Prisoner of War (2025) – Review

Quick thoughts:

1. Grade – 4 out of 5 Scott Adkins Spin Kicks
2. I love watching Scott Adkins kick people.
3. Between The Debt Collector (2018), Debt Collectors (2020), and Prisoner of War, Scott Adkins and Louis Mandylor make fun films together.
4. Did I mention that I love watching Scott Adkins kick people?
5. The idea to drop  Scott Adkins in a Japanese internment camp and then have him fight in underground fighting matches is pretty great (and very random).
6. People need to stop messing with Scott Adkins.
7. Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone! I love it when MMA fighters appear in action movies.

The Scott Adkins starter guide – Watch his movies!

1. Diablo (2025) – Adkins vs. Marko Zarar!
2. Avengement (2019) – Scott Adkins delivers his best performance
3. Triple Threat (2019) – Insane cast
4. Accident Man (2018) – Good times
5. Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (2012) – It’s a gnarly masterpiece
6. Undisputed II: Last Man Standing (2006) – Boyka!
7. For big-budget thrills – John Wick: Chapter Four (2023), Day Shift (2022), The Expendables 2 (2012)

10 Longer Thoughts about Prisoner of War. I initially planned on writing a review, but

1. After acting together in The Debt Collector franchise, director Louis Mandylor and  Scott Adkins (who came up with the story) are clearly comfortable together. They both wanted to create a visually interesting experience, and their shorthand made it possible. Prisoner of War does a fine job of stretching its budget
2. I was initially worried about the plot because a character played by Scott Adkins would never have his airplane shot down. However, after a quick think, I realized that the plane can’t kick people, thus it makes sense that his plane would crash. 
3. If Scott Adkins shows up at your dojo. Don’t fight him. This applies to everything else, too. Leave the guy alone.
4. Whether it’s Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (Prisoner of War), Michael Bisping (Triple Threat), or Andrei Arlovski (Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning), I like it when Adkins brawls with mixed martial arts stars. 
5. When Adkins first arrives on the island, he keeps killing the soldiers who attempt to kill him (it’s great). At one point, when his head is about to be sliced off, he listens for the soldier’s foot to pivot so he can get out of the way of the slash. He then kills multiple people with ease. Don’t mess with Adkins.
6. It makes me happy that Adkins plays “an upper-class Brit,” who knows martial arts because his father was a businessman who moved his family to Hong Kong. Listening to Adkins’ posh accent is a nice change of pace from the cockney accent, which he used in Avengement and Green Street Hooligans 3. 
7. Adkins pulled his hamstring on the first day of the four-week shoot. Dude is a beast. 
8. The idea of a posh Brit (who knows karate) becoming a prisoner of war in a camp where everyone is trained in martial arts is very silly. That being said, it explains why he wouldn’t be killed immediately (after killing several Japanese soldiers), because he would be recruited to fight. 
9. The final fight between Adkins and Peter Shinkoda is wonderful. I love a good sword fight.
10. The on-location work in the Philippines adds a lot to the production. Mandylor had to deal with storms and typhoons, but the end result is a low-budget film that looks excellent. Credit goes to Mandylor and cinematographer Niccolò de la Fère (Diablo, Affinity) for incorporating cranes, steadicams, and specific lenses to make Adkins look like a” f**king movie star, bro!”