The Case of Scott Adkins, “The Last True Action Hero” You’ve Never Seen in Theaters | culture
A rich man enters the dojo to convince the master who runs it to transfer the school to him. No one uses the traditional martial arts master’s style anymore, he explains as he steps on the tatami mat with his street shoes. The teacher advises him to leave, but instead, the rich man mocks him and calls for the teacher to beat him “like in those damn kung fu movies.” There is more to the interlocutors than just words.
This is how it begins Debt collectorIt is one of four feature films released by actor Scott Adkins in 2018 alone, all of which are intended for the streaming market. Direct-to-rent action films have often been considered an elephant graveyard, with old glories like Steven Seagal, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Nicolas Cage, John Travolta, and Bruce Willis ending up establishing the connection between making controversial quality films and making thrilling quality films. Controversial. Quick profit. But fans of the old “kung fu movies” started Debt collector He hints that he’s also found some of the genre’s best production in recent years, with a little help from Adkins.
His face is barely visible on the big screen. He had a blink-and-you-miss-it look Bourne alert (2007) and two other top-secret roles in Doctor Strange (2016) and comedy Grimsby (2016). In a scene from John Wick 4 (2023) He was finally able to properly showcase his mixed martial arts skills to a multi-faceted audience, even though his appearance was unrecognizable under the heavy makeup and prosthetics.
Meanwhile, true to the saying that it’s better to have the head of a mouse than the tail of a lion, Scott Adkins has managed to carve out a decent career and has an entire community of fans of his work in this low-budget field. His performance as a deadly villain in the video store sequel Undisputed 2 (2006) earned him a promotion as the featured performer in the three-part epic. He also played a leading role in another action film in 2012. Judgment Daythe fifth installment of Universal soldier The franchise has been described as perhaps “the best direct-to-DVD action film ever” by journalist Tom Breihan of AV Club.
Adkins has two shows debuting on platforms this year. He has a small role in Turn off the lightsstarring Frank Grillo, a more famous hero One more shot. This is a continuation of one of his most popular titles, One hit (2021) – A rare case of one of his films, which had limited distribution in European theaters due to lack of releases during the pandemic. It is presented as a single time-lapse shot that allows you to enjoy the star’s choreography and acrobatics in all their impressive glory, without having to edit them. Late last year, journalist Alex Reitman asked Hollywood Reporter: “Is Adkins the last true action hero? For many, not only is he, he’s someone who has been criminally overlooked by the studios.” In the article, one of Reitman’s favorite directors, Isaac Florentine, said: “Scott should have been James Bond “And he should have been Batman.”
“There is a tendency to view martial arts actors as second-rate, alongside stunt artists, second-unit crews, and behind-the-scenes performers. “In Scott’s case, it’s a shame because he’s a talented actor,” Jin Cheng, former editor of the defunct magazine now. Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine and the 32nd generation disciple of the original Shaolin Temple in China, says ICON. “His roots go back to taekwondo and karate,” Cheng explains. “Almost all martial arts movie stars have done some taekwondo exercises for their kicks, but not many have done karate. Karate gives Scott definition and a more square, powerful, linear physique, especially in his early films. He knows how to deliver powerful punches and can also deliver amazing high kicks.” Later, like every martial arts star, he diversified his training to be able to play more roles.
Blow after blow, verse after verse
Cheng recalls that Adkins’ film career began in Hong Kong. “Hong Kong action cinema has always been the go-to for fight choreography. Perhaps this has given him more humility and part of his work ethic is due to his work there. It is clear that he is hard-working and fully committed to whatever role he takes on. He can do it all,” he points out. From brutal movies to satirical action comedies with equal ease.
For the expert, we can understand through Adkins’ apparent modesty why he might be putting in more effort than the big names being turned into action films intended for home consumption: “Segal and Van Damme started out making movies as Hollywood stars at a time when military action stars had a lot of Of ego.They may have seen the move from theatrical releases to video as a step down.
After several initial collaborations with figures such as Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, Adkins caught the attention of director Isaac Florentine, later responsible for two films in the film series. Undisputed saga, while also working in British series. In 2009, it was also a dual role for Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool in X-Men Inception: Wolverine. He has emerged as the heir to his idol Van Dam ever since they both worked together shepherd (2008), the first of their four collaborations to date.
It was not in vain that we faced the muscles of Brussels in fifth place Universal soldierAdkins also relieved him at the helm of the subsequent sequel Hard target 2 (2016) and it was just announced that he will be the antagonist Kickboxing: Armageddon, which is the eighth part of the saga that began in 1989, and which will once again include the Belgian star in the cast. Veteran martial artist Donnie Yen also recruited Adkins Ip Man 4: The End (2019), the latest installment of his acclaimed epic. While in China he achieved establishment status thanks to his antagonistic role in it Warrior wolf (2015). Its sequel, which he did not make, was the highest-grossing film in the country’s history.
But the Briton did not limit himself to performing in famous epics or under the most famous actors: duets such as Ninja (2009-13), Accident man (2018-22) and Debt collector (2018-20) is evidence of his ability and charisma to generate his own mythology. And also the role that made him stand out even in the endless scrolling of the Netflix catalogue, where Revenge (2019), the film that the actor cites as his favorite, continues to find its audience five years after its release.
Like many innovators throughout the history of cinema, what Adkins — and his inseparable team, including Jesse Johnson, who has directed him seven times, screenwriter Stu Small, and choreographer Tim Mann — have found in making B movies is a playground from which they make real propositions. She is passionate in her approach to work and has none of the constraints in representing the violence that big budget films sometimes require. “As a big fan of Scott Adkins. I want the best for his career. I thought the best option for him was to appear in big Hollywood movies. I will go back to my statement. Scott belongs in the B-movie action scene. It allows him more creative freedom,” one of his followers wrote On the social network Letterboxd.
However, at the time he became influential and successful John Wick The epic and Cobra Kai (2018) series led to greater interest in spectacle in traditional action productions, and thus, to re-evaluate craftsmanship, and the role of specialists and authentic martial artists, Adkins could gain prominence. For now, he’s enjoying the moment of the genre, as a participant but also as a spectator.
In addition to sharing scenes from his films or training tips on his YouTube channel, he hosts an interview series The art of workWhere he spoke with icons such as Keanu Reeves, Mark Dacascos, Tony Jaa and Steven Seagal. He is also active on X (formerly Twitter), where he praised the recently released new version of Road houseBut it is not without rebuking those responsible for using digital effects in battles. For now, the most attractive thing the immediate future holds for him is new Kickboxing And the fourth batch of Sky line (2010), both with no possibility of a theatrical release. “We hope something big will come to him soon,” Jin Qing thought. “He deserved it.”
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