Scott Adkins’ new action thriller Castle Falls references his iconic role in the TV series Undisputed Martial Arts. English actor Adkins is known for a variety of martial arts roles. However, it was his performance in the 2006 film Undisputed II: Last Man Standing that truly cemented his status as a star. As Castle Falls proves, the film remains relevant to this day.
Directed and co-starred by Dolph Lundgren, Castle Falls struggled early on with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, having to be shut down on its first day of production before being able to resume months later. For fans of Adkins and Lundgren, Castle Falls is a very meaty story with lots of racing against the clock. In Castle Falls, Adkins plays Mike Wade, a former MMA champion working as a temp at an old hospital slated for demolition.
On the day the building is destroyed, he discovers three bags full of millions of dollars hidden inside. However, he soon encounters a gang of criminals who have come to retrieve hidden money for their jailed boss, while corrections officer Richard Erickson (Dolph Lundgren) also intends to steal the money to save his dying daughter.
Before the main conflict breaks out, Castle Falls throws in a witty one-liner with Adkins’ portrayal of the very cool Boyka from the Undisputed franchise. While clearing away the rubble of a building before its demolition, Mike befriends co-worker George (Vas Sanchez), who eventually recognizes Mike from one of his fights.
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George praises Mike for his fight against one particular opponent, saying, “You fucking knocked out that mean, ugly guy with the mohawk!”, to which Mike responds, “Oh yeah, that guy! Very good work!” This is a sly Castle Falls reference to Adkins’ portrayal of the mohawked Russian prison MMA fighting machine Yuri Boyka, aka The World’s Most Improved Fighter.
Adkins made his debut as Boyka in Undisputed 2: Last Man Standing, beginning as the antagonist battling the wrongfully imprisoned George “Iceman” Chambers, played by Michael Jai White. Undisputed 3: Redemption cast Boyka as an anti-hero protagonist who competes
in the tournament for freedom while working on his bad knee from the last film and dealing with attempts to rig the tournament to benefit the sinister Dolor (Marko Zaror). Boyka: Undisputed gave its hero his greatest test yet: Boyka accidentally killed an opponent in the ring and engaged in a series of fights to free the fighter’s widow from her debt to a Russian gangster.
Although the franchise got off to a mediocre start with the first Undisputed in 2002, Boyka became the centerpiece of the series. Adkins’ portrayal of Boyka directly led to him becoming one of the biggest stars in modern martial arts, and he later also launched his
popular YouTube series, The Art of Action, featuring interviews with other action movie majors from the legendary Tony Jaa from Ong Bak to Chad. Stahelski, director of the John Wick series. That Adkins took on John Wick: Chapter 4 under Stahelski’s direction is a testament to the impact he has had on the world of action films, which first began with his role as Boyka in the TV series Undisputed. Castle Falls has not forgotten this, and the film’s praise for The World’s Most Complete Fighter shows what an unforgettable impact Boyka had.