Not content with giving us one martial arts cracker this year with Diablo (2025), Scott Adkins is back in action for the WW2 set Prisoner of War. Reteaming with his Debt Collector (2018) co-star Louis Mandylor, who has stepped behind the camera for this collaboration, Prisoner of War is packed with well choreographed fight scenes that are genuinely bolstered by the gripping story that surrounds them.
Adkins plays RAF Wing Commander James Wright, who after being shot down over enemy lines finds himself being captured and kept prisoner in a Japanese POW camp. Initially he is dismissed by Lt Co. Ito (Peter Shinkoda), who quickly orders his execution. It is only after James swiftly takes out his executors that Ito realizes there is more to James than meets the eye.
Having grown up in Hong Kong, James has honed his fighting skills, making him more than a worthy opponent to his Japanese captors. Ito is fascinated by James skill and proceeds to match him with assorted opponents in the camp, ordering them all to fight to the death. At the same time James joins with a rag tag of American POWs to plot their escape.
Louis Mandylor isn’t new to the director’s chair, with him already having a handful of movies under his belt. Personally, I would definitely rank Prisoner of War as his finest work to date as director, with it being somewhat comparable to his earlier 3 Days in Malay (2023) in that both take place in WW2 and feature a rag tag bunch of heroes put up against insurmountable odds.
As much as I enjoyed 3 Days in Malay, Prisoner of War quickly surpasses it with better production values and more impressive action scenes. Of course, it does help when you have a legendary martial artist like Scott Adkins leading the way, as well as several other capable martial artists in the cast.
Like 3 Days in Malay, Prisoner of War still has a number of historical inaccuracies peppered throughout its story. However, it’s always important to remember these are movies and not documentaries. Considering that this would have been made on a considerably low budget, I wasn’t expecting the same level of detail as Saving Private Ryan (1998). Still, Mandylor makes sure that every cent is on the screen, with authentic looking sets, props and costumes. Of course, not being a historian I can’t vouch for their accuracy, but they are at least convincing.
One thing Mandylor should be commended for is not trying to exceed his grasp. There is nothing included in Prisoner of War that the budget couldn’t manage. I have lost count of the amount of DTV actioners that include the likes of a car chase when clearly they didn’t have the resources to fully realize one, resulting in a sub par sequence that just drags the rest of the film down. As expected, the CGI isn’t the same quality as its big budget counterparts, with the opening shots of Adkins’ plane being shot down being somewhat ropey. Even so, these aren’t a deal breaker and look fine considering the scale of the production.
The majority of the film takes place in and around the Japanese POW camp which restricts the necessity to stage large scale action scenes that the budget couldn’t accommodate, with most of the action being of the hand to hand variety, with some gunplay thrown in during the explosive finale.
As most DTV/VOD fare, Prisoner of War was obviously shot digitally, but is raised up considerably thanks to quality cinematography courtesy of Niccolò de la Fère who has been seriously knocking it out the park recently having also shot the aforementioned Diablo as well as Brandon Slagle’s Affinity (2025), coincidentally which features a performance from Prisoner of War director Louis Mandylor.
To be honest, judging from the trailers, I was half expecting Prisoner of War to be in the same vein as Adkins’ Undisputed series, just in a WW2 setting. Although he is forced to fight for the Japanese soldiers’ amusement, this is much more an escape movie than one about a fight tournament as I had initially anticipated. If I were to compare it, think of Chuck Norris’ Missing in Action 2: The Beginning (1985) but better.
If I were to nitpick, I didn’t feel the film should have opened with Adkins’ character in the 50’s to then flash back to his time in the POW camp. It robbed the film of some of its tension with us never being in doubt that Adkins will survive his plight. This however is ultimately a minor niggle with there being more than enough gritty action and drama that you will find yourself quickly gripped. Mandylor makes sure that everything moves at a good pace, with the non-action scenes being just as engrossing. This is largely due to Mandylor getting winning performances from his cast.
As expected, Adkins always entertains when it comes to action, but may overlook his acting attributes. Prisoner of War gives him the opportunity to show off both. I particularly liked how the film explained his fighting abilities, as it wasn’t exactly the norm for a westerner to have this type of martial arts ability back in the 40’s. I also appreciated that he got to play a British RAF pilot rather than just making him an American soldier. As well as allowing Adkins to speak in his own accent (well almost, it is a bit posher than usual), it helps separate him from the rest of the prisoners, who are mostly a bedraggled bunch of American soldiers, who aren’t initially sure they can trust this newcomer. Obviously they quickly come round when they witness his capabilities.
Adkins also had a hand in writing the story of Prisoner of War, and despite the fact that it isn’t exactly original, the roster of likeable (and detestable) characters should keep you engrossed. Mandylor and Adkins smartly don’t make the entire film about one man. While Adkins titular Prisoner of War is clearly the lead, others still get their opportunity to shine.
Michael Copon does well as fellow prisoner Villanueva who pretty much becomes Adkin’s right hand man in organizing their escape. Michael Rene Walton also impresses as “Beardy” who looks sickly and frail but then surprisingly starts stabbing all comers during the finale. However, they are overshadowed by Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, who gives a great, downbeaten performance as Captain Collins. He’s certainly better served here than the last time he shared the screen with Adkins in Lights Out (2024). It would appear Mandylor brings out the best in Cerrone, as he had made quite an impression in Mandylor’s earlier 3 Days In Malay.
On the villain’s side is the commanding Peter Shinkoda, whose Lt. Col. Ito spends most of the film trying to keep his rage from bubbling over. Equally fascinated as he is enraged by James’ fighting prowess, Ito tempts fate by not simply killing his captive. Shinkoda plays his character with a sense of honor, even though this is merely when it suits him, not shying away from cold bloodily murdering his prisoners. Shinkoda’s Ito is the kind of villain you love to hate, but what makes him more interesting is that Shinkoda never plays him as a clear cut bad guy. With an extensive career in both film and television, it was great to see Shinkoda getting the opportunity to shine in a more substantial role.
Accompanying Ito is his right hand man Captain Endo played by personal favorite Masanori Mimoto. I had only recently spoken of Mimoto in my review of the excellent Ghost Killer (2024). He isn’t as well used here as he was in that film, with him only getting a small opportunity during the finale to show off his martial arts skills. Disappointingly he doesn’t get the chance to face off against Adkins, but he does at least square off against both Michael Copon and Donald Cerrone. Although it is ultimately a smaller role than I would have liked for him, I was pleased to see him getting the opportunity to appear in a Western production.
Eagle eyed viewers should also look out for a small role from Shane Kosugi. He may not get much in the way of screen time but judging by the end credits, he was quite important to the production, not only being involved in the casting but also having a hand in the Japanese dialogue.
Of course, it wouldn’t matter how good the performances, plot and production values were if the action involved wasn’t of the highest quality. As mentioned, most of the action focuses on hand to hand combat, with fight choreographer Alvin Hsing contributing some awesome fight scenes to the film, with the action being tailored to the capabilities of the performers. With an extensive background in stunt work, Prisoner of War could be a real calling card for Hsing, hopefully leading to higher profile work for him.
The film more than lived up to my expectations, if not exceeding them. As great as the action was, I was equally captivated by the characters’ plight. Putting this together with one of Adkins’ finest performances in some time makes Prisoner of War one not to be missed.
Unsurprisingly, Louis Mandylor has numerous upcoming films in the pipeline, both in front of and behind the camera. He has already completed work on the interesting sounding Paralysis, which has him both starring and directing, with him sharing the screen with Prisoner of War cast member Michael Copon. He will also be making an appearance in the sci-fi actioner Skyline: Warpath which will find him sharing the screen with Adkins once again.
Similarly, it won’t come as a surprise to find out Adkins also has several films planned. Along with Skyline: Warpath, he has the upcoming Bedlam, which judging by the set photos is another period piece. Then there is Joe Carnahan’s highly anticipated The Rip, where he will be acting alongside Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. This will hopefully bring Adkins to a more mainstream audience once again.
Prisoner of War has a limited theatrical release as well as being currently available digitally from the good people at Well Go USA.
Plot: 3.5/5
Acting: 4/5
Action: 4.5/5
Overall: 4/5
