Podcast Episode · The Action Addicts · 05/23/2022 · 2h 12m

Directed by Chaya Supannarat, Gladiator Underground is a bare-knuckled throwback to the tournament movies of the ’80s and ’90s, delivered with a modern sheen. The story follows brothers Max and Wu as they collide in the world’s deadliest underground tournament, a bloodsport controlled by powerful crime lords who manipulate every fight, every weapon, and even the terrain itself. What begins as a battle for personal supremacy becomes a moral struggle, as the siblings must decide whether to compromise their integrity or unite to take down the syndicate pulling the strings. It’s a set-up tailor-made for bruising martial arts spectacle, and the film rarely wastes an opportunity to showcase it.

Alan Delabie returns with The Shepherd Code 2: Road Back, a sequel that builds on the foundations of the first film and pushes for something bigger. It’s more ambitious in scope, hopping across international locations, layering in deeper themes of redemption, and delivering a finale that swings for the fences. The result is uneven but undeniably entertaining, with flashes of greatness for action fans willing to be patient. One of the pleasures of Road Back is seeing Don “The Dragon” Wilson back in the mix as Lewis, this time given more screen time than in the first…

Set during the harrowing Battle of Bataan in a Japanese POW camp in World War II, Prisoner of War is a high-octane martial arts action film that showcases Scott Adkins’ electrifying fighting skills, magnetic charisma, and commanding screen presence. Based on a story conceived by Adkins and adapted into a screenplay by Marc Clebanoff, the film marks another collaboration with director Louis Mandylor, who previously starred alongside Adkins in the action-packed Debt Collectors duology.

For over a decade, Marko Zaror has been one of the most dynamic martial artists working in cinema, Undisputed III, Redeemer, Fist of the Condor and finally getting some big screen recognition in John Wick: Chapter 4. With Affinity, directed by Brandon Slagle, Zaror finally steps into a leading role that lets him showcase not only his physical chops but also his dramatic range. The result is a lean, moody sci-fi actioner that plays with familiar tropes but injects them with a personal edge. Zaror stars as Bruno, a former Navy SEAL wrestling with PTSD and loss, whose world is upended when he meets Jane Mirro’s character Athena, a mysterious woman with gaps in her memory.

Kicking off a new series of content on the Action Addicts Network we have a review of the new film Bad Man starring Sean William Scott. Story: In Colt Lake Tennessee, Sam Evans tackles a meth epide…