A free style martial arts championship, broadcast exclusively on the Internet draws martial arts masters from around the world to compete. Tension rises when it’s discovered that the event’s sponsor may be altering the outcome of the fights in order find a spokesman for their athletic equipment. Meanwhile, two Chinese kung fu experts from the same school who share opposing values reluctantly find themselves as the prime candidates when they end up in the finals.

The Bloodsport theme gets updated for the 21st century in this poorly written, yet exciting fight-filled fest.

Martial artists from all over the world converge on a futuristic resort where dozens of competitors begin a frenzied elimination round, free-for all as they race an obstacle course while knocking each other down. Surviving the opening event is Ian Maxfield, reigning champion and spokesman for Champion Sports, an athletic supplier. Yet, it soon becomes clear that Ian’s contract is on the ropes. Karen, the event’s manipulative director, who happens to be Ian’s representative, begins searching for an “Asian” spokesperson for Champion’s entry into the Asian markets. Its clear that the winner of the event will make the best candidate so Karen begins selectively pairing the remaining contestants in order to control the outcome. Nevertheless, several martial artists distinguish themselves in the second round, including Kuang Kin and Jin Fang. Both come from the same martial arts school but the fiercely competitive Jin is sent to represent the school while the more conscience Kuang, enters independently to prove that he is the better man. Also moving to the finals is Tang Ning, the first female competitor to have signed up for the event who is developing a relationship with Kuang. As the contest narrows down to its final contestants, Kuang purposely loses to a young Thai boxer who narrowly escapes a fatal injury. Realizing his popularity based upon Internet polls, Karen forces the Thai boxer out on a technicality. Meanwhile, the less scrupulous Jin beats the tar out of Tang and goes on to face Ian, the current champion. Ian subsequently takes a fall after learning that his contract with Champion Sports is dropped. This leads to the final match between Kuang and Jin.

The film suffers a laughable setback, during a press conference at the beginning of the film. As the contestants are introduced, they begin shouting like pro-wrestlers while bashing podiums in a childish display of bravado. Making matters worse is the dubbing. Unlike many films in Hong Kong these days, the entire film is dubbed, featuring mostly English dialogue with some Chinese. While the actors are clearly speaking English, the canned voices don’t always keep up with the lips. All of the English dialogue is overly simplified, hideously written, and terribly acted. Likewise, the multi-lingual dialogue will slip into Chinese without subtitles, forcing the viewer to either continuously switch subtitles on and off, or watch the entire film with them on even though 75% of the film is in English. The story itself is sprinkled with a few gems such as the Thai boxer’s failed attempt to win. He’s the most dedicated of the bunch. The other contestants see him spar with his father long into the night while they relax. Tang scoffs at the boxer as he meditates before each round, only to display a moment of admiration later on in acquiescence to his sincerity. Ultimately, the boxer loses, not in competition but to corporate greed. It would seem an intentional message warning us of the perils of sincerity in an age of skepticism.

Overall the acting is forgettable, leaving us with the action. Thankfully, director Stephen Tung delivers. The film features dozens of different styles of combat and various weapons. Yet, Tung smartly doesn’t waste time on detailing martial arts technique. Combatants simply go at each other in a free-style form that doesn’t seem to have many if any rules. The use of interesting settings such as raised or floating platforms adds excitement, yet is improbable. Admittedly, the whole competition is somewhat improbable, falling somewhere between an episode of American Gladiators and The Running Man. The opening scene depicts a mass of contestants running over a rocky surface, kicking each other into crevices. The frequent use of raised platforms would undoubtedly lead to unnecessary injury. All of the actors perform quite well… ahem, as long as they’re fighting. Patricia Ja Lee stands out for her role as an eternally optimistic contestant, bent on lasting for as long as possible. Despite the one-dimensional character, her expressiveness is a welcome relief from Ken Cheung and Yueng Chuen Ai’s generally monotone demeanors.

The most welcome aspect of Extreme Challenge is the fresh direction by Tung that features crisp editing and the inventive use of black and white for emphasis. This action director and occasional actor has choreographed a number of classics such as A Better Tomorrow (1986), The Blade (1995), and Jackie Chan’s The Accidental Spy (2001). Tung obviously knows how to shoot an action scene. In other hands this film would have suffered greatly, given its weary premise and stiff acting. Add to that a poor script and it’s amazing just how much fun this underrated feature remains.

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