Michael Jai White is the holder of all sorts of martial arts black belts and this terrific action yarn makes full use of both his mighty fighting skills and his imposing physique. He plays an ex-con who infiltrates the underground fight circuit to avenge the death of his friend and rescue the dead man's wife from a charismatic but ruthless gangster (played by British actor Eamonn Walker, who along with Julian Sands, adds a bit of class to the proceedings). As with most martial arts stars, White struggles with the actual acting side of things, but when you can fight as well as him, that's largely irrelevant. The gob-smacking opening scene alone makes this essential viewing for any action buff.

In Los Angeles, an ex-con takes the underground fighting world by storm in his quest to fulfill a promise to a dead friend.