Movie Review: Unbeatable (2013)

Hey guys, another movie review is up, and this time it's the MMA flick, Unbeatable, starring Nick Cheung, Eddie Peng, and Crystal Lee. Thanks to Tune Talk, I got the chance to catch this movie at the premiere screening, and we even got treated to drinks and popcorn! How awesome is that?

Synopsis: Unbeatable tells about a former boxing champ Fai (Nick Cheung) who is knee-deep in debt and with no solution in sight. To escape his debtors, Fai escapes to Macau and works in a gym as an assistant instructor in weight loss classes. Hot-blooded Qi (Eddie Peng) was once the son of a rich man in Mainland China. However, the family business failed, sending his dad into alcohol-fueled depressing and forcing Qi to take up construction jobs in Macau. To inspire his father to stand up again, Qi enters an open MMA competition and starts training at Fai’s gym.

well hello there :D

Verdict: 7/10. It wasn't THE best movie I've seen, but it's up there with the rest of the awesome movies that have been made this year. The chemistry between Nick and Eddie as sifu and pupil was amazing, and with Nick's witty comedic comments, the movie was made all the more enjoyable. I found myself having a good laugh at his one-liner quips, and loved the way he still managed to make a serious scene comedic without overdoing it. The character development was good, and there was enough background shown for each major cast that it made you understand where they came from and why they did what they did.

One of the gripes I had was that the rules of the MMA Golden Rumble was not explained at all. I feel that the rule that 'if you survive two rounds with your opponent, and you will win the match' utter rubbish. There is no such rule in MMA fighting, so that was a bit misleading, furthermore with no weight class division. I felt that the fight scenes were not bad, and the good thing was that they showed a lot of different locks and submission techniques

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The movie earned the Best Actor (Nick Cheung) and Best Actress (Crystal Lee) accolade in the recently concluded 16th Shanghai Film Festival in June. While I totally agree that Nick should win Best Actor, I feel that it's very premature to award the Best Actress title to 10-year old Crystal Lee. Even from a not-so-trained eye, I could see that her acting was not as flawless as should be from an accomplished actress. I could see her effort in trying not to smile in serious scenes, and the way her eyes sometimes dart around in a quiet setting. Maybe she does have the makings of an actress and will make it one day, but it's too early to tell. Some might not agree with me, but it's just my two cents worth :)

Unbeatable opens in cinemas on 15th August, and this is one movie I would definitely recommend you to watch. Not for the fights, but for the story, the chemistry, and the six packs :p

Thanks again to Tune Talk for the Unbeatable movie screening passes. Tune Talk is the main sponsor for the upcoming ONE FC Championship in November and Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts (MIMMA). Get your calendars out as they will be announcing the second season of MIMMA soon and you will not want to miss it!!

Til the next time, stay beautiful!

xoxo,

yin