Underground (I) (2007) User Reviews

A failed attempt at a reality TV take on underground fights

[joe-1588 · 4/10 · 23 June 2007]

I decided to watch this movie thinking it was going to be an action movie with a similar plot to most other fighting type movies where you follow the story of one man as he struggles to reach the top. That was not at all what this was. The director decided to make this basically a movie version of a reality TV show, by having these black and white cameras at times, and these cheesy background stories to the characters that you are given sometimes. Then there is the sequence when a fighter loses, similar to getting voted off in Survivor, except instead he goes home with a broken arm or something. While that may have been an interesting idea to have a reality fighting show, it certainly didn't pan out well in this movie. The fights seemed pretty realistic, where it only took a few hits to get knocked out, but the characters were just too cheesy.

So for anyone interested in no flairs fights with blood, and a cheesy storyline about people living with each other before fighting each other for 500k pounds, then you can watch this, but anyone interested in an exciting and action packed story-driven movie, go somewhere else.

Finally, somebody with the balls...

[grandmastersik · 5/10 · 1 October 2007]

Wow, this film doesn't just "break" the British film industry mould - it shatters it!

I've read comments on here which drone on about the script, acting and direction all being bad, but those comments were clearly remarked by morons. The screen-play is totally apt for the film's concept, the actors all perform their own fights and stunts and frankly, are each a spectacle to behold, and the direction - from angles, edits, to fight choreography - is excellent.

I had a slight problem with the "shaky cam" used in a certain (brief) hospital scene, but considering how most modern high profile TV programmes nowadays look like they've been shot on a boat at high sea in the middle of a tsunami, it's most forgivable.

The film follows a simple premise: twelve fighters, one winner - now just watch them go at it!

From the above sentence you can now decide if you'd like to see this film or not... it's all a matter of personal taste.

Personally, I take each film as its own and rate them by the entertainment value it gave me whilst watching - it is for this reason that I've given Underground an 8.

My only glitch with this flick was that I found the contest organiser to be really annoying (with his constant cheesy grinning) and was hoping from the first two minutes in for one (or more) or the fighters to give him a well deserved slap. Then again, perhaps this was the intentional portrayal of an immoral villain one would just WANT to see meet a gruesome end...

The inclusion of sharp weapons was a bit much, but overall, an indie pic' well worth checking out.

Even better than Geochilmaru.

A bad but interesting MOVIE.

[nathan-yeo · 5/10 · 1 September 2009]

You've seen this movie a 1000 times B4 rich and the privileged class bet huge sums of money on lower-class fighters. the fighters have a tragic story and fight for redemption and a better fight. The dialog and script was trash pure rubbish. The problem is we don't live in a world where you have to be a privileged rich bored play-boy to see an under-ground fight club. All you have to do is have basic cable. Or find some fat kid with a bunch of tattoos and give him a 6-pack of beer and a couple VICADONE pills. He'll take you to one. What i did like were the characters they were the most unusual and interesting to be in a fight club. A priest, a teacher, an immigrant, and model. A male model in an underground fight-club. Loved zat.

Do NOT believe the hype!!!!!!!

[project_mvt · 2/10 · 25 December 2007]

Do not make the same mistake that I did by listening to these do-do heads! I wasn't planning on watching this movie but thanks to these guys who gave this movie such a great review, I basically wasted an hour and a half of my life... first of all, the movie is supposed to be a realistic view of illegal underground fighting but if you've seen any UFC fightings you would know that when your opponent is down on the ground you do not wait for him to get up, right? so why does all the fighters in this movie actually stands around till their opponent gets back on their feet after getting knocked down, doesn't make sense! 2nd... you can't get emotional attachment to any character, which turns the movie into a choreograph fighting w/ no story.. 3rd, why do all the characters talk like they're about to shoot a porn scene and the voice over makes it sounds like lord of the rings, it doenst work at all... 4th, bad acting... some girls will just burst into tears for no reason at all and the guy playing the leader of the underground fighting acts like he's the devil and i'm not talking about a bad person, i mean the real Devil! ... and last but not the least, cliché from start to end! ... I won't recommend this movie even to my worst enemies and do not believe the hype, the fighting is not even that good, maybe not even average!

This film ain't a knock-out

[mr_mclean · 4/10 · 22 June 2007]

A film that sounds like a rehash of Kickboxer or Dead or alive and it is but with more of the hash. That is the messy kind of hash rather than the weed kind of hash.

The film places 12 fighters against each other in a series of elimination bouts which take place in various 'street' arenas, with the aim of finding the ultimate winner. Much like a computer game, say, Tekken. The film feels like a computer game too and having as much depth as a paddling pool this point is further endorsed. The character development also follows suit.

We are thrown straight into the first fight within minutes of the film starting and with very little background on each fighter given at this point. This leads too the viewer not really caring for the fighters. Win or lose. This feeling is further struck home by the fact that the fighters in the film don't speak, only the suits running the show do. Furthermore the fighters are only known as the pigeonhole of the life they lead e.g The Homeless, The teacher, The Model etc.

The fights scenes are quite convincing and shot well with very little confusion and good fluidity. This is where the film gets 3 of the stars I have given it. The rest of the filmed is...awful.

Bland and predictive

[spankyfart · 4/10 · 24 June 2007]

I watched this movie last night by accident as the title is the same of the movie I wanted to watch. Not being afraid of trying it out I watched it none the less.

Overall the movie is pretty bad all tho it does try, characters are shallow and bland yet the acting isn't _that_ bad. The names of the competitors are so cheesy it gets annoying at times, and the little flashbacks/stills hardly deepen them out. The more the movie tries the more B it gets, yet it has some overall good cinematic's.

Did I enjoy it? not really. Did I hate it? not really. A predictive nobrainer with semi good acting and bland and predictive characters.

sucked hard

[wizard_oz_19 · 1/10 · 1 July 2007]

this movie sucked. the plot really had no story to it. were we suppose to cheer for someone? were we suppose to actually suppose to think that all the fighters who lost would still care about the other fighters? this is the second worst movie i ever seen! (first being House of the Dead) horrible...why, why, why?! the "knock out shots" look like they took it from Def Jam fight for NY. i would understand if the knock out shot was the end of the scene, but no they continue to fight. stupid! bad acting, bad camera shots, very bad directing! if you happen to watch this movie by accident, take look at the fighters and ask yourself why some of them are in scenes. they make no reason for it. did all the fighters get cool with each other, they only show two of them become friends. and what's up with the model, he gets really upset after his first fight, but before the fight they give a reason for him not to care. that's just bad writing.

ONLY Extreme martial arts

[buntyonline · 6/10 · 22 June 2007]

I watched this movie 2 days back. i searched for this movie in here. there were no comments. so i thought of posting mine here.

This is a UK movie. There are no major character in the movie as u can see. The story is about a competition being held in a junkyard underground somewhere in England where 12 fighters each from different background are chosen to fight until last man standing. A prize money of $500,000 goes to the winner. 6 millionaires staked $200,000 each and choose 2 fighters each on their side. it's up to the millionaires who decide among themselves who have to fight. With each round a fighter is eliminated and so on one is victorious.

The story is just fine but not . There are some amazing fights. All the twelve fighters are shown as having very good martial arts skill. They put up a good show. But this is the only good thing about the movie. The narration is nice too.

The Direction seems quite amateurish. The script is awful. The man who sets up the fight is shown as having maximum importance. I couldn't understand why was he being happy during the fights. The presentation of the fighters is not good. The unnecessary cut scenes make the movie a bit long perhaps.

The high rating by me is only due to some stunning fight performances by the actors. Nothing more in for the movie. If u a fan of martial arts movie then WATCH this one for the amazing fights. Otherwise u can give it a miss.

Very satisfying film and excellent fights!

[bumblers · 10/10 · 19 August 2007]

This is a solid, well shot and enjoyable film, that delivers EXACTLY what it's supposed to.

I can't fathom why people are criticizing the script, acting etc. What the hell are you doing watching THIS type of film if that's the only thing you're worried about?! This is a straight up no nonsense ACTION film, and it delivers exactly what it promises. REAL BRUTAL ACTION!! I can't recall the last time I saw so many fight scenes so realistically shot and put together in a film. Of course, you see the odd one now and again in big budget Hollywood and Hong Kong stuff that looks great, but this is a low budget British film for Christ's sake!! Give these guys some credit! They did an amazing job and should be applauded for it! And to the poster on the message boards who said this was the worst script ever, that has to be the most inaccurate statement ever made! Out of all the appallingly bad films you can find right here on IMDb, you choose THIS as your worst script ever?! A film that does not pretend to be anything it's not and does what it set out to do better than any other film of it's type I can recall seeing in years should be heaped with praise, not criticized.

I think some people just seem to have missed the point of this film entirely. If you want depth, proper characterization and eloquent rich dialogue, you're in entirely the wrong place. Go over to the Pride & Prejudice page and post there instead...

No plot, but nice to look at

[horizonstar · 7/10 · 4 July 2007]

There's no plot and only a tiny amount of character development in this movie, but it sure is enjoyable to watch. It's like a season's worth of fight scenes from "The Ultimate Fighter" TV show collapsed into one sitting, except of course that the fighting in Underground isn't real.

Indeed, there were several times when I was annoyed with the silly decisions made by some of these supposedly top-notch martial artists, as well as the unrealistic effects of some of the strikes employed. They seemed out of place in a film that was trying so hard to be base and gritty.

Nevertheless, if you like watching high-flying, flip-around-in-the-air, make-believe martial arts, then this movie is for you. The filmmakers clearly just wanted to make a bunch of fighting scenes, and they knew that stitching everything together with a contrived, incomprehensible plot would just ruin it (think: Mortal Kombat sequels). So instead they opted for no plot at all, and put their time and money into the choreography.

Don't like fights? Don't watch. Like fights? It's worth a viewing!

Sorry guys, we forgot to write a story....

[destroyerwod · 6/10 · 14 June 2013]

When i picked this movie, it looked like a very good tournament martial arts movie... and on this department, it kinda is. Let me put it straight. The martial arts in this movie are well choreographed, the fight are interesting and the action is brutal unlike many movies where they take many punches and don't show a scratch. Its kinda like these guys wanted to make a brutal somewhat realistic tournament movie still including nice martial arts choreographies. And for that they succeeded.

But the main problem of this movie is the script, or i should say the lac of script. Part of me always wanted a martial arts tournament where they would cut the useless stuff and show us fights, and this movie did, but at the same time, i realized if you don't put an interesting stories, there is NO POINT to the movie. You barely know these guys that are fighting, and honestly you end up not giving a crap about any of them cause you just don't know much. I mean most of them are presented with a valid reason to be there, and some partial little way of rooting for them, but none really get out of the bunch where you really want him to win. Its kinda like watching a mix martial art tournament with unknown fighters, yet all match are fun to watch. In the end your like "cool" but it miss to catch your eyes. I saw bad movies in my life, especially since i own one of the biggest martial art collection of the northern east coast, and some of them had decent classic revenge plot but terrible martial arts, and they where BAD.

This movie at least succeed on the part of the fights. Every fight is interesting, brutal and none of them are a "squash" to showcase the hero or the villain, but at the same time really the lack of some guys to root for just plainly destroy any interest in the movie. I know this has been shot with very limited budget and i respect that, they did a very good job on the fights, but they should had gave the movie a hero, cause there is none. Like i said every fighter in the movie has a valid reason to be there, there is no villain really and your just watching it like you would watch a martial art tournament in real life, only with better choreography's.

So in the end what can i say... plus one for the effort... they tried, and the fights are good, but next time bring a story... cause i wouldn't say the story is bad, no, its just inexistent... there is none... plain and simple and that remove a lot of interest in the movie. If you like low budget fighting movies, try Among Dead Men... really low budget, decent fighting, and still they manage to get an interesting stories going on with a clear villain and hero.

So in the end i would say coming out of nowhere this movie was OK, but it should had be the movie for a game like street fighter, where you cared and rooted for a certain character... not a bunch of no names cliché stereotypes like this....

Great martial arts film

[mail-4290 · 8/10 · 1 July 2007]

To everyone else who's posted about this film, imagine it was named street fighter and released in the 90's.

If they'd used this formula with the film street fighter in the 90's instead of the whole UN army vs terrorists thing it would have suited it down to the ground.

If you like martial arts go watch it, if you feel you need x amounts of twists and turns in a movie to enjoy it then don't.

The plots simple, explain the structure of the tournament. 5 minutes on each fighter's background and motivation. 2 minutes deciding who's up for the next fight, then on with the fight.

It is what it says it is!!!

[Julia0204 · 8/10 · 10 September 2007]

It is exactly what it states that it is - a fighting movie. The choreographed fighting is very good. These men and women are usually hidden in films - playing only background parts.(Appearing in Batman etc). It is refreshing to see a film in which the talented martial arts specialist are the main attractions. I think that this is especially true when you consider that this is a British film - made in Britain! Lets hear it for this film!!!!!! The stunts performed leave the audience in no doubt of the talent of these actors and actresses. The settings whilst not glam America are apt for the nature of the film. The actors who fulfil the roles are exactly right for the parts. The dialogue is appropriate and necessary to the plot line and provides much more information than can be supplied simply through the film. (P>S I may be biased as my daughter stars in this film - as Mark the homeless daughter).

Great Movie Love IT

[Hyper-Spider · 10/10 · 28 November 2007]

When I first saw the trailer of that movie,didn't catch me much though but thought I should give it a try when I have free time,but it turned out pretty amazing by the way here is why I think why!

First of all I would like to Thank the gifted writer for presenting us this unexpected turn of events,especially the ending which is still a complete shock to me.

Second I would love to Thank the Director for making that simple story into a piece of art which is going to be remarkable,and for choosing a completely new actors which was the main factor of excitement,Leaving the audience each to pick up his hero,which was really nice.

This movie is going straight into my library of Great Martial Arts Collection.

Great Martial Arts Flick!!! Who wants it more?????

[spriggan43-1 · 10/10 · 5 March 2009]

This is hands down one of the best martial arts films i've ever seen. Great mix of action and story. Whoever is saying that this movie is horrible or has a bad script obviously watches movies to get the meaning of life or thinks Never Back Down was a great martial arts flick and worthy of replacing Karate Kid and watches movies for the meaning of life and not to be entertained! Not only is this movie entertaining but it's engrossing. Every fight means something and the director did an awesome job of making the viewer care about the characters and the story.

I honestly had no idea who was going to win at the end. Unlike almost every Hollywood flick that pits fighters in the movie for no reason at all and therefore made the movie predictable, I actually was shocked at the ending. England had it right to cast REAL MARTIAL ARTISTS in Martial Roles instead of actors who had a month of training and then having the audience believe that they could sell a fight scene! You would figure with Hollywood with their multi-million dollar budgets would think to cast martial artists for marital arts films! Maybe we have abominations like Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li and the abortion, Dragonball Evolution coming out soon.... Hollywood continues to rape my childhood with just those two movies, I won't even go into the other movies *Cough Transformers Cough*

Not only that, the martial artists had more heart, facial expressions and depth than most Hollywood actors i've seen lately! The fights are semi-realistic with enough film flair to make it interesting and keep me in the perspective that this is a MOVIE and the characters are given great back-stories so that they aren't nameless, faceless cannon fodder.

A homage to classic 1980s action cinema!

[desky1973 · 10/10 · 3 July 2010]

In homage to classic 1980s action cinema, Underground follows the story of twelve individual fighters brought together to compete in an illegal underground tournament for the grand prize of £500,000. Throughout the gruelling competition each fighter will be pushed to their physical and psychological limits as they make and break alliances, fuelled by the goal of eliminating the competition.

Broken from the same mould as martial arts classics like Kickboxer and Blood Fist, Underground is a relentless, adrenaline-fuelled fight fest that takes no prisoners. Following the simple story of twelve underground fighters competing for a cash prize, the unique characters and their individual stories are told through strong characterization and flashback, thrown against some of the most brutal action sequences witnessed in a long time.

Also featuring a strong cast of up and coming British action stars like Mark Strange (Displaced, Batman Begins), Joey Ansah (The Bourne Ultimatum) and Nathan Lewis (Fight School, Kick Ass), the talented team is shown in an incredible light under the heavily visual style of director, Chee Keong Cheung. For fans of martial arts and action cinema, generally, Underground is a ground breaking addition to a hugely successful genre. A must-see for true martial arts fans!

Great independent film!

[beckidoll · 10/10 · 24 August 2009]

I had the pleasure of seeing this film and another by the director Chee Keong Cheung (Bodyguard-a new beginning) at Yellow fever independent film festival in northern Ireland. Both of his films stole the spotlight at the festival winning the viewers choice award! And Chee himself was a pleasure to meet and completely up and coming, this guy is one to watch out for!! I can only say good things about this film! The choreography is great! The locations are great! The idea is fantastic! The cast are perfect... with a few familiar faces in there (such as the cat from red dwarf) I would sincerely recommend this to anyone who enjoys top quality independent fighting films, I loved it!

A window view in to the British society and an awful UT fight movie

[bluritnow-197-687807 · 28 October 2011]

First the basics. The premise of this movie is of UT fighting world, yet consistently fails to deliver. The characters are unrealistic and lack any basic level depth to give the viewer the slightest chance to pick a side. Fight scenes are as unrealistic as can possibly be and the locations make no sense what-so-ever. For a movie of an hour and a half, I would have suggested 4 fighters and not 12. This movie fails to tell the story of the UT fight world.

On the other hand the movie and its writer, director, producer, financiers and everyone in between tell another story all together. The crumbling of British ideals and the British society in itself. We have a group of servants of the public, a Solder, Police Officer, Female Teacher, a Pastor. All of whom are defeated by criminals, bums and minorities in a hateful and disturbing manner. Is this a personal vindication of the creators of this film? or is it an idealogical insight in to the coming demise of what was one the great British Empire? Chaos, criminals, minorities and the hard working people are thrown to the curb. Is it a sad and true story or a hateful story? I will leave that for you to decide.