WFG RATING: A

Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment and Well Go USA presents a Myriad Entertainment production in association with Odyssey Motion Pictures and Brand in Motion. Directed by Louis Mandylor. Produced by Scott Adkins, Marc Clebanoff, Louis Mandylor, Michael Copon, and Brandon Menchen. Written by Marc Clebanoff; story by Scott Adkins. Cinematography by Niccolo de la Fere. Editing by Austin Nordell.

Stars Scott Adkins, Peter Shinkoda, Michael Copon, Michael Rene Walton, Gary Cairns, Gabbi Garcia, Masanori Mimoto, Kansuke Yokoi, with Shane Kosugi, and Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone.

Scott Adkins is back and this time, he’s at war with the Japanese in World War II in this action-packed film directed by Louis Mandylor.

In 1942, at Bataan in the Philippines, a group of American soldiers have been taken captive at a Japanese internment camp as prisoners of war. The British Royal Air Force sends in their troops in hopes to make a daring rescue. However, the Japanese have ambushed the air force and all but one are killed in action. The lone survivor is Wing Commander James Wright, who at first fights his way until he too is captured.

Upon his arrival at the camp, Wright meets the man in charge, Lt. Col. Ito. Ito forces Wright into combat with some of his men. However, Wright is able to best them due to his possession of some superior fighting skills. Wright was raised in Hong Kong and after his father’s passing, traversed to Thailand and Japan to martial arts before returning to the UK. As Wright is under constant combat against Ito’s men, a last ditch effort plan to escape is in place with Wright and American Army prisoner Collins set to lead the way.

After a stellar performance in this summer’s Diablo, Scott Adkins returns to take lead in this film that marks his third collaboration with Debt Collector franchise cohort Louis Mandylor. However, unlike their previous films, Mandylor takes the director’s chair and proving how he can make a good WWII action-drama with Battle for Saipan and 3 Days in Malay, Mandylor succeeds with this film as well with Adkins providing the story with Marc Clebanoff writing the screenplay.

Adkins once again shines, mixing his martial arts skills with showing an emotional range in the role of the lone survivor James Wright. Here, we see him constantly under pressure to face a different challenge each day in the camp due to his ability to fight. What is even more interesting is that despite the fact that Peter Shinkoda’s Lt. Col. Ito attempts to break Wright, Ito seems to have a bit of respect for Wright for his abilities, even when he berates him for killing one of his top enforcers, played by Ninja scion Shane Kosugi.  

Former Power Ranger Michael Copon, Gary Cairns, Michael Rene Walton, and UFC legend Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone round out the core cast as the American POWs Wright and his team were sent to rescue before the ambush that causes our hero to be the lone survivor. They have complete respect towards Wright for his tenacity and ability to take on the Japanese, which results in them attempting a plan to escape once and for all from the internment camp. 

Alvin Hsing’s fight choreography is well done here as it doesn’t necessarily rely on Adkins resorting to anything flashy. Instead, we see Adkins use a style similar to Kyokushin-kai Karate and even a bit of Judo and Jiu-Jitsu when necessary. He also engages in Bushido, showing his prowess and tenacity with some really good cinematography courtesy of Diablo’s lensman, former kickboxing champion Niccolo de la Fere. 

Prisoner of War showcases Scott Adkins at his finest. A mix of raw emotion and use of hard-style martial arts just right for the WWII setting along with Louis Mandylor’s abilities as a director make this one of the must watch action films of 2025. 

The film is currently in select theaters and on Digital in the USA from Well Go USA and will be released on Digital in the UK on October 6 followed by a Blu-Ray/DVD release in the UK on October 10 from Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment.