Tedfoldol
everything you have heard about this movie is true.
Justin Easton
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
Aiden Melton
The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.
Casey Duggan
It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
eccentricbrit2
(No major spoilers but some plot points are revealed) It's quite unusual to see a UK made action/martial arts film as opposed to the plethora of period pieces and dramas made over here so for that reason alone the director and production team deserve credit. Essentially the film revolves around a man's brutal revenge against his ruthless employers - fairly standard plot but still well executed here.When you consider the budget for this piece (around £10-20K according to reports) and that it was self-financed by the producer and director team Phil Hobden and Ross Boyask, it's amazing that something so action packed could be attempted, let alone filmed and distributed. From the opening scene with a 10-minute mayhem fight to the closing showdown, there is plenty of action along the way with character development and a little romance playing a minimal role (as expected in an action film).Naturally given the budget constraints there are flaws. The opening scene is perhaps a little overlong and does betray the small amount of money available. Special effects are limited and often the camera angles are chosen so the blood and cut effects don't need to be shown. Also the cast is pretty much made up of unknowns. Some do a good job (especially the leads and the main villain) while some of the smaller performances leave something to be desired.The fistfights are well choreographed and must have taken a long time to get right. Especially good are the boxing scenes midway through, a fight between the main character and a sword wielding henchwoman and the relentless finale where literally dozens of people bite the dust. And there is no shying away from the violence (that you might get in a Hollywood blockbuster that has to be cut down to get a family friendly rating certificate). Plenty of people (nearly the entire cast) die brutal deaths here.Overall, a good first effort. It is the first feature from Modern Life although many short films have been made by the team in the past. Despite some shortcomings, most fans of 80s style action movies (such as Commando, American Ninja etc.) will enjoy this effort and hopefully the team will have more money to do even better films in the future.
stephenskl
LFD is the most unwittingly hilarious film I have seen for ages.The painfully long opening scene is a dialogue-free killing spree peppered with pantomime deaths and schoolboy-like 'Aieee!' shrieks of terror.An inexplicable (bad) fake-American narrator intones low voiced nonsense by way of introduction to 'the streets' (or a Brighton industrial estate to be precise).Some of the overly-serious hard man facial expressions make Eastenders Mitchell twins look like Pacino in Taxi Driver.The laughs just keep coming. A scene where two henchmen receive a stern ticking off by the yellow teethed grimacing boss reaches surreal heights of humour. In the background a man is chained to a fence and is being teased by a WWF looky-likey bloke pulling cartoon character baddie faces and pointing at him threateningly. This goes on all through the overly long scene.After our hero has been shot, he makes it back home to his flat where he fumbles in his bathroom cabinet, crashing amongst deodorant and other jars. The same shot of a blood stained hand, shaking and crashing (its owner out of shot) around the cabinet is seen twice within a couple of minutes. What was he thinking of ? This is no time for a shower.Budget Jackie-Chan-meets-Bugsy Malone (without the songs) Worth a watch for the laughs alone.Heading for the so-bad-its-good genre.
leerichards_reviews
Can a British crew make an action film with Hong Kong sensibilities? Watch Left for Dead and you'll see.In the vicious city Hope, Kincaid is the boss. He rules with an iron fist and employs soldiers with lethal martial arts skills to make sure no-one encroaches into his territory. Williams is Kincaid's best hit-man. His wife was brutally killed years ago and rage used to fuel his jobs but now William's feels empty and wishes to leave this lifestyle behind. He agrees to do one last job but Kincaid can not let him retire. At the end of the mission his two colleagues, Dylan and Taylor, turn on him and try to finish him off. Needless to say, they leave him for dead. Kelso is a professional kickboxer who's life is ruined when he defies Kincaid and doesn't throw a fight. Forced to leave Hope his only way to make a living is to get involved in illegal bare knuckle fights. Williams soon discovers it was Kincaid who ordered his wife to be killed and decides he wants pay back. He teams up with Kelso and the two go back to Hope to get revenge.Left for Dead is a guilty pleasure. Its one of those films that shouldn't be any good but something makes you enjoy it. Its got a few flaws; the story is a bit clichéd, some of the acting is a bit woolly, the editing is a bit choppy with continuity being a bit sparse in some places and it's a little too long with some of the action being a bit repetitive.But its still a really enjoyable film.All its flaws can be forgiven as soon as you find out Left For Dead was only made for £10,000. It looks a bit scrappy but it easily looks like it was made for 10 times that amount.If you're looking for an action film that's stuffed full of Martial Arts, good stunts and is made by some home-grown talent then Left For Dead is the film for you.
kickingbuttssince1976
Thank god for Amazon. Their recommendations meant that whilst I bought the risible Purifiers, I also managed to get a copy of this far superior feature film.WIlliams is an Assassin. kelso a kickboxer. Betrayed by crime over lord Kincaid they team up and kick some serious butt.Lead Salvage does a solid job (any one else think he reminds them of Segal?) and new comer Andy Prior was very good as the role of the young Kelso.But its the bad guys that excel here. From Adam Chapman's Kincaid to Adrian Foiadelli's Taylor, the bad guys add real menace.But the action. Oh the action. I guess this is where these films live and die. And unlike other UK action (ahem!) film The Purfifiers (which shares many of the same cast and crew) this film had action in spades.Okay maybe too much action at times but this film, which I read online was made for under $25k (the same as clerks) has more action that you can shake an action shaped stick at.And death toll. At least 200 people die, and in reality maybe closer to 300.This is a violent, dangerous film. And a joy to watch. For a film that offered little (low budget, no stars, first time director etc) it delivered far more than The Purfifiers and it's million $ budget, Lord Of The Rings star and ex-rock star director.Def worth the money!