![]() ![]() The film is undeniably let down by what occurs outside of the ring. Adkins, who recently turned 40, has never looked better or faster, spinning in the air like a pirouetting alley cat, before unleashing unholy hell on his adversaries in a volley of bone-crunching kicks and punches. There is a fluidity, pace and realism at work that will frequently make audiences forget that what they are watching isn’t a genuine UFC throw down. While Florentine serves only as producer here on part 4, anyone familiar with his work will see his fingerprints all over Boyka: Undisputed’s electrifying fight sequences. Adkins and Florentine’s relationship has blossomed ever since, evolving through the Undisputed and Ninja series into one of the most exciting collaborations in action cinema today. Under the stewardship of Israeli action director Isaac Florentine, the series focused increasingly on mixed martial arts, and specifically the changing fortunes of villain Yuri Boyka. ![]() Walter Hill’s 2002 original was a straight-up boxing flick starring Wesley Snipes and Ving Rhames, before its sequel became a vehicle for martial artist Michael Jai White. Plot comes a distant second to spectacle in Boyka: Undisputed, a franchise that has morphed from its original entry even more than the Fast & Furious series. When he accidentally kills his opponent in the ring, during a qualifying match for a top tier European contest, Boyka seeks out his opponent’s widow in the hope of laying his demons to rest. ![]() Boyka (Adkins) has found religion, donating all of his winnings to a local church, but the demons of his past sins continue to haunt him. Picking up some years after the events in Undisputed III: Redemption, we catch up with the world’s most complete fighter in Kiev, still honing his trade for cash on the underground fight circuit. ![]()
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March 2023
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