Taim M. Adams’ Lion Fist hands a man who’s already lost four years of his life one more impossible fight — this time with his son’s future on the line instead of his own freedom. Is beating strangers half to death in a back-alley tournament really the answer, or is it just the only door still open to him?
After four years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, Joe (Mathis Landwehr) is a free man — and after taking the fall for his wife’s drug charge, all he wants now is his life back and a reunion with his son. But life is not fair. All he has is a job working at the mill, an empty apartment, and an ex-wife, Kate (Finja Martens), who won’t let him see his son unless he comes up with money for the boy’s life-saving brain tumor operation.
On his way home from work, Joe stops by a local MMA gym run by a city big shot. The owner gives Joe a chance to show off his MMA skills. It’s impressive, but the owner tosses him out anyway because he can’t afford the gym dues, then has his goons beat him up for the trouble.
Joe (Mathis Landwehr) trains in a martial arts stance opposite Wu (Yanlong Li) in Lion Fist.
“Not only does he refuse to train Joe, but he also refuses to teach him the sacred Lion Fist.”
Beaten within an inch of his life, Joe looks up through a bloodied face to see a lone figure, Wu (Yanlong Li), scoffing at him and walking away. Joe later runs into the beautiful Mei (Julin Täubner), who takes a liking to him and tells him about an MMA tournament with a prize pool that will easily cover his son’s surgery. Mei suggests he train with her father…that’s right. It’s Wu…legendary grandmaster Wu…and he doesn’t think Joe has the right stuff to pull it off. Not only does he refuse to train Joe, but he also refuses to teach him the sacred Lion Fist.
Paying homage to the fight films of the ’80s and ’90s, Taim M. Adams’ Lion Fist is reminiscent of the stories that made Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme famous. Mathis Landwehr is the struggling action star with great moves and a big gap in the acting department. In the end, Landwehr can fight, which is the only requirement for him in this movie. Of course, there has to be the big boss battle at the end in the form of Butch, played by a menacing Brice Akuesson.
Yes, the story is incredibly melodramatic. His son has a brain tumor, for crying out loud. But we’re here for the action, and there is a lot of it, with accents of drama to even out the pacing. The fighting is incredible. It’s grounded, with moves you’d swear were wire-fu — but they’re not. Joe goes one-on-one, takes on a gang, and trains à la Daniel LaRusso to land the final move — the Lion Fist. Then there’s the pretty damsel, who has her own particular set of skills. In the end, it’s all dumb fun…emphasis on fun.
Taim M. Adams’ Lion Fist is the latest entry in the tournament-fight genre. It’s a solid thriller with a heart-wrenching motivation to fight and a protagonist who lives a life of integrity, only to have misfortune thrown in his face. But mainly, we’re here for some over-the-top MMA fight action.
"…In the end, it's all dumb fun…emphasis on fun."
