Redbelt Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
There's always a way out. You just have to find it.
A fateful event leads to a job in the film business for top mixed-martial arts instructor Mike Terry. Though he refuses to participate in prize bouts, circumstances conspire to force him to consider entering such a competition.
| Jeffrey Addiss | Celebrity |
| Joseph Alfieri | Security |
| Tim Allen | Chet Frank |
| Douglas Barcellos | Fighter |
| Craig Collington Bator | Assistant |
| Matt Cable | Street Fighter #1 |
| Ryan Everett Canfield | Marty's Underling |
| Jose Pablo Cantillo | Snowflake |
| Randy Couture | Dylan Flynn |
| Steve DeCastro | Knife fighter |
| Chiwetel Ejiofor | Mike Terry |
| Justin Fair | Non-Smoking Attendant |
| Scott Farrell | Announcer |
| Hugh Fitzgerald | |
| Mike Goldberg | Sports Announcer #2 |
7.30 out of 10 (3204 votes)
Visitor Reviews
I was really disappointed
posted on 16 Aug 2009**** Spoilers ****Suffering a bout of sleeplessness, I woke up at approximately 3AM and started channel surfing. I stopped on Predator Requiem. Having already enjoyed this movie, I decided something more humorous was in order. You figure Tim Allen and humor might go hand-and-hand. I kept watching for when the funny stuff would start happening. It never did. Could not figure the point of the movie. The fighting was poorly choreographed. At least they could have erected an octagon and went at it. If there was a con in place it was not very obvious. Who was involved?With the quality of the cast, including Allen, Paymer, Montegna, etc., I was expecting much much more. I barely gave it a 3 because, at least it did not put me to sleep.
For a Martial Art Action Movie its Crap!
posted on 16 Aug 2009I dunno how people can give this movie such a high rating as the only action in the movie was at the very last end and it was not great at all... Looks more like a drama to me. Was a lot of talking. Took my children to the movies cos taught it was gonna be a action trilling martial arts display of Jujitsu. But all 3 of my kids fell a sleep after 30minutes. The storyline was also not that fantastic to earn a 7. Could not really see the character get involve in the movie and the main guy was very (too) cool and relaxed. Maybe its due that most Martial arts films are so unreal but very interesting with the heroes able to do stuff more like a superhero... Anyway, Don't waste time on this movie...
My Review
posted on 10 Aug 2009MMA instructor Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor) always makes the right decisions in life. He's generous, caring, compassionate and pretty much flawlessly perfect.Things start going array, however, when a series of events propel him into a do-or-die fight in the MMA ring - a fight that he's never done himself."Redbelt" was an alright movie, but I didn't like how Mike was just so perfect. He always did the right things, made all the right decisions, and was really boring. The acting wasn't anything to write home about either, and the ending seemed rushed and cut short. It was a pretty decent story, but I've seen better MMA movies (like "Never Back Down"). Still, as I said, it wasn't bad and worth a viewing.
Contrived and painfully predictable
posted on 04 Aug 2009Please.....Would someone save me from bad martial arts movies. Would a new Akira Kurosawa kindly stand up to rescue the martial arts movie genre from clap trap like this!This movie was so painful to watch that I finally started laughing out loud so I wouldn't throw up. It is a tour de force of contrived story telling and corny dialogue with the added amusement of laughable music employed to point out the painfully obvious "important moments", with the subtlety of a jackhammer. Finesse is a concept this director is obviously unfamiliar with.This is no "The Seven Samurai", "Sanjuro" or "Yojimbo". Heck, Its not even in the same league as "The Karate Kid" or "The Last Samurai", both of which, although watchable, still made me wince from time to time. In truth, it's even worse than some of Stevie Seagal's self indulgent celluloid.Someday someone will come to the rescue and make a martial arts movie that again captures the genuine dignity and excitement of budo, ala Kurosawa, but I'm afraid if I hold my breath, I will end up feeling like I'm in a jujutsu choke.Don't waste your time...... You can never get these two hours of you life back.
A waste of time
posted on 02 Aug 2009Well, I really didn't know what to expect from this film, but it wasn't the utter disappointment I received. I mean, the story was more bland than porridge without sugar, the acting was so stilted, I thought it was being carried out by thunderbird puppets, and the climax that you wait for in any fight orientated movie was such a let down that I hadn't even realised it had happened when the credits appeared. If your considering watching this film DON'T. I really don't know what other people are raving about, as I have found some sort of enjoyment in almost every other fight movie I've ever seen, even cheesy Jean Claude and Steven Seagal movies or brilliant high-end movies. Again, I was utterly disappointed after this movie.
If you like emotion and objective correlatives, you'll like this movie ...
posted on 31 Jul 2009I saw this movie and was very pleasantly surprised. I really liked this movie. Although at first I didn't know why.After all, the script, as narrative, is full of holes. Big holes. Without going into details, the initial scene with shot fired has been accurately described as full of holes as swiss cheese. Yet this scene is a key part of the movie, referenced again and again. This is not good.The title, pictures, and promos were all fundamentally misleading. I went expecting a martial arts film. But it turns out to be a drama. If you are looking for martial arts action, you'll come away very, very disappointed. This too is not good.The final sequence is utterly incredible. This has been pointed out again and again. This is a basic plot failure. And this too is not good.And yet ... and yet I came away really, really feeling good about this movie I had just seen. Why? Well, first, if you view the script not as a narrative, but as a sequence of loosely connected scenes designed to evoke one emotion or thought or the other ... like tableaux vivants, or what TS Eliot called objective correlatives ... well, it works. For example, we have a main character stripped of everything in a series of narratively impossible scenes; and yet the emotions involved in "losing everything" are conveyed powerfully and evocatively. Likewise the ending redemptive sequence is narratively incredible; but emotionally very, very satisfying. This is all to the good.The characters, acting, and characterizations were all excellent. Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mike Terry was superb. And the Mike Terry character is simply a delight, likable, appealing, interesting. Tim Allen was successfully cast against type. Ricky Jay's Marty Brown the sports promoter is utterly slimy and yet I couldn't take my eyes off of him. After every scene, I felt like running to the restroom to wash my hands and face and ears. He is sliminess personified. But all the characters were well drawn whether likable or disgusting. All to the good.The cinematography and scenes were well drawn and well depicted. There were some really gripping, evocative shots I especially like: such as the Tim Allen character in dark profile. All to the good.All in all, I'd say if you like emotion and objective correlatives, I think you'll like this movie. Don't go looking for martial arts, and don't go looking for a sound narrative; but if you want good, solid punch, you've come to the right place.
Brilliant
posted on 29 Jul 2009This is an excellent film and deserves more credit than it has gotten so far. I was completely unaware of this films existence before i was given the opportunity to view the movie after its theatrical release. I would maybe blame poor advertising, not enough exposure. I was expecting another cheezy story surrounded by a Martial Arts theme there seems to be so many now with all the teen movies especially, waisting all of our time and money. Redbelt however was an entertaining breath of fresh air and excitement. The movie itself does leave some plot questions but you will be far from disappointed. The story is great and twisting and Chiwetel Ejiofor does what i would describe as an absolutely amazing performance in his character as Mike Terry. I hope to see him more as the lead roll in upcoming movies, good acting is hard to come by. I was very impressed and again surprised how i could have possibly over looked such a good movie. I believe the DVD release will be sometime in Aug. This is absolutely a movie your going to want to check out and i wouldn't wait for the rainy day to do it.
Just plain boringly awful
posted on 13 Jul 2009Although this movie was well acted, it was slow moving and an almost ridiculous plot. The ending was ridiculous and made little to no sense because of the way it was structured. It was advertised as a fighting MMA movie and there was very very little of that in the actual movie, just a plain awful thought out idea!!! Not even worth spending 8 dollars on, in fact I wish I could write the director and writer to ask for my money back, what a plain awful film!!!! There's been multiple good , entertaining movies about kick-boxing and MMA, this is NOT one of them, it shows little of what the sport is really about and the fight scenes, when they actually happen, are all a blur so you can't even hardly pay attention to them. I understand trying to make an artistic film, but you know what....Rocky was a very artistic film and it had great fight scenes and the plot actually went somewhere plausible! This movie is not worth seeing in the least bit!
Narrow is the Path of the Righteous Man
posted on 11 Jul 2009What a film! I have watched it two times: I liked it very much the first time round, but the second time it made me cry.There is nothing excessive here - everything fits into place: the story, the music, the characters. Isn't that the shortest definition of perfection?And here is the moral: narrow is the path of the righteous man, but he has an obligation to his own conscience - the very fabric of this world - to uphold what is good. No matter what the cost. Laying your own life down may sometimes be a fair price."Redbelt" is by far Mamet's best film to date. By all means - watch it!
Excellent!
posted on 07 Jul 2009I almost did not watch this film. I have been burned by David Mamet in the past. In fact, I still believe that "Spartan" was the worst film ever made. But boy did he make up for it with this one. The film centers around Mike Terry, an idealist, who runs his own dojo and trains students fighting skills and souls. His wife believes Mike is addicted to poverty, but really, he is addicted to honor. Financial and ethical problems result in Mike having to do what he never has done before, fight in a competition. The action scenes are great. The international talent is wonderful. The attention to detail, first class. You will recognize many people from the world of MMA here, including Frank Trigg and Randy Couture, but the actor that plays Mike Terry is what makes the film shine, excellent job. Take it from someone that is not a Mamet shill, this film rocks!
I really don't understand the praise this movie is getting
posted on 29 Jun 2009******NOTE: Just as a forewarning, this MAY have a spoiler in it, but I'm trying to be as vague as possible.I saw this movie in a classroom setting, where we watch the film, digest, and discuss a week later. The class had mixed feelings about it...more disliking it than liking it. I understand that David Mamet is a very talented man, and he does a good job of bringing across the central theme of the movie, from beginning to end. The characters were very nuanced individuals and very entertaining ... confusingly engrossing, if you will. Chiwetel Ejiofor turns in a great performance, and Mamet captures intensity on the screen very, very well.However, the movie has a very pivotal turning point towards the end. Mamet does a great job of winding a story seamlessly into a huge culmination of tension towards the end, and at the conclusion..I was stunned. I was laughing, almost in tears, at how *bad* the ending was.Maybe I don't get the genre, maybe I don't understand some of the context that was unspoken throughout the film...but the ending was a very disappointing crown to what could have been an amazing film.
Nothing comes close to this movie
posted on 19 Jun 2009The best movie I've seen this year. This is coming from someone who's not a David Mamet aficionado, but "Red Belt" had everything I love in movies: a great story with complex characters, clash of ethics, vice, greed, and self-preservation. Oh yeah, great fight scenes, too.The ending left me speechless, almost in tears. That's what happens when you mix testosterone, adrenaline, blood, sweat, and great drama.This is the first home run of 2008, as far as the effect it had on me. Or maybe I took it personal.Just thought I'd help get the word out, even though many will skip this or wait till it comes out on DVD. Either way, it's worth seeing, especially for those who love good character-driven movies.I'm certainly going to buy it, and I can't wait.
Too confusing & Incoherent
posted on 15 Jun 2009The easiest way to summarize this movie is: Imagine watching an episode of some HBO drama series, but you missed the whole 1st season, and this season is already on the 9th episode. You don't know who any of the characters are, the movie doesn't explain who anybody is, and there is no way of discerning what role (if any) they all play in the plot until the last few minutes of the film.Basically, if you don't mind watching a depressing movie that makes little sense until the end of the movie, then be my guest. It's not like a who-done-it, where you are guessing the whole time who the bad guy is... it's more of a "WTF? I have no idea what's going on, or why any of this is relevant to anything else!" I think teenagers who are just getting into the martial arts might be interested by the cheesy philosophy and narcissism of the martial arts teacher in this movie, but anyone who has trained for enough time will just roll their eyes at this wannabe Yoda.
'Where can I strike you...don't stand there'
posted on 11 Jun 2009David Mamet has had a rather checkered history on the silver screen. As the man responsible for the screenplay of Glengarry Glenross and the director of minor classics like Heist he was rightly praised but rambling misfires like Edmond and the taut but slightly ridiculous Spartan have made his move from the theatre less than seamless. Mamet's latest is Redbelt, for which he assumes writing and directing duties, and it is a mixed bag – indicative of his obvious talent as a storyteller but also his continued unease with the medium of film.Redbelt tells the story of a martial arts teacher who, through a series of events, becomes embroiled in a morally bankrupt world where his way of life, his personal unwavering philosophy, is threatened. It is an archetypal story in many ways: the lone man with an unbreakable code, often associated with violence but somehow not corrupted by it. Archetypes in movies are necessary, they create shortcuts for the audience, allowing them to accept and understand characters and situations almost instantly. Problems arise when these shortcuts are also adopted by the filmmakers. In Redbelt, the main character is archetypal and nothing else. He is a cipher for the misunderstood hero; reacting to each situation in the most clichéd way imaginable. This would be forgivable if the lead was Steven Seagal or Jean-Claude VanDamme and if we were living in the 90's but its not and we aren't. As discerning movie-goers we demand a little more of our martial arts spiced character studies, and Mamet seems unable to deliver.The worst part is that the movies faults are not that apparent. While the construction of the main character is undoubtedly flawed, Chiwetel Ejiofor performance is simply mesmerising. He projects a palpable sense of restrained power and wisdom, and this is just the latest in a string of memorable roles. Let's hope that it gets him the attention he deserves. Likewise the martial combat (when it happens) seems relatively fluid and real, at least by comparison with the stroboscopic editing of most contemporary action. The film is also nicely shot and peppered with a cast of impressive names. But technical competence and a single standout performance are not enough to save this film from its fate of curious mediocrity.
Buffalo Nickel Bill
posted on 09 Jun 2009Mamet discovers cinema.Let's face it, we need as many serious writers as we can get, even pompous mannered ones. But we all know, and now Mamet himself does, that cinematic devices have almost no similarity to theatrical ones. At least in the modern era. His movies have been better radio plays than movies.Now he decides to get serious and channels as many great cinematic traditions as he can fit in a single film. We have the Raging Bull, flying eye sort of movie, where the camera engages in the space of the action. Scorcese hardly invented this, but he and Stallone merged it with the fight movie.We have the Zen visual, where the character is supposed to have some transcendental value and we "see" it in the environment he sheds. We have the modern fold where you have a public performance that validates your existence; we have the performance fold — usually a sports movie, where the good guy wins, natch; we have the movie which features movie people and the writing of the movie similar to what we see; and we have the notion of the content of the medium fighting the medium itself, here TeeVee.Mamet chooses to use all three of the big strokes and all three of the folds. It seems a bit desperate.I think you might be better off watching Raging Bull with Ghost Dog.Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.
A different but superb martial arts movie.
posted on 07 Jun 2009I must admit , this is a first for me i normally hate the whole drama thing around a martial flick , but this got me all warm hearted. I had never noticed Chiwetel Ejiofor in any movie prior to this one but I'm happy i did now ,as he did one heck of a job representing the name of Jiu Jitsu and the honor code with it. This movie really expressed the commercial side of this era , and how it blind even dedicated professionals along its path. And that sometimes we do need someone to step up and remind all that some things have no price. A great conspiracy plot and a dedicated cast make this movie one to watch and most likely remembered by most.9/10
the film packs (figurative) punch
posted on 28 May 2009Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor, who's really came into his own in the last few years) is a Jujitsu trainer who's trying to keep honor, and stand his ground, keeping his values intact even though circumstances seem to be conspiring against him in David Mamet's newest film. The film revolves around Mixed martial arts, but if you watch it hoping for an action packed extravaganza, you'll be sorely disappointed. While it does have a few (very few) rock solid fight scenes, this film aims higher and generally succeeds as a absorbing, gripping character study about morality replete with typically great dialog courtesy of Mamet. Their are some scenes that tend to stretch credibility (especially the ending), but for the most part the film succeeds admirably and I enjoyed it immensely.My Grade: B+ DVD Extras: Commentary with David Mamet & Randy Couture; a 19 minute behind the scenes featurette; Inside mixed martial arts; Q&A with Mamet; an interview with Dana white; fighter profiles; the magic of Cyril Takayama featurette; theatrical trailer for this film; corporate schilling for Blu-ray; and trailers for "Married Life", "Standard Operating Procedure", "the Wackness", "Baghead", "the children of Huang Shi", "When did you last see your father?", "Brick Lane", "the Counterfeiters", "the Band's Visit", "Cj7", "Persepolis", "the art of war 2", & "Felon"
A Hero's Honorable Way Out of an Impossible Dilemma
posted on 14 May 2009The film concerns Chiwetel Ejiofor in a performance full of reality and layers made all the more impressive by the fact that it was under the scrutiny of Mamet's notoriously exacting script and direction. Ejiofor plays a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor who teaches his students the expertise to defend themselves against the unplanned threats of reality, rather than triumph in regulated contact sports. He runs a storefront studio on an inhospitable-looking city street. His is not one of those paste jewelry fitness bazaars and outlets, but a throwback to a past era. A succession of creatively minute situations carries him into acquaintance with a popular movie action hero played by Tim Allen of all people, and actually quite well, and a band of Hollywood wielders of power and influence, predominantly amassed from Mamet's stock troupe of actors whose mere being there defines the embodiment of the atmosphere of a Mamet film. Ejiofor soon finds himself in a situation out of his control and pressed to enter the ring against his principles.David Mamet's films are not for everyone. That is, they are, but not everyone is ready to submit his plain-faced film-making. Despite what anyone may think of his stilted, surrealistic dialogue, that which is his trademark, his work as a director is not the slightest bit short of sincere. Many directors superior to him are not even as objective and sincere as he is in telling a story on film. Redbelt is an incredibly enthralling capsule of a little-known yet very enlightening philosophy. And when the film's hero, an evolved blend of maverick, defensive and perfectionist, is faced with a seemingly inescapable situation, he buckles. The most thought-provoking and riveting moment is the final one. However, the film does not "follow" Ejiofor. If Mamet did, the film would be very different. The camera would be more self- conscious because of his preoccupation with shooting from the most interesting place or making a unique shot out of a plain one, or the most interesting way that he can allow Ejiofor to convey a gesture or facial expression. This, however, is the way most modern films are made, including many of the greatest ones. Mamet, whose mainstay is theater even more so than it is film, preserves the primary function of a movie, a progression of images juxtaposed so that the distinction between them provokes the story further within the point of view of the viewer.Mamet tells his story with cuts which advance his story, which is being told with shots that if they were words would be expressed by using two or more rather than adding nuance to one. Likewise, Mamet to this day has not used narration, instead allowing everything to be understood through dramatic action. He understands it as a second-rate short cut in literally telling the viewer what the filmmakers do not believe he or she would comprehend otherwise. Mamet cares very little about whether or not the audience can guess a given narrative element's significance. Rather, he simply unravels the story, allowing the audience to naturally be surprised.
"Redbelt" - The Code of the Samurai
posted on 04 May 2009To call the new martial arts film from writer-director David Mamet, "Redbelt," a martial arts film is a bit of an understatement, or a cruel simplification. While martial arts, specifically Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, plays a prominent role in "Redbelt," it's really more about honor - samurai honor, although there's no swordplay on display here. As a fan of martial arts movies, I found "Redbelt" to be a great departure from most of what's commonly seen in the genre, and I just might call this the third best martial arts movie made in the United States - behind "The Karate Kid" (1984) and "Best of the Best" (1989), respectively.Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) has become one of two de facto fighting styles in modern mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, the other being Muay Thai. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a reformation of Japanese Jujutsu, was founded in the early 20th century by two Brazilian businessmen, Carlos and Helio Gracie, after being trained by a Japanese Judo master, and the Gracies later issued the infamous "Gracie Challenge" to take on the world's best fighters. Then, in 1993, their style became world-famous when Gracie descendant Royce Gracie won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), thus sparking a revolution in the martial arts community. While a lot of fighting styles focus on striking, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's emphasis is on grappling, specifically ground fighting, often defeating opponents with submission (or "tapping out") techniques via various choke-holds, joint locks, and strangulations.OK, so the history lesson is now over.In Mamet's "Redbelt," Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is a BJJ purist who runs a small martial arts dojo in California training members of the police and military. He's loyal to the code, and will not compete in the increasingly profitable world of televised MMA competition, although he is related by marriage (to Alice Braga as his wife, Sondra) to the sport's royal family and its current champion, Augusto Silva (played by real-life BJJ expert John Machado), who is his brother-in-law. After saving the life of a Hollywood action star named Chet Frank (played with believable world-weary, early-stage alcoholism by Tim Allen) during a bar-room brawl - a fight that is as brutal and realistic as it is choreographed - Frank contacts Mike to serve as a producer and technical adviser on his latest picture.It turns out that this encounter was a blessing: an incident at his dojo one night has forced him close to bankruptcy (among other financial woes) and having him to pay visits to local loan sharks to get this thing resolved; this same incident also leads to the suicide of one of his top students, echoing the Japanese concept of "seppuku" - ritualistic suicide - another staple of samurai movies. But a series of pecks along the way with his new friends have gotten Mike into even more trouble, and have him reconsidering his choice to not fight in televised competition.While "Redbelt" is extremely well-written (Mamet's greatest gift as a filmmaker) and acted with some excellent fight choreography, fault can be found in a lack of actual combat, although there are some brief encounters here and there, and the movie does end in a rather brutal brawl at an MMA competition. However, the movie does seem to rush through its plot machinations to arrive at this conclusion, leaving many things - it would seem - unresolved, such as the fate of Chet Frank and his role in the conspiracy against Mike, or the seemingly tacked-on teacher-student relationship between Mike and Laura (Emily Mortimer). Mike is a character who is loyal to a code analogous to Japanese Bushido ("way of the warrior"), and puts this above everything else. But the question is then asked: How does one face so many insurmountable odds and still maintain their integrity? The answer is, you just work with the forces opposing you, rather against them.MMA fans may not get a whole lot from "Redbelt" (despite appearances by several famous faces, including former UFC champ Randy Couture and Jeet Kune Do Concepts instructor Dan Inosanto) but that was not the intention of the film. Mamet's point here is honor, not solving things with your fists (even though that is kind of a moot point here). I appreciate the time spent in letting Mike seem like a real person caught in a really dire situation while trying desperately to hang on to his principles.And that is what loyalty to the code, to one's teacher or master and earning one's black belt (or red belt) in a fighting discipline, truly entails.8/10
I'd love to dump on this movie for the pain it put me through
posted on 24 Aug 2009I've never rented a DVD that I had to take several attempts to see before. This hero's struggle was so painful to me personally that I had to take several runs at it. I'm a little surprised I made it through. Chiwetel Ejiofor as the main character, Mike Terry, is so perfect for the role it begs the question, Was this guy really just acting? The whole point of this movie, an homage to the purity of a certain sort of warrior spirit, is so unexpectedly plausible that I was taken aback. I thought David Mamet who had been involved in "Spartan", "Heist", "Ronin", and "Wag the Dog" to name a few other movies, was more predictably conventional and commercial.This movie probably won't make a lot of money but it's a truly beautiful exploration of the potential for nobility in modern life. I kinda doubt whether they plan a sequel as the point has been made and it would take a truly extraordinary script to follow this little tour de force, but if there is one, I wouldn't miss it for the world.