Review of Redbelt (2008) by Ashley B — 23 May 2009
The wish-fulfillment at the end of this script goes down very smoothly, thanks to a terrific script from David Mamet that riffs around, to quote Det. Bunk Moreland, the idea that 'a man must have a code'.
Chiwetel Ejiofor is great as Mike Terry, a Jiu-Jitsu teacher who's avoided the big money and glitz of prize-fighting, trading what seems to be a fixed game for a small dojo with its own set of problems.
A chance meeting with a hollywood action star who's a bit washed-up (Tim Allen, in what might be the juiciest casting he's had since the '90's) leads to a chain of events that slowly cause Chiwetel Ejiofor to be dragged into a situation he does not want, and test both his fighting prowess and his dedication to his code.
Crisp, well-shot fight scenes, but the real heart of the story is in the characters as they slam into one another, and in Ejiofor's maxim "There's always a way out".
This review of Redbelt (2008) was written by Ashley B on 23 May 2009.
Redbelt has generally received positive reviews.
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