‘Fight Another Day’ VOD Review
Stars: Eric Johnson, Martin Kove, Chuck Liddell, Michael Bisping, Ken Shamrock, Matthew Willig, Jim Belushi, Paul Braunstein, Christina Ochoa | Written by James Mark, Matthew Nayman | Directed by James Mark
It’s 1989 and Ryan Taylor (Eric Johnson; Disappearance at Clifton Hill, Fifty Shades Darker) is a tough cop with a reality TV show, In the Name of Justice. It’s something like COPS, if it was shot live and starred Harry Callahan. That backfires when the subject of the current episode sees him on TV and is waiting for him with a shotgun. The blast doesn’t seem to kill him however, and he’s transported to 2067 where he can continue his showbiz career, this time as a contestant on Fight Another Day, a real-life version of The Deadliest Warrior, pitting him against fighters from all through history.
It’s sponsored by sponsored by Chronocom Pharmaceuticals, the same company that sponsored In the Name of Justice. The company’s CEO, Dresden Fischer (Martin Kove; Savage: The Bigfoot Legend…Lives, Cobra Kai) claims the show’s violence and death is cathartic for viewers, and the fact that it’s massively profitable for him is just a coincidence.
Director James Mark (Enhanced, Kill Order) and co-writer Matthew Nayman (Escalation, On the Ropes) serve up a mix of blood sport and dystopian politics with a cast full of UFC veterans, Chuck Liddell (Altitude, Cage Fighter) and Michael Bisping (Never Back Down: Revolt, Den of Thieves 2: Pantera), pro wrestler Ken Shamrock (The Bunker, Scarecrow Gone Wild) and football player Matthew Willig (Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn, 3 From Hell).
Apart from Kove the film’s one other recognizable name is Jim Belushi (Red Heat, Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King) who plays Duke, Taylor’s weapons tech. Kevin Nash was originally announced as appearing in the film, and shows up as part of the cast in a Google search, but is not actually in the film.
The fights are range from well staged, Taylor vs a medieval knight, a Persian assassin vs a Viking to played for laughs, Colt (Paul Braunstein; Toys of Terror, Eddie: The Sleepwalking Cannibal) an old west gunslinger who’s one of Taylor’s few allies vs Mongol warrior. Fight coordinators Dylan Rampulla (The Craft: Legacy, Death Wish) and Mustafa Bulut (Spare Parts, Star Trek: Discovery) deliver several good matchups that will give action fans what they tuned in for. And while it is primarily an action film, Fight Another Day does feature some bloody deaths courtesy of Karlee Morse (Polaris, Whiteout)
And it’s a good thing they do because the revelation that Taylor was brought to this dystopian future by Isabell (Christina Ochoa; Blood Drive, Animal Kingdom) to kill Fischer and his offer the resurrect Taylor’s son in return for his cooperation is less than enthralling. The writers put so little effort into it that they have Fischer get the date of Taylor’s death wrong and Taylor not notice.
And speaking of gaffes, I question the ability of old-time armour, which had trouble stopping arrows from a long bow, to deflect bullets from modern guns. Yes, it makes some of the matchups last a bit longer, but it’s annoying as hell to see bullets bouncing off a Viking’s shield like he was Captain America. Not as annoying as the pop song that plays over some of the third act’s action, but close.
The acting is fairly good, although Johnson is the only one who has a character with any real development. We get a bit of background on Belushi’s character, he was a cop before he wound up working on Fight Another Day. Everyone else is pretty much an archetype, not that that stops Kove from being a convincing, if generic, villain. It might have made things more interesting if we knew more about some of the other fighters rather than having them serve as disposable cannon fodder for the most part. It would have also made one of the last act’s scenes carry some weight rather than feel like a plot device,
Still, if you have a craving for a fast, enjoyable beat ‘em up, Fight Another Day has plenty of well-staged action to satisfy it. Just don’t pay too much attention to the plot surrounding it.
*** 3/5
Fight Another Day is available on digital platforms via Red Hound Entertainment.
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