WFG RATING: B+

Brainstorm Media presents a Signature Entertainment production. Directed by Nick McKinless. Produced by Ben Jacques and Melissa Massey. Written by Joshua Todd James. Cinematography by Rick Joaquim. Edited by Liviu Jipescu.

Stars Scott Adkins, Jack Parr, Madalina Bellariu Ion, Alba de Torrebruna, Renars Latkovskis, Lucy Cork, Billy Clements, and Alice Eve. 

Scott Adkins finds himself in the worst predicament yet in the directorial debut of stunt performer Nick McKinless. 

Sam is an Black Ops sniper who after a nearly botched job decided enough is enough. Having been in the business for too long, he informs his boss Tamara that he is retiring. One night, Sam and his best friend Ken are invited to a penthouse suite in Frankfurt, which will be the setting for Sam’s final job. As the two enjoy their new digs, two Romanian women, Nora and Lila, arrive, offering massages and time with the two.

Sam mysteriously notices a light in a building from the view and realizes that it is a sniper who begins shooting at him and the group. The group also learns the bellhop and manager who have arrived are expert assassins who attempt but fail to kill Sam. Slowly, Sam begins to learn the final job is him and that Tamara, upset that he has decided to leave, wants his dead. With assassins and the sniper who can spot movement and continue to shoot at the group hot on his trail, will Sam and the group be able to escape?

This is another winner for Scott Adkins, who has become the independent equivalent to the likes of Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson. One of the hardest working and busiest actors on the planet today, Adkins is also the go-to guy when it comes to martial arts action as his two-and-a-half decade career has gone from supporting actor to icon. For this film, we once again get a chance to see chop use both his action and acting chops as he is forced to, as the title indicates, take cover against a deadly sniper.

It is always refreshing to see these days, action hero characters who are humanized and not indestructible. Personally, the latter these days, one can think of Jason Statham. However, to see Adkins play a burnt out sniper who wants out only to learn there is only one way out at this point. His scenes with Madalina Bellariu Ion, who plays Mona, brings a sense of emotion as both do jobs they don’t want to do but must do what they did to survive. They have pretty good chemistry as a result of their characters. 

Alice Eve is vicious and cunning as the antagonist Tamara. In some symbolism of the film, we see Sam chopping wood where he and a wolf with heterochromia stare at each other and as the wolf leaves, he tells the wolf, happy hunting. Well, lo and behold, actress Eve also has heterochromia and it is clear that once we finally see her face, that Tamara is the “wolf” that Sam would have to eventually face off against should he survive the situation he’s in. 

Adkins does get in a few fistacuffs in the film. His first are against some thugs after he nearly botched the opening job. One fighter that impresses me is Lucy Cork, who played the bellhop. The actor and stuntwoman, who plays one of the two female assassins in The Killer’s Game, shines as a kickboxing bellhop against Adkins while Adkins also meets his match in the towering Renars Latkovskis plays Mirko, the hotel manager. 

Take Cover is a pretty solid vehicle for Scott Adkins. A great concept of a film that highlights Adkins’ action and acting chops make this one for fans of the icon.