By Jerod Williams
From the Early 2000’s to the mid-2010’s saw a martial arts action franchise like no other. “Undisputed” is a 4 film franchise spanning from 2002 all the way to 2016, What makes it unique is that it is a martial arts action series where the majority of the fights take place in prison, and the main characters are all criminals who committed heinous crimes. Winning their fights means that they win their freedom.
This series starts off with 2002’s “Undisputed.” Wesley Snipes stars as convict boxing champion Monroe Hutchins, who goes up against Ving Rhames as George Chambers, a boxer who is fighting for his freedom after being convicted of sexual assault. While this movie is still worth watching, the story can be confusing as Monroe is supposed to be the main character, but the antagonist Chambers gets a lot more screen time, and is even painted in a far more sympathetic light in regards to his case. Despite Chambers going out of his way to antagonize Hutchins, and Hutchins being put away in solitary confinement for it, Chambers not only has more screen time but more range in emotion, as he struggles with prison life. Hutchins gets far less screen time, and show’s very little reaction to his dire circumstances. Ultimately, while “Undisputed” is a good movie, it is not a stand out feature
That cannot be said for 2006’s “Undisputed 2 Last Man Standing.” This movie has a completely different style than the first movie, with snappier editing and better cinematography, and even the cast has changed, playing George Chambers, the protagonist, is famous martial artist Micheal Jay White. After the events of the first movie, Chambers is framed for drug smuggling and is sent to a high-security prison where he must not only face the harsh prison conditions but must also contend with the MMA prison champion Yuri Boyka, played by martial artist Scott Adkins, a cruel yet honorable antagonist. The biggest transition this movie makes in comparison to the first one is the fights move from boxing to Mixed Martial Arts, even in the story, Chambers must adapt and learn both kicking and grappling to contend with Boyka, who is infamous for his acrobatic kicks. This movie is a major step up from the first movie, but it is possible that fans of the first movie will be thrown for a loop,
“Undisputed 3: Redemption” was released in 2010, and like the 2nd movie, the previous movie's antagonist, Boyka, is now the protagonist. Boyko is recovering from his last fight with Chambers and finds himself in a world prison tournament where he must contend with martial artists from different prisons, most notably Mykel Shannon Jenkins as Turbo, his character working as a major catalyst for Boyka’s character development. “Undisputed 3” hosts the best fights in the franchise as every fighter has a fighting style unique to them and their respective countries, examples including Capoeira, 52 Blocks, and Taekwondo. Adding some much-needed variety to the franchise.
The last film in the franchise is “Boyka: Undisputed.” Boyka returns as the protagonist again, this time he seeks to free a caretaker named Alma, played by Bulgarian actress Teodora Duhovnikova, from an exploitative mafia boss. To do this, he must fight the bosses' champions. This movie is the most somber of the franchise, dealing with themes of redemption and forgiveness, but there's a cutback on the diversity of fighting styles in comparison to the third installment. Fans of the third movie may be disappointed to find out that the fourth movie is not a continuation of the third one, so it won’t expand on any plot points fans may have looked forward to in 3. Also, the movie ends on a bittersweet note in comparison to the triumphant notes of 2 and 3.
The greatest strengths of “Undisputed 2” through “4” is its main theme of redemption and the wholesome elements that contrast the dark realities of the brutal combat and prison environment. “Undisputed 2” is about characters who, although are guilty of heinous crimes, find themselves, be it unfairly, or justifiably in the harsh prison conditions where they struggle to adapt. Despite this, however, The main characters are transformed by the acts of kindness of those around them, and not only become better people, but better fighters as a result.
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