Boyka: Undisputed (2016)
Directed by Todor Chapkanov.
Starring Scott Adkins, Teodora Duhovnikova, Martyn Ford, Brahim Achabbakhe, Emilien De Falco, Alon Aboutboul, Julian Vergov, and Valentin Ganev.
Synopsis:
In the fourth installment of the fighting franchise, Boyka is shooting for the big leagues when an accidental death in the ring makes him question everything he stands for. As far as odd film franchises go, the Undisputed series is right up there. It’s not so much the popularity they’ve achieved. That itself has been well warranted from the second film onwards. It’s more the genesis of the franchise. That moment where someone decided that 2002’s largely forgotten prison drama starring Ving Rhames and Wesley Snipes (directed by veteran Walter Hill) should be turned into a martial arts mayhem franchise.RELATED:
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Moving from prison boxing to mixed martial arts. Somehow it was figured it would prove popular. In the video market at least, it proved wildly popular. The second film was dramatically light (though still just as effective as the first film, which flopped theatrically) but the fight sequences were breathtaking and in particular brought Scott Adkins to the attention of action lovers.
The third film cemented the popularity of Adkins as Boyka, even if the takings didn’t quite match up. The third instalment in particular was heavily pirated. So much so that it’s taken 7 years for this new sequel (and hopefully not the last) to arrive.
The director of the previous two films, Isaac Florentine, takes on the role of producer, and Todor Chapkanov takes on the role of producer. Chapkanov hasn’t had many notable directorial credits to his credit up to this point, so this represents a potential breakthrough (he’s primarily been a first-time director throughout his career). Florentin’s reputation as one of DTV’s strongest directors (especially martial arts films) means he has a big job ahead of him.
In the third sequel, Boyka fights in Ukraine (in the last part he managed to escape from a Russian prison).
He’s getting close to the big moment. Brings his talents to the professional field. When he leaves his opponent dead, Boyka (who has found God in the years between the sequels) is forced to return to Russia to make peace with the fighter’s family. There he discovers that the militant’s wife Alma (Teodar Dukhovnikov) is heavily in debt to a Russian mafioso. Boyka agrees to fight to pay off his debts and gain Alma’s forgiveness.
Dramatically this is the strongest of the series. Florentine has always had a tendency to border on melodrama and direct drama with a little too heavy a hand.
Chapkanov reigns that in a little more deftly, whilst Adkins shines, given the ability to add another layer to Boyka. The character has certainly come a long way since his introduction as a high kicking Ivan Drago in Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing. Duhovnikova is very good opposite Adkins too, as Alma. So on a more rounded level, Boyka: Undisputed certainly gives the franchise an added layer of depth. It’s not going to win Oscars by any stretch, but for a martial arts film, there’s some emotional impact here.
The film looks great. It belies the small budget certainly.
The music from veteran video specialist Steve Edwards is okay.
However…what of the most important factor? The one which brings in the viewers…The fights here are fantastic. It’s difficult to say they are better than the last two films because those set a very high bar. A bar which this at the very least matches. Every bout is great but highlights include a two on one bout and absolutely bone crunching finale. Choreographer Tim Man has certainly excelled himself. He’s previously worked with Adkins on Ninja: Shadow of a Tear