At long last after two Kickboxer reboots, martial arts fans can now take a gander at what director Dimitri Logothetis has in store with sci-fi thriller, Jiu Jitsu, starring Nicolas Cage, and Kickboxer reboot star of late, actor and martial artist Alain Moussi. And if you’re gettin’ some Mortal Kombat-meets-Predator vibes, I guess you’re not alone!
Every six years, an ancient order of expert Jiu Jitsu fighters faces a vicious race of alien invaders in a battle for Earth. For thousands of years, the fighters that protect Earth have won…until now. When celebrated war hero Jake Barnes (Alain Moussi) is defeated by Brax, the indomitable leader of the invaders, the future of humanity hangs in the balance. Injured and suffering from amnesia, Jake is rescued by Wylie (Nicolas Cage), Keung and his team of fellow Jiu Jitsu fighters. They must help Jake to regain his strength in order to band together and defeat Brax in an epic battle that will once again determine the fate of mankind.
Admittedly, folks who read my site already know how I feel about the Kickboxer reboots, and so assuredly, I’m hoping Jiu Jitsu will help bring some turnaround in that regard. It looks action-packed and spectacular enough, and hell, Dan Rizzuto (Wu Assassins) worked with the fight team for the action, shepherded by action director Supoj Khaowwong, who worked with both Cage and Moussi in the last twelve years.
The cast is also plentiful here in its action fan service with Frank Grillo, Juju Chan, Marrese Crump, and the incomparable Tony Jaa who we’ll be happy to see more of come 2021 in Sony’s Monster Hunter.
Jiu Jitsu grabs hold of theaters on November 20 courtesy of The Avenue Entertainment, provided of course that exhibitors aren’t already choked out by the pandemic by then. Otherwise, it’ll still be available on VOD and digital the same day.
