Verdict
Summary
If you are a fan of martial arts movies and Michael Jai White then you just need to see Blood & Bone; I was blown away by the action and will happily return to this movie many times in the future.
Plot: In Los Angeles, an ex-con takes the underground fighting world by storm in his quest to fulfill a promise to a dead friend.
Review: I could’ve sworn I’d reviewed this before but it appears to have evaporated so here is my shiny new review for this frankly classic Michael Jai White film. It’s funny, I only stumbled upon this movie a few years ago by accident and was blown away by how awesome the fight scenes were.
As soon as the fight scene in prison happened in the opening, I was hooked. Michael Jai White has rarely been cooler or more badass than in this movie and this is arguably the best showcase of his martial arts ability. Director Ben Ramsey shoots the action without shaky cam and really allows the cast to show off their skills.
As soon as White comes on screen you are on his side; not sure why but his character in this is unbelievably cool and yet terrifying at the same time. You would not want to mess with him, however plenty of very stupid (and soon to be beaten up) people do. He is an unstoppable force of nature and there’s a scene in the middle, (in fact I believe it’s the scene with Gina Carano in an early role) where he beats the shit out of 4 guys at once. It really has to be seen to be believed.
Admittedly the story isn’t all that original, but who cares? When a film manages to be thrilling with such a low budget then credit is due to all involved.
Blood & Bone is the kind of movie that deserves a sequel; I hope we see one in the next few years as it’s the kind of movie I could watch on repeat and want to see this character again.
Overall, if you are a fan of martial arts movies and Michael Jai White then you just need to see Blood & Bone; I was blown away by the action and will happily return to this movie many times in the future.