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Released On: December 18, 2012.
Released by: Image Entertainment
Director: Jonas Quastel
Cast: Gary Daniels, Peter Weller
Year: 2012
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The Movie:
Remember FIGHT CLUB? If it had a non-pretentious more ballsy little brother this film would be it.
The setup is fairly basic - retired mixed martial arts fighter Shane Slavin (Gary Daniels) was once a legend in the brutal world of underground illegal fighting but now he's a devoted family man and small business owner with a lovely wife and smart son. He has a younger brother who is still in the game and even working under Shane's old boss, evil fight promoter Danny G (ROBOCOP's Peter Weller in a terrific scenery-chomping turn). When Shane's younger brother refuses to take a fall and runs out on huge debt owed to Danny G he's beaten within an inch of his life.
Danny G offers Shane a deal: come out of retirement, win 7 fights and clear his brother's debt... or else. What makes this boilerplate plot work is the surprisingly effective family drama of watching Daniels go from loving father and husband to angry paranoid jerk. As he wins more and more fights he starts to get a taste again for the old bloodlust. His wife (Alexandra Weaver) and brother (Arkie Reece) are both sympathetic figures trying to be supportive with a very frustrated loved one.
Honestly though this is all icing on the cake. We are really here to watch the fights and this is where the film really delivers. Daniels is very much in the Van Damme/Jason Statham mold - a 40+ action star in phenomenal shape who can deliver in dramatic scenes but is a first rate fighter. As Daniels gets in deeper and deeper in this world of no-holds barred brawling we get to see a wide variety of exciting mixed martial arts fighting styles as he goes from fight to fight. FORCED TO FIGHT owes a nod to the likes of BLOOODSPORT and THE QUEST, movies that pin the climax to having the hero battle his way through increasingly difficult levels combat.
With his prowling camerawork and gritty style, director Jonas Quastel dishes out killer fight set pieces without the ADD editing that can be ruinous. The tight shooting style and strong editing really show Daniels at his best. He's a terrific fighter and very much the real deal. And Weller is a great villain. Gifted with some hilarious dialog (look for the "bi-curious" line!) and decked out in a classic gangster suit and chomping a huge cigar, Weller is a hoot. His crazed vicious energy is a great contrast to the more quiet intensity of Daniels. These two have terrific energy in their scenes together.
Shot in Eastern Europe but supposedly set in Brooklyn, FORCED TO FIGHT only suffers from having some clearly non-American actors and a fairly implausible finale. It doesn't really matter though. The action is top flight and Daniels is a pleasure to watch.
Video/Audio/Extras:
For a dtv production, FORCED TO FIGHT has a solid transfer. The AVC encoded 1080p 1.78.1 transfer delivers a very strong image free from distracting digital manipulations. The color palette here is on the dark and grimy side, but that is the way the film was shot. Detail is excellent in both close and longer range shots and black levels strong. Audio is a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that is nicely balanced and does quite well in the many fight scenes. Rear channel activity is immersive without being obnoxiously showy. The track is also free of distortion or drop- outs.
Extras are minimal. A very short but informative interview/behind the scenes but with Weller and a featurette on how the fights were filmed which is just under 3 minutes long. The film's trailer is also included.
The Final Word:
FORCED TO FIGHT is a solid action picture with an accomplished leading man, great villain and cool fight scenes. Recommended for both fans of the martial arts genre and those with a taste for good action films with some decent dramatic elements.
Click the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
