magazines in the UK like Impact and Combat. We had a double bill of this and Richard Jobson's 'Purifiers'.Comparing the two is like chalk and cheese (although they both share similar actors and stunt men and where made around the same time). One is interesting. Enjoyable. Fun. And exciting. The other is The Purifiers.Left For Dead surprised me. As I said I don't normally DO action or martial arts films. But this was a fun movie, enjoyable and not badly put together for an independent action film.If you have the choice of watching one or the other Left For Dead is the one to go with.