Movie Review: Redbelt

By Citizen Correspondent Robert Waldman

Date Posted: 05/08/08

Reader Rating:

By all accounts Mike Terry is a model citizen. Despite an underprivileged background coming from humble beginnings our mild mannered martial arts expert has risen to the top of his field. Self defense is this man’s calling and his South Side jiu-jitsu academy is one of the best in the business. Respected by all who know him Mike instills confidence and a unique way of fighting in his charges: call it master psychology. Too bad life on the home front is a little less tranquil

Married to a hot-wired Latin lovely the pair makes quite the team. Chance accidents, however, begin to cloud their idyllic existence. New people enter their rather mundane lives which manage to throw them off course. What goes around comes around and Mike’s knack for perfecting champions in the ring leads to a series of missteps that forever will colour his life.
Full of surprises and uncompromising performances, Redbelt turns out to be one of the best frame turners in years. Past films on the fight game have gained their following, such as Fight Club. Dare I say Redbelt will also be elevated to this higher level of recognition status thanks to a wonderful story and standout acting.
Already one could say Chiwetel Ejiofor (Dirty Pretty Things) should be a frontrunner for an Oscar thanks to his stirring portrayal of Mike Terry, a man on the ropes whose inner power gets put to the ultimate test. Various supporting actors also turn in memorable work including Tim Allen (The Santa Clause) as, what else, an actor, and Ricky Jay (Tomorrow Never Dies) as a no nonsense manager.
Intense performances, exciting footage inside the ring, tight pacing and a neat expose on the world of extreme/ultimate fighting make Redbelt flashy fun.
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