High-Octane
Summary
One More Shot is a technical marvel with up close and personal action scenes all made to look like it’s shot in one take. For the most part it works with Adkins at his best, but I found the finale underwhelming leaving things too open for another sequel.
Plot: Following the attack on the black site in Poland, Navy SEAL Jake Harris is ordered to escort terrorist suspect Amin Mansur to Washington D.C for interrogation.
Review: Scott Adkins returns as Jake Harris in this follow-up to One Shot; this sequel entitled One More Shot takes place minutes after the ending of the first movie with Jake still trying to get Amin Mansur (Waleed Elgadi) to Washington for interrogation.
Things do not go as planned as a new batch of villains appear trying to kill them while also trying to steal the bomb themselves. Like the first movie One More Shot is a technical triumph where it’s all made to look like it’s all done in one take. Scott Adkins once again proves he is one of the hardest working actors in the action genre as he and all the cast/crew clearly worked hard to bring this movie to life.
I so want to say that I loved it, but despite the technical brilliance and some impressive fight scenes I was a little disappointed. I think it was mostly due to the ending which just fizzled out lacking anything majorly exciting and the main villains aren’t killed, so I couldn’t help but feel it’s setting up a potential third movie. Michael Jai White is only on screen for a few minutes which is a shame, but he does at least have a thrilling showdown with Scott at the end.
There are a couple of twists to the story to keep things interesting and I think Waleed Elgadi is excellent as Mansur; he was also fantastic in the first movie giving genuine emotion to his character amongst all the carnage. Tom Berenger also is perfectly cast as the gruff Marshall who basically just shouts at everyone, but he feels believable in this kid of role.
In terms of dialogue nothing really stands out as the main focus is on the action and in that respect the film delivers; it’s going for a more realistic and grounded approach rather than a one-liner filled, old-school actioner.
Overall, One More Shot left me feeling a little flat with that ending leaving things open for another entry and Michael Jai White is sorely underused, but there is plenty of action including brutal fight scenes and shoot-outs. Scott Adkins remains one of the most dedicated action stars in the business and this is technically brilliant especially considering the modest budget, but I think I preferred the first film.
