Greenes
Please don't spend money on this.
Platicsco
Good story, Not enough for a whole film
Aedonerre
I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.
The_Phantom_Projectionist
Among the several martial arts performance groups making names for themselves in the movie business, the Z Team is definitely among those worth watching. Though one of its members – Laurent Buson – has already been generously highlighted in MERANTAU, their first feature length team production here is a different kind of project and pretty unique as far as fight flicks go. Though this genre-bending adventure takes a few creative and technical chances that don't pay off and will limit this one's appeal among viewers, it ought to appeal just fine among people who value martial excellence and are ready for a slightly different kind of street brawler.The story: A team of martial arts performers trying to make it big in Hollywood is forced by a sadistic, omniscient filmmaker to fights for the lives of their loved ones in a series of life-and-death brawls.The film is a fairly dark action-thriller. Imagine THE CONDEMNED shot by a director of the SAW series, with an emphasis on martial arts. Nevertheless, the decision of the actors to play themselves (led by director Fabien Garcia) makes this feel a little like a vanity project, and the semi-realistic approach to the scenario makes the very flashy karate look out-of-place at first. However, once the movie starts finding its pace, it begins to feel more natural, especially as mystery transcends any character shortcomings and the quality of the brawls becomes stellar. The decision to film this as a pseudo-documentary is odd but handled about as maturely as possible: at best, the camera-work is standard enough that you forget what kind of a movie this is supposed to be, and even at its worst, you never get the erratic, debilitating camera-work of "Blair Witch" knockoffs.The fight scenes are more than decent to begin with but ultimately develop into fight-of-the-year contenders. The ten full-length fights are evenly split between one-on-one and one-against-many exchanges, and in both cases, the performers demonstrate the necessary ingenuity to stand out against the competition. The first fights lack a little power – giving the impression of a bunch of guys just throwing spin kicks until someone drops – and director Garcia's love of Dutch angles is not entirely conducive to filming dynamic brawls, but the quality of the matches rises quickly and dramatically. A scene wherein Garcia battles a karate dojo is particularly cool, the showdown between Didier Buson and Xin Sarith Wuku is a showstopper, and the lengthy slugfest between Garcia and Laurent Buson is a worthy finale. If anything, I wish the fights could have been even more creative: in one scene, the filmmaker demands that Garcia fight a violent gang using only drunken boxing techniques, and a few more stipulations of this sort could have made for even more interesting exchanges.The eventual twist at the end of the movie may or may not satisfy viewers, but personally, I thought it was pretty cool. Additionally, the amplitude of performers trying to act their way through thick French accents may be off-putting to some viewers, but anyone who can sit through a Van Damme movie should be fine. Altogether, this amounts to a movie that could have been a lot better but isn't actually in too shabby of shape to begin with. The Z Team seems capable of matching its ambition as deftly as, say, Eric Jacobus and his Stunt People, and I expect good things from them in the future. In the meantime, I recommend DIE FIGHTING as at least a rental.
minh_le
The fighting alone makes it worth the 6/10. The acting was hard to watch.. The story was nothing worse than what you'd find in other martial arts movies like Ong Bak, etc. The movie has A LOT of fighting in it, and thankfully you don't have to sit through to much of the painful acting. The majority of the fights are really well done (especially those with the lead actor).The fighters themselves can seriously fight. They have technique and speed that I've seen from more famous actor/fighters (Tony Jaa, Iko Uwais). The lead actor is especially fun to watch. If you're a martial arts fanatic like myself, you'll really appreciate the skill that he has. It's a shame these guys don't have a bigger budget to work with or may never getting the fame and reputation of guys like Tony Jaa but I truly believe they have the same level of skill as the famous guys.I really hope to see more of these guys in more professional shot/ editing movies.
Pratik Vora
This doesn't need to be one of those movies you will ignore by from the ratings or reviews. There have been plenty worse movies with a better cast and a bigger budget. Even though it's got one of the worst act on screen, the accents hurt your ears and a very very poor script with a faulty twist in the end. Yes, Yes there is plenty to mourn about this movie.But one thing it serves up is some amazing mixed martial art. Its just a bunch of actors trying to gain more recognition by putting out their talents out there, which is quiet impressive and you almost end up feeling sorry for them. Most of the actors in this movie have played high profile stunt roles in some big movies and this is just their beginner project they have served up for you to give it a chance at the very least.Except the action the rest of the elements drag you down, but the coordination between the actors is really good. With better direction and a bigger budget this would have definitely been a gem and yes maybe work on their accents a little bit.Hey don't take my word for it,watch it to judge it but DO NOT EXPECT ANYTHING MORE THAN SOME GOOD MIXED MARTIAL ART, and I mean anything!
tstorms-906-375755
I really loved DIE FIGHTING. This movie highlights the awesome fighting and choreography skills of Z TEAM. The action is non-stop, and the fights deliver powerful, acrobatic punches, kicks, elbows, and knees that you feel right down to the bone. No extreme close-ups or "shakey-cam" to cover bad choreography. Just great action! The plot is simple enough to follow, but the twists are exciting and keep the characters motivated to the end. It reminded me of THE RAID and UNDISPUTED 3. The fights are some of the best Hong Kong style fights I've seen. The skills of the fighters are amazing, and each has a unique style, which is refreshing. The editing was sharp, and the soundtrack was very nice. I would definitely recommend this movie to action fans. Check it out today!