I am rarely tempted to review a movie, but in this case I am willing to stick my neck out.Although this movie had me watching until the end, it was with a good deal of frustration. I am a one-time martial artist and a keen fight spectator, and in my opinion, the fight scenes in this movie were not (for the most part) up to snuff. I'm not saying that the fighters were amateurs, it was the choreography that annoyed me. Many of the moves and techniques seemed to be used simply for the looks, and not for authenticity. Without going into specifics (I don't want to give away spoilers) the were a lot of very poor choices of hold/grapple/blow that you simply would not see in real competition. The very experienced Ernie Reyes Sr. dropped the ball on this one.Another bug-bear was the music being that it was way too loud in some places, actually drowning out the dialogue, and inappropriate in other places.Having said all that, I thought the acting was good for the most part, and in particular one scene featuring John Savage and Ki Reyes (Oscar), which had my partner tearing up.In summary, I would not recommend this for anyone who just wants to see an MMA movie, and also not for the hard of hearing:) I'd rather rent 'Redbelt' or 'Never back down'.

This movie had great action scenes on par with any best selling film. The music and storyline were hard hitting and it was hard not to root for the underdog. Real life is hard and messy and that is portrayed here. If you have really seen this movie you know that it has some excellent martial arts fighting. It's about time you see some real good triumph over evil. Some of us know what it is to hit bottom before we can even consider looking up for help. Everyone needs some hope at the end of the day though.

A typical martial arts movie. Although the acting isn't as bad as some, and the fight scenes are above average, the soundtrack is an example of how a poor choice of music and bad mixing can destroy a movie. For example, in the opening scene Voight's monologue is drowned out by the "background" music.The story is typical. The acting average. The main cast is filled with unknowns, but a few recognizable names have been included for billing purposes. Even though the better known actors aren't main characters, the remaining cast manages to carry the movie.Be fore warned, the usual final fight ends abruptly and leaves you wanting for more (perhaps an old UFC tape). The ending could definitely have been extended, and leaves you wondering if some footage was lost in the editing room. I really feel that a better ending, competent mixing and a few more fight scenes would have vastly improved the movie.With that said, the leading actor has potential. He does not over act. He seems to be able to carry a fight scene. And he actually makes the character believable. I will keep an eye out for any future movies he may be involved in. If I had been able to mute the background music, I may have liked the movie a bit more.If you are just looking to kill an hour and a half, and feel like watching some UFC fighters "doin' a movie", then this is for you.

Because of 8.3 stars I decided to see this movie,although I didn't know the actors and the director. At first it looked like a good low-budget movie,but after half an hour I was disappointed to see that it's just a low-budget movie. The actors are not bad,but not good too - something in the middle. What I also disliked is the music - sometimes I thought it's a fantasy movie like Stardust or so. Directing is also a problem of Red Canvas: the fighting scene in the car repair shop is a joke. Only the scenes on the Red Canvas itself are fair to middling. For fighting movie fans it may be an acceptable pastime,but not for someone like me. Sorry for my English :)