This Trailer Is Pure Adkins — For Better or Worse
You ever scroll past a trailer thumbnail and think, Oh yeah, that's gonna be dumb but kind of amazing? That was me with Prisoner of War. Clicked it. Watched it. Laughed. Squinted. Rewound a bit. And you know what? It's not terrible.
Well Go USA just dropped the official trailer for Prisoner of War, an ultra-punchy, mid-budget war brawler that stars Scott Adkins as British RAF Wing Commander James Wright. Yes, really. An SAS-trained martial artist doing roundhouse kicks in a Japanese-run POW camp in 1940s Philippines.
And you know what? It weirdly works. Not good exactly. But works.
A Plot Lifted from a '90s Action Shelf — and I'm Kinda Okay With That
So here's the deal. Wright gets captured during WWII, tossed into a prison camp, and forced to fight other POWs in gladiator-style death matches for the amusement of their captors.
Yep. Death matches. In a World War II movie.
It's like someone watched Bloodsport, read a Wikipedia article on the Bataan Death March, and thought, “Yeah, let's mash that up.”
Adkins — ever the reliable high-kicker — isn't phoning it in here. In fact, the trailer sells this as a career-best for him. Sweaty, gritty, and full of that tortured-hero energy he's been trying to evolve into since Undisputed 3.
Also, and this is wild — the script's by Marc Clebanoff, but the story comes from Adkins himself. That alone explains why half the movie seems like an excuse to get him back in a gi.
Directed by Louis Mandylor, Shot Like a 2007 Xbox Cutscene
Louis Mandylor directs this one. You might remember him from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, or — more on-brand — the Debt Collector flicks where he shared the screen (and fists) with Adkins. Now he's behind the camera, and let's just say… he directs the way he fights. Direct. Loud. Occasionally impressive.
To his credit, the action scenes look mostly practical. No Marvel sludge, no shakycam-to-oblivion. Just dudes brawling in the mud with bayonets and spin kicks.
But yeah — don't expect 1917. Expect something more like Never Back Down meets Bridge on the River Kwai… but with, like, way more shirtless screaming.
The Cast: A Who's-Who of “Hey, I Know That Guy”
Supporting Adkins are Peter Shinkoda (Daredevil), Michael Copon (Power Rangers Time Force — shoutout to 2001), Gabbi Garcia (making her international debut), and UFC's Cowboy Cerrone, who I guess is just legally required to show up in these kinds of movies now.
No shade — he looks terrifying. He has one line in the trailer. He snarls it. It's perfect.
What's the Catch?
Oh, there's plenty. The dialogue's rough. Some of the costumes look like they came from a Spirit Halloween “WWII Soldier” bag. And the trailer definitely oversells the drama like it's Saving Private Ryan.
But here's the thing — Prisoner of War isn't trying to win Oscars. It's trying to give you 90 minutes of grimy, sweaty, bone-snapping martial arts in a period setting.
And compared to the hyper-edited Netflix Originals we've been force-fed lately? Honestly, I'll take this.
So… Should You Watch It?
Depends. If you're the kind of person who reads the cast list on a DTV action flick and thinks, hell yes, this one's for you.
If you're expecting historical nuance or moral complexity? I beg you — do not watch this movie.
But if you grew up on VHS martial arts movies and still get that weird nostalgia tingle when you hear “Well Go USA,” yeah… you'll probably enjoy the chaos.
Release Info (Yes, It's Real)
Well Go USA is dropping Prisoner of War in select theaters and on VOD starting September 19, 2025. Mark your calendars. Or don't. It'll still show up in your streaming algorithm eventually.
