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Redbelt (2008)

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31 out of 38 people found the following comment useful :-
Another searing masterpiece from Mamet!!, 28 April 2008

Author: sulaco_in from United States

I just saw this movie yesterday at the Tribeca Film Festival, NYC. I have never posted a review at IMDb before, in spite of being a loyal visitor to this website for 10 years now. However, after watching Redbelt, I have been forced to say something.

In short the film is about a martial arts instructor who is too idealistic for the real world around him. Thats why he stays safely behind the confines of his teaching academy. One night though, a series of events changes everything and he is forced to come out into the open and confront the consequences of the ripple effect.

This confrontation, in the hands of David Mamet becomes white hot and you can feel the tension of the film in your pulse. The audience applauded many scenes and in the end I think the standing ovation must have lasted five minutes or more. Many people also felt that this film should have been considered for the Cadillac Award, and were disappointed that Redbelt was ineligible for the top competition honor.

As always taut screenplay and cracking dialogues were the hallmark of the film, like any other Mamet movie or play. During the course of the film I couldn't help but wonder at the raw intensity that Mamet manages to bring to his films. I have not been able to pin point so far, but I do see parallels between the protagonists of his earlier film Spartan (played by Val Kilmer) and Redbelt (played to greatness by the ever brilliant Chiwetel Ejiofor).

Overall an amazing film and Mamet fans won't be disappointed.

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7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
There's always an escape…Redbelt, 9 May 2008

Author: babubhaut from buffalo, ny, usa

David Mamet is back with his new film Redbelt. After four years away from Hollywood, producing the television show "The Unit," Mamet has followed up his solid thriller Spartan with a drama of intelligence that only he can capture. Complete with the trademark, metered language—every word timed and delivered with precision—this tale may be billed as a mixed martial arts actioner, but it is so much more. The sport itself lends heavily to the plot for sure, but rather than with its moves and choreography, it is the underlying sense of honor that becomes the central focus. Beginning as a straight-forward drama of faith and morality, culminating into what appears to be this Jiu-Jitsu instructor's big chance at success and wealth to keep his fledgling gym in business, Mamet's story soon gets the rug pulled out from under it, fast and hard. I will admit to not having expected the sharp turn of events halfway through as everything Mike Terry has built his life upon ends up leading to his demise, eventually finding him on the edge of throwing all he believes in away forever. A film of respect and sacrifice, greed and deceit, Redbelt goes places you will not be ready for, yet it is handled deftly, causing all the machinations to fall into place and show their true worth in the progression of the story. It all happens for a reason; life sometimes deals you pain and leaves you in a choke hold about to lose air, but as Terry tells his students, there is always an escape.

I don't want to ruin anything with this film, because truthfully it caught me off-guard. Maybe the turn was hinted in the trailer, I don't remember, but it is better to go in following the plot threads and watching it all unravel. With that said, I do have a problem with the ending. Not so much the tone and end result, but in the way it all transpires. I believe it is a perfect conclusion if not played out too easily without explaining the motivations behind two Jiu-Jitsu champions and their actions. To do what they do, it would almost mean they knew what was going on with the tournament, that they knew what Terry was about to tell the world before he spoke…I just don't see how that can be true. Maybe Mamet just wanted to stick to a minimalist approach and allow it all to occur in sequence, and it is a powerful progression, it's just filled with that one problem which could have possibly been rectified, but maybe it was and I missed it. I don't want to accuse the filmmaker of a plot-hole if he actually did cover it up, I just can't remember it happening. It's the one blight on an otherwise stellar film.

The script is a huge part of the success and really that is where Mamet either flourishes or fails. At times he can be too cute or too overwrought, but at other instances he can be at the top of the industry. I generally find his smaller works, based off his own plays, as his best work, but this one is definitely on par. The ability to take us on this journey with two halves of good times and the fall from them is a feat that usually fails due to contrivances and blatant tells. Maybe I was tired or just too caught up in the acting and fight sequences, but it really surprised me in a good way; I didn't see it coming at all.

Credit should go to the performers too for keeping their end of the game high quality. You believe all involved just as Mike Terry does throughout and when it hits him, the revelation is astounding. I believe that is due to the brilliant turn from Chiwetel Ejiofor in this lead role. Supposedly he had never had any formal martial arts training beforehand, but when you see him encompass Terry, you won't believe that. He really pulls off the realism and the energy and the stoic calm of being in control at all times, not competing because that forum only weakens you. Eijiofor carries the film on his back as he enters the world of Hollywood business and behind closed-door deals before attempting to claw his way out. Despite the opportunity presented him, he never falters from the passion he has in the sport and the willingness to help anyone in need. A true hero, Mike Terry continues on his path of righteousness, pushing the anger away and clearing his mind to prevail.

The rest of the cast—consisting of many Mamet regulars like wife Rebecca Pidgeon, David Paymer, and Ricky Jay in small roles—take the words and nail each reading. Max Martini stands out as Terry's star pupil and backbone emotionally to the story; Alice Braga is good as the wife finding that standing by her man may not be the way to succeed financially in life; Emily Mortimer is fantastic as the troubled attorney who's accidental introduction to the gym puts everything into motion; and Tim Allen shows that maybe he still has some good serious turns in him if only he can get some time off from children's fare. Along with the acting comes some amazing choreography fight-wise too. The camera usually stays in close-up, but there aren't too many sharp cuts, allowing the full fight to play out as realistically as possible. Sure we get the one man fighting a gang and winning, but he never prevails unscathed, allowing us to believe what we are seeing.

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9 out of 13 people found the following comment useful :-
If you like emotion and objective correlatives, you'll like this movie ..., 10 May 2008

Author: Charles Delacroix from United States

I saw this movie and was very pleasantly surprised. I really liked this movie. Although at first I didn't know why.

After all, the script, as narrative, is full of holes. Big holes. Without going into details, the initial scene with shot fired has been accurately described as full of holes as swiss cheese. Yet this scene is a key part of the movie, referenced again and again. This is not good.

The title, pictures, and promos were all fundamentally misleading. I went expecting a martial arts film. But it turns out to be a drama. If you are looking for martial arts action, you'll come away very, very disappointed. This too is not good.

The final sequence is utterly incredible. This has been pointed out again and again. This is a basic plot failure. And this too is not good.

And yet ... and yet I came away really, really feeling good about this movie I had just seen. Why?

Well, first, if you view the script not as a narrative, but as a sequence of loosely connected scenes designed to evoke one emotion or thought or the other ... like tableaux vivants, or what TS Eliot called objective correlatives ... well, it works. For example, we have a main character stripped of everything in a series of narratively impossible scenes; and yet the emotions involved in "losing everything" are conveyed powerfully and evocatively. Likewise the ending redemptive sequence is narratively incredible; but emotionally very, very satisfying. This is all to the good.

The characters, acting, and characterizations were all excellent. Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mike Terry was superb. And the Mike Terry character is simply a delight, likable, appealing, interesting. Tim Allen was successfully cast against type. Ricky Jay's Marty Brown the sports promoter is utterly slimy and yet I couldn't take my eyes off of him. After every scene, I felt like running to the restroom to wash my hands and face and ears. He is sliminess personified. But all the characters were well drawn whether likable or disgusting. All to the good.

The cinematography and scenes were well drawn and well depicted. There were some really gripping, evocative shots I especially like: such as the Tim Allen character in dark profile. All to the good.

All in all, I'd say if you like emotion and objective correlatives, I think you'll like this movie. Don't go looking for martial arts, and don't go looking for a sound narrative; but if you want good, solid punch, you've come to the right place.

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12 out of 19 people found the following comment useful :-
More than Jiu-Jitsu, 5 May 2008
Author: John DeSando (jdesando@columbus.rr.com) from Columbus, Ohio

"Never stop fighting 'til the fight is done." Mamet's Untouchables.

From Jackie Chan gymnastics to Crouching Tiger fantasy and all martial arts in between, if you are watching to witness bloody realism, then go to snuff movies because most mainstream filmmakers would wish you to see the metaphor in the mayhem rather than the shock in the schlock. David Mamet's Redbelt is more than a Jiu-Jitsu competition for the highest belt; in the best tradition of complicated fight films, this competition is for the principled soul of academy owner/instructor Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor), the fight representing a challenge to his long-standing Samurai principle that "a competition is not a fight." Mamet's love affair with crisp crude language (See Spartan and Glengarry Glen Ross for starters) is in this film still a staccato rhythm mixed with minimal dialogue emphasizing the great issues such as authenticity and honesty rather than expletives. Mike is unwittingly thrown into the maelstrom of a con, which he should be able to evade according to his mantra that there is always an escape.

The academy needs cash; Terry is maneuvered by slick operatives to fight for $50, 000, contrary to his belief in the authenticity of a real fight and the sham of competition. What happens next is minor for the outcome but major for seeing the corruption of those around the fighter. It's all a house of cards, to pick the title of one of Mamet's challenging films. The playwright, director is constantly facing his heroes with con games that threaten their sense of right in an essentially chaotic universe.

Redbelt may be one of Mamet's less dense films, but it still reflects a filmmaker dedicated to unearthing the ambiguity through the metaphors of gritty, violent daily life, in which principle will not always defeat betrayal. I am thankful this film is neither the fantasy of so many Asian martial arts films these days, nor is it the inane romance of Never Back Down. "It is what it is," as today's tough guys might say, and that's a violent concept just right in the age of Iraq and presidential politics.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Excellent!, 10 May 2008

Author: Tecun_Uman from United States

I almost did not watch this film. I have been burned by David Mamet in the past. In fact, I still believe that "Spartan" was the worst film ever made. But boy did he make up for it with this one. The film centers around Mike Terry, an idealist, who runs his own dojo and trains students fighting skills and souls. His wife believes Mike is addicted to poverty, but really, he is addicted to honor. Financial and ethical problems result in Mike having to do what he never has done before, fight in a competition. The action scenes are great. The international talent is wonderful. The attention to detail, first class. You will recognized many people from the world of MMA here, including Frank Trigg and Randy Couture, but the actor that plays Mike Terry is what makes the film shine, excellent job. Take it from someone that is not a Mamet shill, this film rocks!

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Ejiofor shines in one of the best written films of the decade., 21 May 2008

Author: Rockwell_Lestrange from United States

For years now I've believed that Chiwetel Ejiofor is one of the most underrated actors around. For those looking for proof, go no further than Redbelt. He delivers one of the most commanding performances of the decade in this film that brings a man down to his complete boiling point and shows the true virtue of having honor. David Mamet's script is something to swoon over. The writing, as always, is crisp, powerful and well-educated. However for once, the brilliance in his script comes more from the plot than the dialogue. Yes, the dialogue is phenomenal, but there's something in the way that every little scene comes together near the end and results in a huge turning point in the film that amazes me.

Early on in the film, attorney Laura Black (Emily Mortimer) stumbles into Mike Terry's (Ejiofor) jiu-jitsu gym and accidentally fires a police officer's gun through a window. She pays to have it fixed and this establishes a bond between her and Terry that grows throughout the film. Ejiofor and Mortimer bounce very well off of each other, each giving an astounding performance. Later that night, Terry goes to his brother-in-law's (Rodrigo Santoro) bar to ask for a loan. His wife (Alice Braga) and him are quickly running out of money and they're hoping for some help to pay the rent. When he's leaving the bar, he sees actor Chet Frank (Tim Allen) getting into a brawl with some guys. Terry steps in and takes the men down, saving Frank. This bond establishes a friendship between Terry and Frank that brings him into a wealthy world full of corruption and dishonor which uses him and his wife up for all they're worth and then throws them out. As an act of gratitude the day after Terry saves Frank, he receives a watch in the mail. To show his appreciation to the police officer for not pressing charges on the attorney who fired a round near him, Terry gives the officer the watch.

Now, none of these scenes are made to be epic in any way. They appear as well-written filler throughout the story of Mike being thrown into this world of corruption, but they end up being much more than that. Chet Frank's agent (Joe Mantegna) steals Terry's training regime and sells it to some producers of a mixed martial arts tournament who are looking for a new hook. Black serves as Terry's attorney as they go to sue the producers for stealing his idea, and everything looks like it's going to finally turn in Terry's favor until the opposing attorney reveals that he knows about Black firing the round at the police officer in Terry's gym and all three of them can go to jail if they don't back off. This so magnificently shows the genius in Mamet's writing. Small scenes that appear almost insignificant early on turn into something much greater late in the film.

Redbelt is a true success and features a bounty of phenomenal performances. Tim Allen is surprisingly excellent in his first serious role. It's a shame that he disappears halfway through, but it's necessary in terms of story. Mortimer shines, as always, in a role that has an immense amount of depth beneath the surface. The true driving force of the film, though, is Chiwetel Ejiofor. A commanding, stoic force that shows calmness in the first two acts and erupts in the finale. The action is compelling, the performances are extraordinary and the writing is beyond crisp. Redbelt perfectly demonstrates the power of having honor in your body and your mind with a final scene that defines the word 'rewarding'.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Mamet creates a real hero, 19 May 2008

Author: Chris Knipp from Berkeley, California

If you know your Mamet you can watch 'Redbelt' for the significant ways in which it's un-Mamet-like and it will be more enjoyable. If you don't know your Mamet, you're likely to find it just as baffling and off-putting as 'Heist,' 'Spartan,' 'The Spanish Prisoner,' etc., because the plot still moves forward, especially at the beginning, by a series of baffling twists. (It pays to keep coming back.)

Mamet's dialog with its pauses and repetitions and non-sequiturs is so famously mannered and self-conscious you can picture it on the page of script even as the actors speak it. Such artificiality works better in principle on stage. The greater issue when Mamet writes and directs his own movie is the story line. His plot twists are so purely clever, so completely arbitrary, it's hard to take them seriously. The result is enjoyable in a head-trip kind of way, but ultimately cold and uninvolving. As David Edelstein says in his nonetheless favorable review of 'Redbelt,' its plot is "so bizarrely convoluted it barely holds together on a narrative level." Maybe Edelstein's right that this is typical of fight movies; it's even more typical of Mamet. His double-crosses, often involving Hollywood people and crooked promoters, are more rapid-fire and intricate than the usual genre equivalents.

But coming after the cold blur of Mamet's 2004 'Spartan,' 'Redbelt' seems unusually fresh and strong. Some have just attributed this to Mamet's doing a "noir," a "prize fight story," even a "Rocky," with "mixed martial arts" (jujitsu really) the updated replacement of boxing--and this time not even getting in the way of the (for him) new genre. But I think the important difference is Mamet's departure not from previous genres or the conventions of this one, but from his usual cynicism, which makes the ending far less routine and mechanical than 'Spartan's,' less cold and clever than any of his previous endings were.

Genre elements are still definitely there. You can see 'Redbelt,' for a while anyway, as a grownup 'Karate Kid', with Chiwetel Ejiofor the Mr. Miyagi and a cop named Joey his Daniel-san.

There are two interpretations of this comparison. Either the dip into old fashioned B-picture structures makes 'Redbelt' a winner, more forceful and accessible than Mamet's usual hide-and-seek bluffs. Or the Mamet mannerisms are absurd in an otherwise conventional action setting and it's a flop. (Those who complain the fights aren't specific enough are surely missing how well the passive, defensive methods of jujitsu are defined and illustrated in the film early on so they can be appreciated later.)

The skeleton of the fight story trajectory is unquestionably there, but with a difference. The movie (apparently) ends with a big staged public competition surrounded by the paraphernalia of audience and promotion and suspense about outcome. Like an old-style boxing flick the movie refers to gambling, fixed fights, payoffs, prizes. But first of all this isn't about boxing--"Boxing's dead," one of the promoters says--and Mamet even takes a lot of personal pleasure in working with this different sport, using his own knowledge from five years of training in it.

But more than that, the difference in the sport and the hero's dedication to it significantly change the framework and the ending. Unlike just any conventional athlete, Mike Terry (Ejiofor) practices and teaches a Brazilian form of jujitsu--his wife Sondra (Alice Braga) is Brazilian--and therefore follows the Bushido code. This is not only not boxing. It's a philosophy, and as we know, its focus is not winning a staged contest but triumphing over any enemy in a conflict. 'Redbelt' is a martial arts movie with a hero who succeeds to the end in staying outside any system. Mike never intends to and does not participate in a promoted public fight (though Mamet just barely dodges that--with his usual slickness in plot twists).

This is where Mamet completely deviates from his usual world of one cynical double-cross after another. Unlike the underdog, Mike has nothing to prove. His dojo is financially unsuccessful not because he's some kind of hitherto floundering loser but simply because he is--he must be--indifferent to money. He is in peak condition and never loses, but when he triumphs it's only to make a point, not prove himself. This may link him with Mr. Miyagi. But unlike Miyagi, Mike fights, and defeats, a lot of people on-screen. This is so much an action movie and Ejiofor is so convincing that the dialog very rarely sounds mannered this time.

If you understand what Mamet's doing and how that's different this time from both Mamet's routines and the sports genre film, the ending ins't hasty or confused so much as emotionally satisfying and right. If you insist, you can say it's just 'Rocky' for grownups who like Eastern philosophy; but that's something awfully new for this writer/director. As usual for Mamet, 'Redbelt' isn't realistic. But this time he isn't just being clever: the movie leads not to "Ah ha!" but simply a satisfied "Ah!" This time Mamet doesn't give us a manipulated character who does or doesn't survive: he gives us a real hero. This is where the excellent Ejiofor is so essential and so cool. Mike is a character Mamet never conceived before--and a hero more convincing in his iron resiliency than is usual, thanks to the calm intensity and inner peace the actor effortlessly projects.

There are plenty of other reasons in the cast for being happy. Everyone is unusually good and those characters who seem cheap and slick are that way because they're from the world of cheap and slick people. Those who come closer to Mike Terry like his wife and the initially dodgy woman lawyer Laura Black (Emily Mortimer) who becomes his partner in conflict, and his black belt, Joe Ryan (Max Martini) are thoroughly warm and convincing.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
"Redbelt" - The Code of the Samurai, 14 May 2008

Author: dee.reid from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

To call the new martial arts film from writer-director David Mamet, "Redbelt," a martial arts film is a bit of an understatement, or a cruel simplification. While martial arts, specifically Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, plays a prominent role in "Redbelt," it's really more about honor - samurai honor, although there's no swordplay on display here. As a fan of martial arts movies, I found "Redbelt" to be a great departure from most of what's commonly seen in the genre, and I just might call this the third best martial arts movie made in the United States - behind "The Karate Kid" (1984) and "Best of the Best" (1989), respectively.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) has become one of two de facto fighting styles in modern mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, the other being Muay Thai. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a reformation of Japanese Jujutsu, was founded in the early 20th century by two Brazilian businessmen, Carlos and Helio Gracie, after being trained by a Japanese Judo master, and the Gracies later issued the infamous "Gracie Challenge" to take on the world's best fighters. Then, in 1993, their style became world-famous when Gracie descendant Royce Gracie won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), thus sparking a revolution in the martial arts community. While a lot of fighting styles focus on striking, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's emphasis is on grappling, specifically ground fighting, often defeating opponents with submission (or "tapping out") techniques via various choke-holds, joint locks, and strangulations.

OK, so the history lesson is now over.

In Mamet's "Redbelt," Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a BJJ purist who runs a small martial arts dojo in California training members of the police and military. He's loyal to the code, and will not compete in the increasingly profitable world of televised MMA competition, although he is related by marriage (to Alice Braga as his wife, Sondra) to the sport's royal family and its current champion, Augusto Silva (played by real-life BJJ expert John Machado). After saving the life of a Hollywood action star named Chet Frank (played with believable world-weary, early-stage alcoholism by Tim Allen) during a bar-room brawl - a fight that is as brutal and realistic as it is choreographed - Frank contacts Mike to serve as a producer and technical adviser on his latest picture.

It turns out that this encounter was a blessing: an incident at his dojo one night has forced him close to bankruptcy (among other financial woes) and having him to pay visits to local loan sharks to get it fixed; this same incident also leads to the suicide of one of his top students, echoing the Japanese concept of "seppuku" - ritualistic suicide - another staple of samurai movies. But a series of pecks along the way with his new friends have gotten Mike into even more trouble, and have him reconsidering his choice to not fight in televised competition.

While "Redbelt" is extremely well-written (Mamet's greatest gift as a filmmaker) and acted with some excellent fight choreography, fault can found in a lack of actual combat, although there are some brief encounters here and there, and the movie does end in a rather brutal brawl at an MMA competition. However, the movie does seem to rush through its plot machinations to arrive at this conclusion, leaving many things - it would seem - unresolved, such as the fate of Chet Frank and his role in the conspiracy against Mike, or the seemingly tacked-on teacher-student relationship between Mike and Laura (Emily Mortimer). Mike is a character who is loyal to a code analogous to Japanese Bushido ("way of the warrior"), and puts this above everything else. But the question is then asked: How does one face so many insurmountable odds and still maintain their integrity? The answer is, you just work with the forces opposing you, rather against them.

MMA fans may not get a whole lot from "Redbelt" (despite appearances by several famous faces, including former UFC champ Randy Couture and Jeet Kune Do Concepts instructor Dan Inosanto) but that was not the intention of the film. Mamet's point here is honor, not solving things with your fists (even though that is kind of a moot point here). I appreciate the time spent in letting Mike seem like a real person caught in a really dire situation while trying desperately to hang on to his principles.

And that is what loyalty to the code, to one's teacher or master and earning one's black belt (or red belt) in a fighting discipline, truly entails.

8/10

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Mesmerizing Tour De Force, 12 May 2008

Author: pegasus3 from United States

REDBELT is a mesmerizing tour de force. There are so many story elements intricately tied together. Causal action relationships bump up against arbitrary chance events. The honor code of the Samurai warrior meets up and does battle with the criminal scams of a greedy Hollywood film and sports culture. Mamet frames his film with the world of martial arts and yet it is at the same time the classic Greek warrior's noble struggle, "arête", which thus becomes a fascinating fusion of Eastern and Western cultural traditions. The jiu-jitsu instructor's (Mike Terry) caveats to his students in the opening scene in how to marshal their forces and extricate themselves from entrapment by their opponent ("There is always a way out, you just have to find it") all return to test him as the movie unfolds and he becomes ensnared in the dishonorable world which surrounds him. The acting throughout is marvelous with a cast that reflects Mamet's refined sense of individual characters. Chiwetel Ejiofor is superb. While he dominates the film, the other members of the cast are more than impressive, especially Ricky Jay who plays a scumbag fight promoter. If I were to have any criticism, it would be that Mamet sometimes moves too quickly in the exposition of his "magnificent puzzle" and at times during the film, I felt a bit frustrated and confused. But that is a small price to pay for such a challenging artistic experience. The camera work is fascinating. Mamet uses lots of unusual close-up shots, not just of faces but also segments of the landscape in which significant action is occurring. It's a very painterly approach to film. This is a film that stimulates one to see it several more times, hopefully on the big screen. I've not elaborated on any specific scenes, as I don't wish to spoil the challenging denouement of the film. REDBELT is brilliant film-making.

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
MMA Mamet Style, 9 May 2008

Author: ElijahCSkuggs from Happy Land, who lives in a Gumdrop House on Lolly Pop Lane

For a fan of MMA like myself, I've been really drooling for a good MMA flick. To satisfy my MMA urges I've put myself through cheesy Bas Rutten flicks (The Eliminator and even The Vault), amazing documentaries (The Smashing Machine), and even rare Japanese flicks (Nagurimono). So this has been a long time coming. A well-made flick, with a well-known director and accomplished actors, this has to be good, right? Well, no, not really. But luck be true, REDBELT was a very good film.

The story follows a thoughtful Jiu Jitsu instructor who ends up running into some good luck. Unfortunately, it doesn't last long, and in order to set things right, he will need to cross examine himself and the people around him. Respect, honor, greed, back-stabbing and gratitude rule this film, turning it into an intriguing, emotional and entertaining movie.

With fantastic acting by most, smart, realistic writing, and some emotional scenes, REDBELT delivers an especially big wallop on the intimate side.

Though, with hyper editing and jerky camera-work used for the MMA scenes, the movie tends not to work as well as I would have liked. For a knowledgeable MMA fan, you'll pick up on all the moves, but for someone who doesn't know about MMA and it's techniques, it may seem like a mess.

However, the film is definitely not a mess. Yeah, the ending was a tad too unbelievable, and though the movie shines through it's writing and realistic situations, some scenes felt a little sappy. But the end of the ending was fantastic.

Red Belt doesn't fail at being an action flick; it just succeeds more so at being an entertaining drama with an MMA theme. This is an easy movie to recommend, since it's easily recommendable to all people who believe in having good morals.

The movie would have been perfect if El Guapo was in it. ;)

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