MVD Visual’s Blu-ray release of 2014’s Die Fighting put the film on my radar with a spectacular trailer featuring mind blowing martial arts moves. I’m no stranger to the indie fight film rodeo, however, and the trailer couldn’t quite hide the cheap look of the film and the potential badness found within. Ultimately I’m quite glad I took the chance and checked it out. I figured in the best case scenario, maybe I’d discover a low-budget indie action gem (the ultimate cinematic high for an action junkie like myself). In the worst case scenario, I’d at least get to see some of the fantastic choreography and raw martial arts talent on display in the trailer, even if the film itself couldn’t hold up.
Die Fighting ultimately succeeds as a killer feature length highlight reel for the abilities and talents of the Z Team, a California-based group of 4 friends who trained in Shaolin martial arts together and who are now producing films to highlight their art. It fails pretty miserably as a narrative feature, with jarringly poor acting and editing and ugly camera work and direction. Remarkably, none of this applies to the action sequences, which are captured with a crisp clarity and feature legitimately jaw dropping feats of human ability.
Often stunt teams and action choreographers will create what they call “pre-viz” sequences in which they film what a big budget action sequence could look like using crude props and sets to highlight the action itself. Die Fighting serves as a remarkable pre-viz in the sense that it displays the singular talents possessed by the Z Team and would serve as an excellent calling card were they to attempt to take their careers in the direction of choreography and second unit action directing.
Were they to use Die Fighting as a calling card for their acting, directing, or writing talents, however, I’d recommend against it. The plot includes a diabolical “director” who forces our heroes into increasingly brazen crimes by kidnapping their wives and monitoring their activity on cameras. This allows the film to supposedly get away with its cheap found footage aesthetic, but it also feels far more high concept than was necessary. The threadbare plot does allow for lots of action sequences, but an attempt at a big twist in the final act falls horribly flat. The fact that the stars are more or less playing themselves, struggling martial artists looking to break into the movie business, makes the lifelessness of their performances sting a little more, too.
But anyone who’s checking this film out are doing so for the action. And there’s plenty of it. And it’s pretty great. Several graceful kicks and brutal combinations had me jumping out of my seat and exclaiming loudly. Writer/Director/Star Fabien Garcia would serve as a pretty fantastic action coordinator and fight double in large scale action films, even if he can’t yet shoulder leading man status. Die Fighting shows that the Z Team has a lot to offer Hollywood in intentional doses.
If you’re a fight film fanatic and the thrill of low budget indie discovery is something that motivates you, I definitely recommend checking out Die Fighting. The bad acting and camera work will feel familiar to you, but the balletic martial arts will shock you out of complacency. For those who prefer a slick and stylish mainstream action film and have trouble stomaching rough around the edges indie cinema, skip this one without hesitation.
The Package
Apparently this film has been available on various streaming and VOD services for a long time and this physical media release is only its most recent form of availability. The film doesn’t look great, as I’ve mentioned, and features minimal bonus features of interest. While I do recommend checking the film out, it likely isn’t a “blind buy” home video release for many people. I recommend seeking the film out with a VOD rental and if it tickles your fancy, you could do a lot worse than this nifty little Blu-ray release.
And I’m Out
Originally published at old.cinapse.co on May 9, 2016.