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REDBELT is the story of Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a Jiu-Jitsu master who has avoided the prize fighting circuit, choosing instead to pursue an honorable life by operating a self-defense studio with a samurai's code. An accident on a dark, rainy night at Terry's studio between an off-duty officer and a distraught lawyer (Emily Mortimer) puts in motion a series of events that will change Terry's life dramatically, introducing him to a world of promoters (Ricky Jay, Joe Mantegna) and movie star Chet Frank (Tim Allen). Faced with this, in order to pay off his debts and regain his honor, Terry must step into the ring for the first time in his life.
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33 of 35 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
You can hardly go wrong with someone who has given us the insouciant variety of Glengarry Glen Ross or Wag the Dog. Redbelt is a classic of the same cadre, hands-down the best martial arts movie you have seen in a decade, if not the very best of all time.
Without any flying dragons or crouching whatchamaycallits, mind you. Without even the guttaral shrieks of your standard issue kung-fu flick. So don't be going seeing it expecting your typical jumping jacks and shenanigans from Hong Kong.
It starts in what looks like your average ramshackle dojo teaching Brazilian Judo tricks. The authenticity of the maneuvers is instructive, and gripping. But this soon builds into a thrilling rumination of our common human tussle between staying true to our integrity and giving in to the practical conveniences of the moment.
The screenplay is vintage Mamet. We get a steady dose of one-liners ("I don't teach people to fight. I teach them to prevail.") The narrative offers some unexpected twists but exhibits a gentle unaffected beauty, an austerity that seems almost effortless. You'll watch it in one swoop.
For some inadequately explored reason Amazon and various other sources insist on billing this as a Tim Allen starrer, which is puzzling. He fritters a guest appearance at best (what happened--not enough dates?) and is basically quickly forgotten.
See it instead for the irrepressible tenacity of Ejiofor. He's one of those actors you have seen in strident supporting gigs before, but handed his first meaningful protagonist role here, he brings quite a spine to the film. His character calmly copes with the insidious commercialism and scheming all around him, but his resolve is not without its frailties. Still, we root for him from basically the first ten minutes onwards.
The ending may feel a trifle pat, or at least sudden, but this is undeniably a memorable work of art. Even for people without a flair for martial arts. A highly recommended keeper.
Without any flying dragons or crouching whatchamaycallits, mind you. Without even the guttaral shrieks of your standard issue kung-fu flick. So don't be going seeing it expecting your typical jumping jacks and shenanigans from Hong Kong.
It starts in what looks like your average ramshackle dojo teaching Brazilian Judo tricks. The authenticity of the maneuvers is instructive, and gripping. But this soon builds into a thrilling rumination of our common human tussle between staying true to our integrity and giving in to the practical conveniences of the moment.
The screenplay is vintage Mamet. We get a steady dose of one-liners ("I don't teach people to fight. I teach them to prevail.") The narrative offers some unexpected twists but exhibits a gentle unaffected beauty, an austerity that seems almost effortless. You'll watch it in one swoop.
For some inadequately explored reason Amazon and various other sources insist on billing this as a Tim Allen starrer, which is puzzling. He fritters a guest appearance at best (what happened--not enough dates?) and is basically quickly forgotten.
See it instead for the irrepressible tenacity of Ejiofor. He's one of those actors you have seen in strident supporting gigs before, but handed his first meaningful protagonist role here, he brings quite a spine to the film. His character calmly copes with the insidious commercialism and scheming all around him, but his resolve is not without its frailties. Still, we root for him from basically the first ten minutes onwards.
The ending may feel a trifle pat, or at least sudden, but this is undeniably a memorable work of art. Even for people without a flair for martial arts. A highly recommended keeper.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Mixed Martial Arts have been in the spotlight ever since the emergence of UFC and some Hollywood films such as the Karate Kid clone "Never Back Down" (which I have also reviewed) have attempted to capitalize on its popularity. Writer/director David Mamet's "REDBELT" may well be the best U.S. filmmakers have come up with in regards to the world of Jiu-Jitsu and mixed martial arts. The film is about honor and integrity, it cleverly blends the Japanese "code of the Samurai" into the dark side of the world of corruption in competitive sports. The film offers something to think about and for martial artists, it can get under your skin.
Mike Terry (Cheitel Ejiofor) is a well-respected but struggling teacher of Jiu-Jitsu. Terry has his own code of honor and would rather be poor than to compromise his integrity, much to the dismay of his wife Sondra (Alice Braga). His life intertwines with a student/policeman, a fragile young attorney (Emily Mortimer) and a hotshot actor named Chet Frank (Tim Allen). Frank becomes a witness to Terry's fighting skills when he assists him resolve a barroom brawl, and offers him and his wife a business arrangement. However, things go from bad to worst, his ideas are stolen and certain things may well force Terry to compete for money--something he does not believe in.
Rather than focusing on dynamic, jaw-dropping action sequences, "Redbelt" is more a riveting character study of one man. The film may be simple in terms of plot and some key elements may be a little unoriginal, but the storytelling is structured well and the script does provide the necessary emotions to add to its effectiveness. The old adage; "Good Guys finish last..." may come to mind, but what that phrase doesn't complete is that "..but good guys also guarantees their soul.." and I believe in that. The film is nicely paced and the proceedings does exactly what it is trying to say. While Terry is admired by students and other folks, his strong integrity may just hamper his success when it comes to the real world of money and material needs. Mike Terry is a man torn between his principles and his obligations. I truly love his principle of "competition is not a fight, I teach my students to prevail but not necessarily to fight". I also admired Mamet's definition of what exactly a "black belt" represents philosophically and that a belt is just something to hold up your pants.
The film is a real densely executed character study and the spirit of martial arts, and of course, textbook manipulations would occur that would lead to its gripping encounter. The film does offer some of the most realistic fight sequences I've seen on camera. The moves are on display as Terry fights for his goal, although Asian martial arts films will provide a more entertaining experience. I've read that actor Cheitel Ejiofor trained in London, under Carlos Gracie in his academy, and the man definitely owned his role. This was a very good advantage as it did help the actor be more convincing in his role, since he did train in one of the best schools of Jiu-Jitsu. He knows the moves and it showed that he does, I bet the stunt coordinators appreciated this fact as it would be easier to choreograph the art's very complex moves.
REDBELT also delves into the spirit of Jiu-Jitsu as well as the way of the samurai, and it also explores the corruption of money-driven competition; "everything that involves money is fixed" (we all know this but we just tend to deny it). The film shows money-driven competition's ugly face, and it is a very bleak view that is similar to the world of boxing. Quite a real gutsy move in the part of David Mamet. Surprisingly, Tim Allen does a great job as Chet Frank, at first impression, I thought he was miscast but he fit his role. Emily Mortimer may seemed a little "doopie" in the beginning but she also contributes to the film's emotional impact. The film does have a solid cast that reflects its solid direction.
Mamet definitely knew what he wanted to do with the film, the man wants to communicate the integrity and honor of a good man in a very cynical and materialistic world and he does so; the film is structured well and the writing is sharp. The circumstances that led to Mike being pushed to a corner was convincing enough and the links between the characters were credible. The spirit of Jiu-Jitsu is treated as if it is "hallowed ground" when it is within the confines of Terry's school; men and women can find themselves inside while leaving the real world behind.
The film's climax may leave some audiences asking for more and some may even say it seems a bit too cheesy, but if you were paying attention to its entirety, it does make a fitting ending. The climactic fight that occurs outside the ring does effectively represent just what Mike Terry stands for. "RedBelt" may not have that many sequences of fisticuffs and those who are looking for an abundance of choreographed martial arts are better off looking elsewhere. However, if you are looking for a character-driven, thinking man's martial arts drama, then this film will not disappoint.
REDBELT effectively portrays the beliefs and the philosophy of martial arts. As someone often told me; "the measure of a man is not to be judged with the size of his wallet, but what he holds in his heart; if he works hard enough and never compromises his beliefs and integrity, then he is beautiful..."
Recommended! [4- Stars]
Mike Terry (Cheitel Ejiofor) is a well-respected but struggling teacher of Jiu-Jitsu. Terry has his own code of honor and would rather be poor than to compromise his integrity, much to the dismay of his wife Sondra (Alice Braga). His life intertwines with a student/policeman, a fragile young attorney (Emily Mortimer) and a hotshot actor named Chet Frank (Tim Allen). Frank becomes a witness to Terry's fighting skills when he assists him resolve a barroom brawl, and offers him and his wife a business arrangement. However, things go from bad to worst, his ideas are stolen and certain things may well force Terry to compete for money--something he does not believe in.
Rather than focusing on dynamic, jaw-dropping action sequences, "Redbelt" is more a riveting character study of one man. The film may be simple in terms of plot and some key elements may be a little unoriginal, but the storytelling is structured well and the script does provide the necessary emotions to add to its effectiveness. The old adage; "Good Guys finish last..." may come to mind, but what that phrase doesn't complete is that "..but good guys also guarantees their soul.." and I believe in that. The film is nicely paced and the proceedings does exactly what it is trying to say. While Terry is admired by students and other folks, his strong integrity may just hamper his success when it comes to the real world of money and material needs. Mike Terry is a man torn between his principles and his obligations. I truly love his principle of "competition is not a fight, I teach my students to prevail but not necessarily to fight". I also admired Mamet's definition of what exactly a "black belt" represents philosophically and that a belt is just something to hold up your pants.
The film is a real densely executed character study and the spirit of martial arts, and of course, textbook manipulations would occur that would lead to its gripping encounter. The film does offer some of the most realistic fight sequences I've seen on camera. The moves are on display as Terry fights for his goal, although Asian martial arts films will provide a more entertaining experience. I've read that actor Cheitel Ejiofor trained in London, under Carlos Gracie in his academy, and the man definitely owned his role. This was a very good advantage as it did help the actor be more convincing in his role, since he did train in one of the best schools of Jiu-Jitsu. He knows the moves and it showed that he does, I bet the stunt coordinators appreciated this fact as it would be easier to choreograph the art's very complex moves.
REDBELT also delves into the spirit of Jiu-Jitsu as well as the way of the samurai, and it also explores the corruption of money-driven competition; "everything that involves money is fixed" (we all know this but we just tend to deny it). The film shows money-driven competition's ugly face, and it is a very bleak view that is similar to the world of boxing. Quite a real gutsy move in the part of David Mamet. Surprisingly, Tim Allen does a great job as Chet Frank, at first impression, I thought he was miscast but he fit his role. Emily Mortimer may seemed a little "doopie" in the beginning but she also contributes to the film's emotional impact. The film does have a solid cast that reflects its solid direction.
Mamet definitely knew what he wanted to do with the film, the man wants to communicate the integrity and honor of a good man in a very cynical and materialistic world and he does so; the film is structured well and the writing is sharp. The circumstances that led to Mike being pushed to a corner was convincing enough and the links between the characters were credible. The spirit of Jiu-Jitsu is treated as if it is "hallowed ground" when it is within the confines of Terry's school; men and women can find themselves inside while leaving the real world behind.
The film's climax may leave some audiences asking for more and some may even say it seems a bit too cheesy, but if you were paying attention to its entirety, it does make a fitting ending. The climactic fight that occurs outside the ring does effectively represent just what Mike Terry stands for. "RedBelt" may not have that many sequences of fisticuffs and those who are looking for an abundance of choreographed martial arts are better off looking elsewhere. However, if you are looking for a character-driven, thinking man's martial arts drama, then this film will not disappoint.
REDBELT effectively portrays the beliefs and the philosophy of martial arts. As someone often told me; "the measure of a man is not to be judged with the size of his wallet, but what he holds in his heart; if he works hard enough and never compromises his beliefs and integrity, then he is beautiful..."
Recommended! [4- Stars]
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
Spoiler Free Review...
I own every Mamet play and dvd and I found Redbelt thrilling. Mostly because he was able to craft a killer story structure. A protagonist with a noble pursuit, in the shadowy underworld of the MMA.
But like most Mamet films, this is not an action movie, it's suspense-drama.
The dialogue is brutal, and the subtext is deep. This movie hits the viewer on a physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual level. It's a demanding film. If you watch and you only half pay attention, when the plot twists happen, you'll be struggling to understand.
I watched this with a group of seven, half Mamet fans, half virgins. We all watched the same movie, together, and three people just didn't get it... One fan, two virgins. The other four loved it.
The video and audio quality make this one of the best looking Blu-rays. It's razor sharp, deep black, rich color. Everything looks better and sounds better in HD, and, at least for me, Mamet in HD is wicked sweet.
I highly recommend Redbelt on Blu-ray.
I own every Mamet play and dvd and I found Redbelt thrilling. Mostly because he was able to craft a killer story structure. A protagonist with a noble pursuit, in the shadowy underworld of the MMA.
But like most Mamet films, this is not an action movie, it's suspense-drama.
The dialogue is brutal, and the subtext is deep. This movie hits the viewer on a physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual level. It's a demanding film. If you watch and you only half pay attention, when the plot twists happen, you'll be struggling to understand.
I watched this with a group of seven, half Mamet fans, half virgins. We all watched the same movie, together, and three people just didn't get it... One fan, two virgins. The other four loved it.
The video and audio quality make this one of the best looking Blu-rays. It's razor sharp, deep black, rich color. Everything looks better and sounds better in HD, and, at least for me, Mamet in HD is wicked sweet.
I highly recommend Redbelt on Blu-ray.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Liked
Not bad it was pretty good wouldn.t top rate this product. would i buy it again or recommend probably not.
Published 1 month ago by Laura caldwell
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome
Talk about doing the right thing and keeping honor at all times. So hard to do in life now a days. Then to fight a diversity of obstacles in ones way and then to come out on top... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Kevin M. Utting
5.0 out of 5 stars
Let the wheel come around.
One of my favorite movies of all time. A great David Mamet film and a must have for any grapple art enthusiast. Well priced and shipped fast.
Published 5 months ago by Andrew Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Needed Gem
Wow! Wow! Morality, honesty, integrity, and decency flowed from our main actor like rarely seen in movies or life. What a magnificent movie! Every human being should see it. Read more
Published 6 months ago by RNJ
5.0 out of 5 stars
Realistic Martial Arts Drama
The best martial arts movie I have ever seen. The story was realistic and the fight scenes were too, no strings, CGI, and one of the best endings I have ever seen! Read more
Published 7 months ago by Deep Critic
2.0 out of 5 stars
Review of Red Belt
Dont waste your time, I had hoped it would be a great movie but sadly its a huge letdown.
The acting was cheezy and the whole storyline never got off the ground.
The acting was cheezy and the whole storyline never got off the ground.
Published 7 months ago by jose blanco
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie.
I don't really like martial art movies BUT this was GREAT! Really enjoyed this movie. Story line and acting is simply superb.
Published 8 months ago by david
3.0 out of 5 stars
Beware the other reviews...
The BEST martial arts flick ever? No. It's not a martial arts movie. It's a drama based around a martial arts school. There is fighting... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mark
4.0 out of 5 stars
come for the believable fighty fights, stay for the warrior's...
Hot-tempered git that I sometimes am, it's always incredible to me that there exist in the world people as centered and self-controlled as Mike Terry. Read more
Published 11 months ago by H. Bala
5.0 out of 5 stars
For fight and non-fight fans, men and women. This movie will appeal...
A friend of mine who knows that I enjoy watching MMA has urged me to watch this movie for awhile. He enjoyed the movie a great deal. Read more
Published 15 months ago by THowerton
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