British martial arts ace Scott Adkins is about to meet his match in former WWE superstar Stu “Wade Barrett” Bennett in this fast-paced action thriller from the director of Green Street Hooligans: Underground.
Thomas McKenzie, an ex-FBI agent, has been under the Witness Protection Program for the past seven years under the alias “Martin Parker” and living in London. He works as a parking security guard and is a loving father to young daughter Carly. However, one night is about change his life forever. When a trio of robbers mistake Thomas’ house for a house they plan to ransack for drugs, Thomas is beaten badly but is able to kill the robbers. Waking up in the hospital handcuffed, Thomas is now being charged with murder. The incident has compromised his position as the man he was to testify against has learned he has resurfaced.
Cooper, a notorious crime lord and gun runner, has been after Thomas for years now. Thomas was undercover in Cooper’s organization and is blamed for the death of his daughter, who happened to by Carly’s mother. Intending to get rid of Thomas and retrieve his granddaughter, Cooper hires Bishop, the number one hitman in the area, to find and eliminate Thomas. As the FBI arrives in London to bring Thomas back to safety, a deadly game is played and Thomas now must rely on his quick wit to find Carly and avoid the menacing Bishop, who will go to extremes to get the job done.
It is clear that Scott Adkins loves to work, making him one of the busiest actors in films today. In his latest outing, a co-production of WWE Studios and British-based Tea Shop and Film Co. Ltd., Adkins once again shows why he is one of the top action stars today. In his role of Thomas McKenzie, Adkins gets to showcase both his acting and action skills once again. This time, he is an ex-FBI agent who will do anything it takes to make sure he is reunited with his young daughter, even if it means doing the unthinkable in terms of evading the law. He finds himself in a compromised position and finds himself first wanted by the local police by it is the mercenary Bishop that is his biggest threat in the film.
And with this being a WWE Studios film, there has to be a WWE superstar in the wings. And in this case, it is the man known as Wade Barrett, who was released in April. Barrett, whose real name is Stu Bennett, is truly menacing as Bishop. He’s a cold, calculating mercenary who gets paid to do his job, and goes to great lengths to make sure that his latest target is eliminated. He even attempts to bribe two thugs in a cable car to beat Thomas up when he hides out. Daniel Caltagirone provides ample support as Thomas’ only ally on the “battlefield” while James Cosmo brings a devious mastermind-style performance as Cooper, who mixes business and personal quandaries when it comes to Thomas.
Tim Man was responsible for the film’s action sequences. Man had worked with Adkins on the films Ninja: Shadow of a Tear and the upcoming Boyka: Undisputed. Man is someone who knows how to adapt to fighting styles and is able to once again have Adkins showcase some of his trademark martial arts skills while Bennett gets to adapt well in matching well with Adkins in terms of their fisticuffs. Adkins has some other fight scenes in the film, including a nicely shot fight in the hospital where one of the policemen he faces is played by Aaron Gassor, known to the YouTube world as “GingerNinjaTrickster”.
Eliminators is definitely another great action film from Scott Adkins and team. An interesting plot mixed in with some pretty good action scenes and a worthy adversary in Stu Bennett, this is definitely one to check out.
WFG RATING: B
WWE Studios presents a Voltage Pictures production in association with The Tea Shop & Film Co. Limited. Director: James Nunn. Producers: Michael J. Luisi, Mark Lane, and James Harris. Writers: Bobby Lee Darby and Nathan Brookes. Cinematography: Luke Bryant. Editing: Paul Harb.
Cast: Scott Adkins, Stu Bennett, Daniel Caltagirone, James Cosmo, Ty Glaser, Olivia Mace, Lily Ann Stubbs, Mem Ferda.
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