September 18, 2025 (NYC)– Scott Adkins Shines as a “Prisoner of War” 2025.   A look at Prisoner of War, the latest World War II, martial arts film starring Scott Adkins which hits US theaters Friday.  Here is a synopsis and review of this Well Go USA release.

Starring martial arts icon Scott Adkins as British SAS officer James Wright, Prisoner of War tells the story of a soldier captured by the Japanese and held in a Philippine POW camp. Before the entire colony embarks upon the Bataan Death March, Wright and his fellow prisoners are forced to compete in brutal death matches for the entertainment of their captors. Adkins puts in a career best performance as the man who may be able to save them all.

REVIEW:

Scott Adkins is, undoubtedly, one of the top five (5) best martial arts movie stars in the world today.   He has the distinction of not just being a great martial artist, but a formidable actor, as well.  Prisoner of War, a World War II martial arts action film gives Adkins the opportunity to have both fully on display.  This film has great drama and martial arts action.

The story of Prisoner of War is set in 1942 during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.  This occupation was the subject of one of the most notable and brutal demonstrations of the Japanese wartime cruelty, the Bataan Death March.   In this act of cruelty American, British, and Philippine Prisoners of War were made to walk sixty-five (65) miles from one prison camp to another.  Many soldiers died in this atrocity.

Adkins is a British soldier captured and imprisoned by the Japanese.  He is not just an ordinary prisoner.   He is skilled in the Japanese “art of the Empty Hand”, as well as being proficient with a Samurai Sword.   During this period it was considered forbidden for Asian practitioners to teach their respective martial arts to Westerners.   This theme carried through the 1960’s, when Bruce Lee was widely criticized for his teaching of the Chinese art of Kung Fu to Westerners.

His fighting skills makes him the subject of numerous, cruel, and deadly face offs at the hands of the Prison Camp’s General, played adeptly by Peter Shinkoda.   There is a race against time as Adkins fights to stay alive, and his fellow prisoners to notify the outside world of their existence in this cruel internment camp.

Adkins wrote, produced, and stars in this film.

The film smartly is set in one basic location; the prison camp.  This provides a great setting for the telling of this dramatic story in a cost effective way.   The film is small, but it doesn’t seem that way.  This is in part because of smart Directing by veteran film actor and tough guy, Louis Mandylor.  Mandylor is a good character actor who also seems to have some chops as a Director.   He may be the future Jesse V. Johnson, someone I am sure who has influenced his filmmaking style greatly.

Prisoner of War has some smart resemblances to some other good films.   There is a strong sense that it was influenced by another Adkins’ film, Savage Dog.   There are also traces of the Ip Man films in this one.  While they have influenced this film, it does not seem like a knock off by any means.  It stands on its own.

As for the fights and choreography, they are top notch.   This film starts out with an exciting martial arts fight scene and they exist throughout this action packed drama.   The fights are well choreographed, well executed, and well filmed.   These fight scenes include some great weapon ones. This is, certainly, a testament to Adkins’ skill in this endeavor.

The supporting cast was largely unknown to me; however, they were all very good.

Prisoner of War is a great historical action and martial arts film.

The film is violent and brutal in parts.

I highly recommend Prisoner of War.

DETAILS:

Prisoner of War,  from Well Go USA debuts in select theaters  in the US on September 19, 2025.

–review by Master Marc Zirogiannis