I saw this in 2009 n revisited it recently on a DVD which i own. Action fans should definitely check this out. The plot - A group of sadistic gamblers makes wagers on 30 of the world's most deadly assassins who band against one another in a battle royal. Debutante director Scott Mann did a terrific job considering the budget. The action is non stop. There are shoot-outs, gun play, bloodbaths in unlikely venues, severed limbs, exploding bodies caused by booby-trapped tracking devices, plenty of explosions, car chases, kicking, punching, heads exploding off like melons, severed limbs, wild stunts, a bus/truck chase, nudity and gore. Its really a *ucking shame that this film didn't got the recognition it deserves. The star cast is decent, the hot n attractive Kelly Hu (her sex scene from Farmhouse man), Ving Rhames, Robert Carlyle, Liam Cunningham, Scott Adkins n Sebastian Foucon (the guy from Casino royal). There's an excellent free running sequence courtesy of park-our expert Sebastian Foucon.

...then you're sure to be in for a surprise. I confess... I have never been to Middlesbrough, but, based on what I've seen in 'The Tournament' I can obviously expect to see a pretty deserted city where the few remaining inhabitants appear to adopt a 'live and let live' policy to car chases on the motorway, shoot outs in strip clubs, exploding petrol stations, policemen being shot in the street, burning men running through the streets and bus hijackings.For all these events are apparently all part of everyday life in Middlesbrough - especially when the thirty greatest assassins in the world have come together to play a 'last man standing' game of death in the city, all for the benefit of some of the most clichéd billionaires ever seen.You may have to suspend quite a lot of disbelief to truly get anything out of this film, like the way the billionaires can see every inch of Middlesbrough courtesy of CCTV cameras which can apparently peek inside buildings as well as watch streets. It's hardly a masterpiece, with many of the characters sporting fake American accents and Liam Cunningham speaking some of the most badly-written lines ever committed to film script.There is so much wrong with this movie it's hard to list all its faults. However, there's still enough action in it to titillate most action-junkies. It's pretty forgettable, but not entirely awful. Robert Carlyle lends it a certain credibility, but Ving Rhames just looks a bit too old and fat to be believable.

As soon as you read the summary for this movie you know exactly what you are in for. There are no amazing plot twists or outstanding visual effects but if you have made the decision to watch this film then you shouldn't be expecting any. If you want an easy to watch, over the top action movie which doesn't require too much thought or attention then this will satisfy your needs. It promises blood, guns and lots of fighting and it gives you exactly that. Nothing more and nothing less. So if you want to kill an easy 90 minutes and don't get frustrated by plot holes, average acting and over the top characters then give it a watch.

Wow. I was expecting a mediocre executed movie but it turned out to be awesome from the first minute in. I don't know why the movie gets so much negative feedback here.When you watch the movie it's very clear that the makers were inspired by "Battle Royale" and "Terminator 2". A solid cast: Ving Rhames (always bad-ass), Robert Carlyle, Ian Somerhalder (who does surprisingly well!) and a action-packed small role for Scott Adkins. Guns, gore, boobs and loads of stunts & action!Highly recommended for action-fans!7/10