Avengement ★★★

CONTRARY to widespread critical opinion, Scott Adkins can act.

The Englishman first taught himself how to fight and then started in Hong Kong action films.

This lead him to low-budget Hollywood fare which has struggled to get out of.

Recently he has earned a couple of cameos in more popular action films like John Wick 4, thanks to the advancement of stunt performers to directors.

But it’s 2019’s Avengement that proves he isn’t just a snarling fighting machine.

Don’t get me wrong, there is still plenty of snarling in director Jesse V. Johnson’s film which is a violent London crime gang thriller of the type that usually stars Craig Fairbrass and/or Vinnie Jones – Mike Ritchie lite if you will.

The former does indeed pop up in this film playing the older brother of Adkins’ character, Cain Burgess.

But the film belongs to Adkins whose desperate, vengeful escaped prisoner is dangerously charismatic and constantly watchable.

Also of note is a compelling and brutal bar fight that brings the film to its climax.

Johnson’s script was apparently ‘inspired’ by a 1962 samurai film called Harakiri by director Masaki Kobayashi.

It’s much better than expected.

Watched on Netflix.