Accident Man (2018) Reviews

• Scott Adkins- An Undisputed Fight King

  alan_holloway_22018-03-03

  Back in the early 1990s a bunch of UK comic creators decided to have a go at doing their own comic so they could control the content and keep the profits. The comic was called Toxic and it was a good idea handled badly. One of the undisputed highlights was Accident Man, created by writers Pat Mills and Tony Skinner in tandem (visually brought to life by Martin Edmund and later Duke Mighten), and it introduced us to Mike Fallon, an assassin whose hits were made to look like accidents, hence the name. Full of violence and black humour, it was a cracking read while it lasted and it was obvious to all it would make a great film. Thing is, no one made it... Enter Scott Adkins. Adkins is a veteran Uk actor and action movie star. Not just a pretty face and a lethal right foot, he is a professional actor who is also a very good martial artist. Coinicidentally, he has been wanting to make an Accident Man movie since reading it as a kid. Not known for his screenwriting, this is his first attempt (with another newbie writer Stu Small), after putting up his own money to secure the rights. Basically, it's a total passion project for Adkins, and passion is very important when making a movie, right? First up, I have to say that I loved Accident Man through and through. The plot is taken from the comic itself, although embellished for filmic purposes, as are several characters. For those who get annoyed with film adaptations messing with the source material this is a godsend - this would even bring a smile to Alan Moore's face (okay, that might be stretching it). Adkins himself is pretty spot on as Fallon, and would have been inspired casting even if he weren't otherwise involved. Elsewhere he ropes in stunt and fighting mates like Michael jai White, Ray Park and the impreesive Amy Johnston to bring some of Fallon's fellow hit persons to life. Also in the mix is Ray Stevenson as the owner of the assassins bar where they all congregate and get their jobs. (There's more to the character than this but I don't want to spoil anything). Throw in some recognisable, reliable British character actors and you have a surprisingly solid cast. As far as action goes, it's all done brilliantly. All the players are experts at on screen (and off) butt kicking, so the level of expertise rivals some of Jackie Chan's movies. The direction eschews the usual Hollywood fast cutting for lengthier shots showcasing the moves involved and it makes quite a difference to the feel of the film. A nice touch is Fallon's voiceover that permeates the film, bringing some very nice humour to the proceedings and mirroring the narration in the comic exactly. The whole thing is very British, very violent and very amusing and very not safe for work. If you enjoed Adkins in the Undisputed movies this is a must. If you've not read the comic, it's well worth checking out. If you liked Deadpool you will love this as a more grass roots version (Adkins and Reynolds are quite similar looking, too). If you like guff like Rise Of The Foot Soldier and the like you'll love this for the cockney smack ups and superior plot/dialogue. If you just lik action movies with decent fights you'll love this. Most of all, if you ARE a fan of the comic you have no excuse, as this is one of the best comic to screen adaptaions yet. Set up nicely for a sequel, Accident Man doesn't slip up even once.

• Nice fights

  cambell-bennett2018-02-08

  Modern punch 'em up movies often have terrible fight scenes, but this film's fight choreographer (apparently Tim Man) has clearly watched a bunch of classic Hong Kong fights. The punches look as hard and heavy as early Sammo Hung, the in-camera editing is as crisp as Yuen Woo-Ping's, and the overall stunt work is up there with Jackie Chan. This is high praise indeed, but as it turns out Tim Man has experience on Ong-Bak and the Mad Max reboot. There's no shaky-cam, the space for each fight is coherent and readable, overall it's a feast for action buffs. The plot was as good as one of those classic HK movies too: Revenge? Revenge! Kick punch.

• Great comic book adaptation

  jobenzie2018-02-07

  Admittedly I am a fan of the original comic, so I am unashamedly biased. I found this film to be hugely enjoyable and kept to the darkly comic nature of the comic. The lead actor did a bang up job and the rest of the cast , especially Ray Stevenson, were spot on. The fight scenes and effects were great in my opinion, and this film cracked along without a dull moment. Highly recommended if you like a good revenge anti hero type movie with lots of violence.

• Brilliant British Indie Movie

  scottadkins-783772018-02-08

  I thought it was great. Scott Adkins at his best. Some of the best fight sequences you will no doubt see in 2018 but a really interesting story filled with larger than life characters straight out of a comic book. It's like Kill Bill mixed with Kingsman and John Wick but with a very British sensibility. Ray Stevenson is fantastic as Big Ray and you will be hoping for a Mick & Mac (Jai White/Park) prequel. Loads of fun, great action and something a bit different for Adkins fans.

• Fun action flick

  TdSmth52018-10-24

  Scott Adkins plays Mike, a hitman working at a company dedicate to murder. His colleagues include a guy who specializes in poisoning, a pair of ex-special forces, a crazy guy with a hatchet, a ninja girl, and some other guy. The show is run by Ray. There's also some old nerdy accountant who actually gets the contracts and picks the hitman accordingly. We meet Mike as he kills a guy making it look like a suicide, then for kicks and to release adrenaline he goes to some bar and beats everyone up. For his next job he makes a car crash into a guy so it looks like an accident. The accountant sends him to pick up the pay for a job which is not procedure. But it's a setup and he has to deal with an assassin. Then he gets a call from his ex's girlfriend. His ex has been killed in some robbery. When Mike gets there he quickly realizes it was no robbery. It was a hit performed by the special forces duo that works at his company. For them it was just another job, nothing personal, not to mention that it was just is ex. But as he finds out at the funeral, she was actually pregnant with his child. When he meets with the ex's girlfriend he learns a bit about the ex's environmentalist activities that probably got her in trouble. Suddenly hatchet guy breaks through the door attacking and destroying everything in sight. At some point we also learn how Mike got into the business and why he's Ray's favorite. So now he has to investigate why the ex was targeted and who order the hit. Because he ends up breaking the rules of the company of course Ray orders everyone to go after Mike. Scott Adkins is a hard-working guy so he often ends up in some sorry B or C movies. But Accident Man is just the right movie and the right role for him. It sure is violent, fun, and action-packed not to mention well-made. The stunts aren't American-style so they not excessively loud, but also slower and "gentler." There are an awful lot of voice-overs which can get tiresome as well as the typical British punk music in these movies. But otherwise, this movie is solid and highly entertaining.