Thanks for checking out our Unrivaled review.
Genre: Action Drama
Directed by: Warren P Sonoda
Staring: Hector Echavarria, Rashad Evans, Steven Yaffee, Kieth Jardine, Heath Herring, Nicholas Campbell, Jordan Madley
Released: March 16, 2010
THE GENERAL IDEA
On these streets everyone is fighting for a way out, but after a lifetime of hard knocks, a down-on-his-luck cage fighter gets the opportunity of a lifetime when he is chosen to compete against the MMA world champion during a massive competition. The stakes are high and the reward great…But should he lose, it will cost him his life.
THE GOOD
I was a little hesitant since this film is produced by Tapout, the merchandise producers for the MMA sports fans. I already have a poor opinion of Wrestlers as actors because they are athletes, not actors. But I give them a shred of credit because they pretend to be these personalities every week, so they are half actors. But this wasn’t that bad.
These guys do a pretty good job acting in a film that is more or less a string of action scenes held together by a loose plot full of holes. The action is GREAT. Some really good pitfighting, streetfights, bar fights. The fighting is well put together. I wouldn’t have expected anything less from a film staring some big name Mixed Martial Arts fighters.
The love interests revolve around the employees of a strip club, but that string of the story just delivers some eyecandy and a set guaranteed to show some boobies. Its light and doesn’t interfere. Just as a love interest in an action flick should be treated. Very secondary to non-important. Ringo doesn’t fight to save the girl. He just happens to have one.
THE BAD
The plot is actually half decent, which is why it bothers me so much that they piss all over it. The main character Hector is under the thumb of a relentless crime boss and when he attempts to earn some money in a TV spectacle that pits mostly unknown contenders against the top champ of the sport, the Crime Boss tries to monopolize on it. But everything he does makes NO sense. It almost seems like he is betting against himself as every attempt just digs a deeper hole for the main character with a shovel of the Crime Boss’s stupidity.
OVERALL
A surprisingly good story that unfortunately gets in its own way. MMA Actors doing a half decent job acting (they are pretending to be MMA fighters so its not hard) and some great action. Not a bad film at all. It wont win any Oscars, but it was certainly worth the watch. This is available to buy or rent right now.
I give Unrivaled a 6 out of 10
