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This is, without a doubt, one of the top three action movies I’ve been waiting to see this year and wouldn’t you know, we didn’t have long to wait as the highly anticipated sequel One More Shot sees action phenom Scott Adkins returning as Navy SEAL Jake Harris who has fast become one of his signature roles besides the fellow MMA fighter with the huge chip on his soldier. The first movie, One Shot, was a technical whirlwind as it delivered a barrage continuous take violence, mayhem and expertly choreographed CQB fight sequences which proved a daunting task for Adkins who was on camera for most of the movie. The climax alone was top tier Adkins and it executed one of his best run and gun moments in action cinema history.
Of course, the ending was left wide open as Harris, the lone survivor of his SEAL team making it to extract terrorist suspect Mansur (Waleed Elgadi) as a WMD is in danger of going off in Washington D.C. The sequel takes place mere hours after the siege on the CIA black site in Poland as Harris touches down at a closed off airport with in tow for an emergency debrief to find out when and where the devise is set to go off. As fate would have it, a new threat emerges as a new wave of enemy soldiers descend upon the airport forcing Harris to once again go tactical with lethal precision as he fights off wave after wave of combatants who are equally well trained and better equipped.
Making matters worse, Harris not only has to worry about keeping his prisoner alive to reveal what he knows but he also has to keep Mansur’s pregnant wife alive as well as she was brought to the airport to confront her husband. No pressure here at all. Throw in CIA chief Marshall, played with gravitated brilliance by genre icon Tom Berenger, who is keen on finding out what the hell happend 8 hours earlier and Harris has more than his hands full.
Returning director James Nunn is back in the helming chair and just like the original, he has crafted a continuous take barrage of carnage, video game style nuances and tightly and brutally mapped out fights that showcase a more grounded approach to Adkins’ physical prowess. Nunn knows what the fans want, and he gives it to them for a second go around as the camera picks up on every nail-biting punch, kick and salvo of ammunition spent in the film’s running time which is a taut and lean one hour and forty-five minutes. There’s no filler just like in the first movie as there is a 24 like feel to the drama as it is played out in a real time scenario that heightens the theatrics.
This is certainly Adkins’ show as he is given the workload of three to do and he is more than up to it as he runs a gauntlet for two thirds of the movie. What is more daunting is that Adkins’ Harris takes a good deal of punishment giving the proceedings a realistic taste as the audience is never quite sure if he’ll make it out of this one. Sure, he’s an expertly trained spec ops warrior but the deck is stacked against him with fellow action star Michael Jai White proving a worthy adversary even though he is only on camera for what amounts as a long cameo.
After roughly 12 minutes of build up, Nunn pushes pedal to medal and never lets up until the credits role as Harris comes out of the shadows countless times like a ninja taking out one bad guy after another. Harris is a true warrior as he is ruthless and merciless in his kills, taking out hordes of soldiers with bloody knife strikes to the throat (some repeatedly with zero remorse) and double taps with his rifle as they lay dying. Adkins never goes full on extreme with the unarmed action, but this type of movie needs the grounded approach when it comes to the bloodletting so if you’re expecting the Guyver Kick, you’ll be disappointed. If you are expecting Adkins and crew to deliver some of the finest tactically efficient CQB altercations, then you’re in luck as One More Shot gives it to you and then some while hitting you over the head with a barrage of fisticuffs that is hyper real and hyper kinetic.
Highlights include Harris blasting away at random baddies at super close range with suppressed automatic weaponry, taking on fellow martial arts action actor Aaron Toney in three separate and expertly crafted brawls and finally a standoff with Michael Jai White that may never get as good as Undisputed 2 but it sure is a worthwhile rematch for the two action stars and us who are always chomping at the bit to see these two mammoths of action go at it.
Having the film shot in what looks like one, long continuous take, gives the movie a sweat inducing, nail biting tinge to it that is lacking in a lot of action genre offerings. It’s almost as if the audience is right next to Adkins as he goes beast mode for 90 plus minutes and when he’s out of breath and ready to collapse from all the physical damage, so is the viewer.
The supporting cast is solid again with returning actor Waleed Elgadi back as suspected terrorist Mansur. Like in the first movie, Elgadi steals the show dramatically and even though he’s a suspected insurgent, you can’t help but want him not to be. His character arc is one of the best things besides the set pieces and this is further defended in the fact that we now see his pregnant wife Niesha (Meena Rayann) thrown into the mix, this added event gives him even more of a sympathetic edge.
Tom Berenger is a genre icon like I said and here he was born to play the role of gruff CIA chief Marshall. Every time Berenger is on screen, he elevates those around him, and you can’t look away as he draws you in with his gritty appeal. He yells, he suspects everyone, and he even gets in on the action which is a double bonus. Even though he’s more of an extended cameo, any amount of time on screen is better than no time at all.
Alexis Knapp, who plays Homeland Security operative Jennifer Lomax, is tough, resilient and savvy. She gets plenty to do here and more than I thought and her twist is one I did see coming but it was an interesting way for the plot to progress. While I thought one thing for another character, Knapp’s Lomax steals it away and becomes something else altogether.
A real let down with the sequel for me is that Michael Jai White, who was hyped from the beginning of production being in the movie, is literally only in it for maybe 5 minutes. He has one scene in the middle then isn’t heard from again until the ending where he takes on Adkins in a highlight of the movie’s take no prisoners action. This was definitely a missed opportunity but once again, some Michael is better than no Michael and here’s hoping his character makes it to the next installment and is given more to do.
Returning again for fight choreography duties is longtime collaborator Tim Man (Triple Threat, Ninja II: Shadow of a Tear) who is one of the leading creators of controlled onscreen chaos in action cinema. Man is a wizard at crafting bare knuckle carnage and here he executes some of the best tactical CQB action seen in any military style actioner. Man is an expert in setting up moves for the camera and it’s like he has eyes in the back of his head as he gives us precision angles and execution of strikes that all come together for the fans to enjoy. Man knows how to make Adkins look his best and gives the action star some of his most lethal kills to date. The only drawback is that the action maestro, who also shows up in front of the camera from time to time, is only behind it for this one. I would have loved to see a Ninja II rematch with Adkins.
Man might not be on screen, but resident martial artist and stunt pro Aaron Toney is and he gets more than his chance to shine in a host of beatdowns with Adkins with his character giving Harris a large run for his money. The train fight is without question, one of the best in the movie as we are treated to some ferocious knife action that culminates into a savage throw down of fists and feet. I definitely watched this fight more than once already.
Resident action ace Dan Styles (Avengement, One Shot) is also on hand serving as the movie’s stunt coordinator. Styles is a clear fan of the genre and this is evident in the countless stunts and performances that offer up some pretty knock down, drag out scenarios that puts the cast and crew through the finger. Styles has taken his years of experience and has cemented another round of in your face stunt work that will satisfy.
All of the action this time around takes place at night in a closed down airport so there’s a pros and con scenario here. At times, some of the action is a little hard to make out but at the same moment, it gives the movie a nuance of stealth and realism. This is clearly evident when Harris emerges out of nowhere like a black clad assassin using the shadows like a comrade to sneak up on his prey before mercilessly eliminating them with efficient and cold precision. Adkins does Navy SEALS proud with his spot on interpretation of how they move, fight and handle no win situations.
I won’t spoil it, but I will say that this entry is left open again as the threat is still real and very much alive. I had a feeling that Nunn and Adkins were looking at a trilogy with these films and I was right as the movie ends just as things are really starting to move. One has to wonder; just how much Harris has left in the tank for another round of single take heroics. Sure, he’s a SEAL but he’s still human and he’s been put through the ringer in the last 24 plus hours. Hopefully he gets a nap before the events of the third one.
All in all, One More Shot plays out exactly like the first movie. It’s a massive and rousing display of crackling black ops action shot to give it one long oner style advantage that never lets up or gives the audience a break until it’s over. Scott Adkins is one of the most revered action stars working today and he is a marvel to watch each and every time. There’s enough violence and bravado to feel three movies here and it amazes me how a smaller indie movie like this puts the bigger Hollywood pictures to shame.
The continuous take gimmick proves magnificent and gives the movie a real run and gun feel for the audience and the action sequences are second to none. It’s only the beginning of 2024 but it has definitely started out with a colossal bang courtesy of Scott Adkins who always gives his fans a master class in how to do relentless, extreme action on screen like no other in the business.
VERDICT: 4 Out of 5 Stars
One More Shot is a crackling black ops actioner that features Scott Adkins at his most efficient and brutal best serving up another master class in action cinema!
