- Director : Louis Mandylor
- Actors : Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Michael Copon, Peter Shinkoda, Scott Adkins
- Language : English (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1), English (Stereo)
- Media Format : Blu-ray, Subtitled
- Run time : 1 hour and 54 minutes
- Release date : November 11, 2025
- Studio : Well Go Usa
- Number of discs : 1
- Aspect Ratio : 2.35:1
- MPAA rating : R (Restricted)
- Product Dimensions : 5.3 x 0.5 x 6.8 inches; 3.52 ounces
War films often
carry an air of prestige with them, often inspired or based on real events imbued
with inherent dramatic stakes. On the other hand, Hollywood martial arts films
tend to be formulaic B-films leaning into exploitative elements over plot or
character development. Prisoner of War attempts to merge these two
somewhat contradictory genres, and while the film’s plot supports the
hybridization, the overall impact of both is a bit watered down. The war elements
never quite recover from the feeling that this is a vanity project for star
Scott Adkins, while there are too few fight sequences to make this successful
as a wartime Bloodsport movie.
Set in a
Japanese POW camp during WWII, Adkins stars as British SAS officer James Wright,
a skilled fighter who is captured after being shot down in the Philippines during
the Battle of Bataan. The camp is run by Lt. Col. Benjiro Ito (Peter Shinkoda),
who organizes underground fights pitting prisoners against each other and their
captors. After Ito discovers Wright’s martial arts abilities, he makes it his
mission to break the soldier. This leads to the film’s primary source of
action, though there isn’t the typical progression to tougher fighters often
seen in the formula of martial arts movies.
Instead of remaining entirely focused
on the fighting, the film splits its attention to also include an elaborate
escape attempt by Wright and his American bunkmates. While the tournament storyline
is common for martial arts films, the escape efforts feel like an equally
formulaic take on the prisoner of war film. In addition to being unoriginal,
these elements have been utilized in more memorable ways previously. Although
Prisoner of War is a watchable action movie, it feels watered down by the self-serious
efforts. And the war elements are simultaneously difficult to take that seriously,
especially when there is a cheesy fight scene every ten minutes.
The Blu-ray release for Prisoner of
War doesn’t have much to offer beyond the high-definition presentation of the
film. While this does help some of the CGI aerial sequences at the beginning,
this isn’t a film that demands enhanced viewing options. Even the action is
somewhat understated, beyond an excessive use of slow-motion shots.
Entertainment Value:
6.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Special Features: 1/10
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