By: The Cinema Drunkie

Welcome to FOOT FIST FRIDAYS! A weekly dose of fight action where the Action-Flix.com experts share their thoughts on some of the greatest scenes of fisticuffs in action cinema history!

This week, Action-Flix contributor The Cinema Drunkie discusses the frenzied mayhem of the climatic free for all battle from SPL 2 where martial arts legends collide and the fists and feet fly with Wu Jing and Tony Jaa taking on the bad guys in a scene of pure martial arts bliss that will satisfy even the most jaded action fan!!

In 2006, audiences were floored by the electrifying action crime drama known as SPL (or as it’s known in America as… Killzone… *rolls eyes*). Starring living legends Donnie Yen, Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, and featuring a breakout performance from future mega star Wu Jing, SPL featured some of the most furious, breakneck action the genre had to offer. Especially in the now legendary duel between Yen and Jing. 

This scene was extraordinary in its tension building and its choreography. A true all timer here folks. But I’m not talking about that scene today. No. I wanna talk about the climactic final battle in its sequel, SPL 2: A Time of Consequences.

SPL 2 stars a returning Wu Jing and Simon Yam (although as entirely different characters) Tony Jaa, Louis Koo, and Jin Zhang, and tells the story of Kit, a burnt out undercover cop (Jing) who finds himself trapped in a prison that is secretly operating an organ smuggling ring, and his only ally is Chai, a correction officer (Jaa) whose daughter is in desperate need of a transplant… in which Kit is the perfect match.

The film has many many great sequences of action, including an all too brief mano y mano between Jaa and Jing early on in the movie. But the climactic sequence? Ohhh the climactic sequence…

In it, Chai has been kidnapped by the ruthless warden (Zhang), and Kit goes in to rescue him. After freeing him, they team up to take on an army of goons. It is here where the warden joins in the fight, and the ultimate battle begins.

This scene is just phenomenal. Absolutely exhilarating in every way. Tony Jaa and Wu Jing prove here why they are at the top of the food chain when it comes to martial arts action, but the real star of this sequence… has to be Mr. Jin Zhang.

Before this movie, I was not that familiar with Jin, or as he’s known in the States, Max. But after this, I became an immediate fan. Watching him fight both Tony Jaa and Wu Jing at the same time in a three piece suit is nothing short of breathtaking. 

And with the incredible choreography provided by Jack Wai-Leung Wong, and long time Jackie Chan Stunt Team members Ken Lo and Chung Chi Li, this scene is such a dazzling display of martial arts expertise that I find it to be vastly superior to the final fights in both The Raid 1 & 2.

That’s right. I said it. And I don’t regret it.

Now, I’ve heard a few complaints about the use of wire work in here, but I feel it’s a non-issue. The wire work in my opinion is used very effectively, where it’s more about accentuating the moves rather than relying on the wire work itself, like other movies tend to do. So up yours with the wire work crap!

But, without further ado, may I present to you… SPL 2 Final Fight:

About The Aurthor: With his mind utterly intoxicated off of a steady stream of movies, comics and cartoons, a young boy from Brooklyn, New York grew up to become the man known as… THE CINEMA DRUNKIE!!! https://thecinemadrunkie.wordpress.com/