Undisputed III: Redemption Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

Undisputed III: Redemption Blu-ray Movie Review

A DTV flick that gets it right.

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 17, 2010

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

Undisputed III: Redemption is, yes, the third film in a modestly lucrative franchise that since 2002 has pulled in stars Wesley Snipes, Ving Rhames, and Michael Jai White into its fold for some hard-hitting thrills. The franchise is once again out for another spin, and this third installment stars the musclebound Scott Adkins, the actor reprising his role from Undisputed II: Last Man Standing as the imprisoned Russian fighter Uri Boyka. For those that haven't seen the first two films in the series: don't despair. Part three recaps crucial events pertinent to this outing -- which pretty much boil down to a main character (Boyka) who is but a shell of his former self, a long-haired freak that mops prison floors and hobbles around on an injured knee, the result of a fight seen at the end of Undisputed II -- in short order and immediately thereafter delves into the meat and potatoes of the story. Yup, that's just about all there is here, plenty of red and bloody meat and some carbs on the side for good measure. No filler, no veggies, just the basics, a movie that's all about hard hits, big muscles, a minimalist story, basic character development, and enough raw fighting to make even the most ardent UFC fan feel like they've never seen mano-a-mano combat at this level before. That's what Undisputed III: Redemption is, UFC kicked up a few notches and with some wonderfully-staged fight choreography tossed into the mix. Diehards might balk at the comparison thanks to that "staged choreography" and absence of realism, but if fight fans can't get excited for Undisputed III: Redemption, it might be time to check for a pulse.

Boyka wonders: "who can I beat the %#@~ out of today?"

At a maximum security prison in Russia, Uri Boyka is recovering from his fight with George Chambers in which he suffered a severe leg injury. He's tasked with mopping the dingy floors in the poorly-lit prison, but he's been secretly rehabbing his knee with whatever makeshift tools are at his disposal. A recent parole hearing has denied him his freedom once again, and the heinousness of his past crimes will keep him from appearing before the board for another 15 years. With nothing left to lose but everything to gain, Boyka and his tender leg wins his own prison's fighting tournament and is granted entrance to fight in the PSC for the ultimate prize: freedom. He must compete against seven of the world's strongest and most hardened criminals to win the single-elimination tournament, but freedom doesn't come that easy. Boyka and the others are given but a single hour each day to train, and the rest of their time is spent in hard labor at a heavily-guarded mining operation. Can Boyka and his questionable leg withstand not only the pressures of the ring, but the grueling work he's forced to do at gunpoint day in and day out?

The plot's thin and the characters flat (well, ok, not literally, Undisputed III: Redemption is a showcase for what protein shakes, low carb diets, and pumping some iron can do for a body), but so what? This is a rare movie that tries to be absolutely nothing other than an action extravaganza, and that's why it works. The movie knows its place and stays conformably within genre confines, spelling out just enough of a plot to hold the action together. Undisputed III: Redemption is exactly what these on-the-cheap DTV films should strive for; the less-is-more approach was tailor-made for this sort of movie, and others that try to be something other than a nuts-and-bolts action movie inevitably collapse under the pressure that's formed by the mixture of brainless action and worthless plot and character development. Filmmakers of these types of movies need toss everything but the basics out the window and give the fans the mayhem that they want; it's not like someone couldn't wash a movie like this down with Gone With the Wind if it left that sour a taste in the mouth, but then again the only people likely to watch something like Undisputed III: Redemption will probably go into the movie with a proclivity towards what it has to offer, anyway.

Aside from boiling things down to the basics -- working with a minimalist script that doesn't interfere with the insane levels of chaotic action and fist-hurling mayhem -- Undisputed III: Redemption makes sure that what it does is done with the utmost care and attention to detail. This is a fighting movie, and there are some good ones here. This isn't child's play; Undisputed III: Redemption delivers some hardcore fights backed by some of the better choreography ever devised for a picture of this sort. It's a safe bet that a good chunk of the picture's budget was spent in this area; midlevel actors, basic sets, and a shallow story all allow for the filmmakers to toss the green where it's needed the most, and fight fans will marvel at the detail and precision of each bout. In several ways, Undisputed III: Redemption is a throwback to some of the cheapies of the 1980s but with higher production values, even considering its DTV roots. Additionally, the actors are in tip-top shape; there's not an ounce of flab anywhere on the screen, and the cast does an excellent job not only in the ring, but outside of it, handling their parts -- as unchallenging as they are -- with the expected level of professionalism and purpose. Scott Adkins is excellent -- excellent in context -- as Boyka. He plays the part with a stoic determination that gives the character a genuine and strong aura. He looks unstoppable, like even a burst of gunfire couldn't slow him down enough to lose a fight. He's nothing but muscle and an iron will, and he's not about to let a crippling knee injury prevent him from beating someone's brains in.

Undisputed III: Redemption Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Undisputed III: Redemption premiers on Blu-ray with a marvelous 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. Shot digitally with the ever-popular RedOne, this is an incredibly smooth and rich presentation with practically no noise in tow, even in the image's darker corners. The image is sharp as a tack with intricate detailing to match; whether a close-up of a well-worn Bible cover, the intricacies of individual rocks and pebbles at the mining site, and even the smallest textures in a cloth bandage are all immaculately rendered. Sweaty and bloody faces are probably the film's greatest visual asset; close-ups reveal a depth and texture rarely found on even the best Blu-ray discs. It's almost scary just how much detail there is to be seen here, and even this deep into the format's life and with so many superb transfers on the market, Undisputed III Redemption still manages to elicit that "wow" factor throughout. Colors are excellent, and blacks are deep and true. Only very slight blocking in some backgrounds brings this one down, but even then, Undisputed III: Redemption is still one of the finest looking Blu-ray discs on the market today.

Undisputed III: Redemption Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Undisputed III: Redemption pounds sound systems into submission with a potent and hard-hitting DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This one's plenty spacious with a sonic posture that seems to make the speakers disappear, delivering a consistently engrossing sound field that's wonderfully open but at the same time tough-as-nails. It offers plenty of back-channel information that's clear and steady, even through the picture's more rambunctious fighting segments. Atmospherics are superbly integrated into the track, placing the viewer in every hostile environment, whether dark and dank prisons where heavy doors slam shut or alarm klaxons blare in the background, or fight arenas where crowd noise and the thud of heavy punches and kicks echo through the soundstage. Sounds of an active casino in one scene, or other minor ambient effects, are of a lesser stature and power but are no less lacking in realism and immersion. The track's real strength lies in the fighters' punches and kicks; they're often accompanied by a wonderfully potent thud, and when a combatant is hit, so too is the listener with a punishing blow of bass that rattles the senses and the soundstage, just in case the visuals of spewing blood, crunching bones, and flying bodies weren't enough to convince the audience of the raw power on display throughout the film. Rounded out by steady and accurate dialogue reproduction, Undisputed III: Redemption makes for one heck of a sonic ride.

Undisputed III: Redemption Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Undisputed III: Redemption contains no special features. However, disc two houses a DVD and digital copy of the film. The latter, sampled on a gen-two iPod Touch, delivers a decent-by-digital-copy-standards picture quality, with good details and color but a flat appearance and moderate blocking. On the audio side, the track features a fair sense of spacing, nicely-detailed effects, and crisp dialogue.

Undisputed III: Redemption Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Pay attention, filmmakers and studios. This is direct-to-video done right. Undisputed III: Redemption doesn't hide behind false pretenses and generic stories. This is as straightforward as they come, with all the baggage that should be reserved for more important and thematically relevant movies tossed out the window in favor of the action, and fortunately, this is action with a hard-nosed attitude. It's all about blood, sweat, muscle, power, and sheer determination to win at all costs, and never does the movie deviate from its core elements. It is what it is, nothing more, nothing less. It's not going to win an Oscar, but if they had a category for gutty and honest pull-no-punches Action movies, this one would probably win it. New Line brings Undisputed III: Redemption to Blu-ray with practically no extras, but it does pound out exceptional video and audio presentations. Fight fans will definitely want to check this one out, either via a rental or a purchase when the price falls in line for a DTV movie with no extras.