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I've asked this question before, and I'm happy to ask it again: Why isn't Bren Foster a bigger action star? Foster is fiercely orthodox when it comes to hyper-kinetic, hyper-realistic martial arts action design, and he's brought a new phase to his career as an indie filmmaker who gets what fans want to see on the screen. Instead of asking someone else to direct and produce, why not ask someone who can totally screw it up? The answer is, by doing it yourself, putting in your blood, sweat, and tears to bring out the best in the genre. Foster has now accepted this task (trust me, he gets it) to deliver audiences a hyper-intense martial arts mayhem that rivals anything seen in iconic movies like Star Wars. Raid or John Wick Together with the characters, you'll be engrossed in a heartfelt human drama that justifies violence as a last resort. Life after the fightIn Foster's directorial debut, the Australian action maestro has crafted a top-notch action/drama that leaves it all on the mat.
I've followed Foster since his early days at National Geographic. Phytoscience Foster loved film so much that he wanted to show what he could do with his body and great choreography. Having appeared in several action films with Steven Seagal, Foster would go on to take on leading roles in a number of films, including: Maximum confidence and The power of execution. The latter is the lead role, and he proves he's more than fit to be the leading man in an action movie: watching Foster's fight scenes is like a religious experience, with an intensity and ferocity like no other. The last shipFoster created one of the show's most popular characters of all time, Scorp Wolf Taylor, and during his four years on the show he proved he was no fluke when it came to beating stuntmen to their knees with his extreme martial arts moves combined with an otherworldly level of body-piercing prowess.
and Life after the fightFoster delivers his fans a true passion project, with a unique mix of heavy human drama and martial arts action so effective that viewers feel every blow and hit. The film also establishes Foster as a true action star, one who deserves to be recognized as much as he can. Foster also stars as Alex Faulkner, owner of a martial arts school, who was once a famous champion in the ring. After years of punishment and surgery, Faulkner's body betrays him, and in his final fight he basically comes close to giving himself up for reasons only known to him. Years later, he lives a quiet, idyllic life while teaching his students his knowledge. Faulkner is regretful, but with his students, he finds purpose and a reason to carry on.
One day, Samantha (Kathy Howarth) visits Alex's school to try to get her son Terry admitted. This is where the story begins, as Samantha has a history with her ex-husband Victor (Luke Ford), a nefarious character who plays a major role in the storyline of the film. Samantha and Victor divorced three years ago, but someone forgot to tell Victor, and Victor stalks and torments Samantha every day, using Terry against her to make Samantha's life a living hell. The budding romance between Alex and Samantha is unstoppable, infuriating Victor to no end. Victor sends adult bullies to Alex's school to stop Faulkner from continuing his relationship with Samantha, but all attempts fail as Alex easily kicks them out.
The real story unfolds midway through the film, when Alex's cousin Julie (Annabelle Stevenson), who also works for Alex at the school, experiences the unbelievable event of her daughter Violet (played by Foster's real-life daughter Ariel Jean Foster) being kidnapped outside the karate dojo along with another student. Alex then sets out to find Violet and other girls who have suffered the same fate at the hands of society's worst elements, plunging him into a nightmarish descent into the ruthless and unforgiving world of child trafficking. It's ripped straight from the headlines, an issue close to home for Foster, who made the film, and it shines a light on this horrific atrocity. It's a difficult subject to know about, but one we need to pay close attention to, with millions of children going missing every year.
I followed Life after the fight It's something I've been anticipating since it was first conceived, so finally getting to see the finished product and Foster's first foray into filmmaking was a joy to say the least. In a year where we've been spoiled with a plethora of action movies that outshone the competition, Foster has given us one of the best action movies of 2024. The film is a near-perfect blend of giving audiences an emotional, heart-wrenching drama and then turning it around and fleshing it out into a brutal, savage martial arts action movie full of grinding and bloody carnage. It's on par with, or even better than, some of the other movies we always mention.
Some may complain that the film lasts over two hours, but Foster gives the characters the right amount of time so that you never get bored or lose interest. When the fists and feet start flying, you start to care about the protagonist and the people he risks his life to protect. Foster also makes the bad guys just the right amount of repulsive so that when they get their comeuppance it's incredibly satisfying on a whole new level. Foster plays Faulkner as a sympathetic, likable, honest character, someone you want to get to know better. There's enough time to see what he and the rest of the cast can really do dramatically, and everyone is up to the challenge, delivering true and meaningful performances.
This is more than your average beat 'em up movie, and Foster has put pride and care into every aspect. We all know there's going to be some exciting beat 'em up action, but it has to be meaningful, and Foster makes sure to convey that when you resort to violence, it's only used as a last resort when evil is looming. There's real emotion, a little humor, and equal amounts of drama along with all the adrenaline that ultimately ensues.
As for the action, Foster knows what his fans want and he gives it to them with numerous fight scenes sprinkled throughout the first two-thirds of the film, culminating in a 40-minute finale that is a series of insane action designs by the star and director himself. Watching Foster act is like watching a brutal ballet, his movements and the power behind them are insane. You wonder how he can pull off extreme martial arts moves with such devastating power, but he delivers in every scene. Foster and his elite stunt unit fought to the point that it's hard to imagine that no one needed to be rushed to the hospital when the dust settled. I winced multiple times during each fight, but it's hard to do that when I've seen movies like this countless times.
The finale is a 40-minute assault on the senses, with Foster in full beast mode, transforming into a punitive one-man army, standing his ground, fighting everyone, and saving the world as a karate dojo turns into a battlefield of unrelenting brutality. It's a relentless marathon of broken bones, blood splatter, and bone-shattering choreography that literally involves pumping fists and pounding chests. It's basically Foster's debut party as an elite action hero, and he makes sure to execute all the amazing moves he's best known for, like the jackknife and the signature move where he'll kick you in the air four times before you hit the ground. Foster also films the action in a way that lets the audience see every punch, using just the right amount of slow-motion to highlight the best shots, so we know without a doubt that we've witnessed something incredible in terms of pure, unadulterated physical prowess.
Another great thing about the action design is how Foster expertly combines high-flying extreme martial arts destruction with lethal ground-and-pound MMA action that looks so real it could have come straight out of the UFC. Fans can look forward to plenty of crowd-pleasing ferocious fists, elbows, flying knees, kicks, submissions, and submissions. Foster's Faulkner saves the best scene for last when he faces off against the military in the film's final minutes, fighting a henchman named Ethan, played by Masa Yamaguchi, who is the film's real villain. As if the previous developments weren't enough, the final fight between these two men is a pulsating display of master moves that leaves everything on the table, to the point where Alex isn't sure if he'll survive. This is essentially a true master class on how to properly and effectively showcase the best possible martial arts action on screen with perfect timing, power, and talent.
Overall, Bren Foster is a top-tier martial arts action star and now a filmmaker as well. Life after the fight It offers everything a true fan who treats action movies like a religion could want: Foster is brutally authentic, in full beast mode here and transforming into a punishing one-man army in the finale, and the final 40 minutes in particular are as good as anything you'll ever see. Raid or John Wick This is even more impressive than the franchise and iconic martial arts movies because Foster probably only had a third of the budget of those movies. It just goes to show that you don't need a ton of money to make a decent action movie. All you need is a man and woman who know what to do in front of and behind the camera and who have a passion for the brutal science on screen. This is definitely one of the best action movies of the year. If you like your action movies mixed with heart and human emotion and the chaos of surreal karate fighting, then let these movies be your guide. Life after the fight And Bren Foster, a star and director the action movie world desperately needs.
Verdict: 5 out of 5 stars – a strong contender for the best action movie of 2024!
Life after the fight is a hyper-kinetic blend of heartwarming drama and relentlessly bone-crunching martial arts action design that launches Bren Foster into the elite ranks of action movie star.
Check out our exclusive interview with Bren Foster about martial arts, training, movies, and more. Life after the fight!
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