Prisoner of War (2025)
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A captured British officer must use his secret martial arts training to survive brutal underground fights and lead a daring escape from a Japanese POW camp.
The story
Set during the Battle of Bataan in 1942, British RAF Wing Commander James Wright is shot down over the Philippines and captured by Japanese forces. Imprisoned in a brutal POW camp under the command of Lt. Col. Benjiro Ito, Wright is forced to participate in underground hand-to-hand combat matches for the captors' entertainment. Drawing on his secret martial arts training from Hong Kong, Wright begins to defeat other prisoners and motivates his fellow captives. As the brutality of the camp intensifies, Wright works with a small group of allies to devise a daring escape plan to deliver vital intelligence.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1942, during the Battle of Bataan, Royal Air Force Wing Commander James Wright is shot down and captured by Japanese forces. In a POW camp commanded by Lt. Col. Benjiro Ito, Wright is forced into underground fighting matches. After defeating the camp's best martial artist, Koji, Wright forms bonds with Captain Collins and Sergeant Gabriel Villanueva. With secret help from a local nurse named Theresa, they plan an escape to deliver intelligence. Wright manages to steal a radio to call for US reinforcements. During the escape attempt, Collins is executed after killing a guard. When Allied Air Force bombs begin to fall, Wright, Theresa, and Villanueva attempt to flee. Wright faces and defeats Ito, who spares his life out of respect for his martial arts skill. The story jumps to 1950, where James breaks into the Ito Dojo to confront Sensei Shunsuke Ito. After defeating Shunsuke, James is returned a medallion stolen from him years prior.
- Original title
- Death March
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 112
- Production countries
- United States; Philippines
- Original languages
- English; Filipino; Japanese
- Directors
- Louis Mandylor
- Writers
- Marc Clebanoff · screenplay; Scott Adkins · story
- Cast and characters
- Scott Adkins · James Wright; Peter Shinkoda · Lt. Col. Benjiro Ito; Donald Cerrone · Captain Collins; Michael Copon · Sgt. Gabriel Villanueva; Michael Rene Walton · The Beard; Gary Cairns · Jonesy; Gabbi Garcia · Theresa; Masanori Mimoto · Captain Endo
- Genres
- martial arts; war
- Themes
- Resistance; Martial Arts; Survival; Bravery
- Tone and mood
- Raw; Visceral; Action-packed
- Premise and plot tags
- War Epic; Martial Arts; WWII; Prisoner of War
- Reception
- The film received mixed to positive critical feedback, with praise for Adkins’s performance and the fight choreography, though the narrative depth and supporting characters faced criticism.
- Reported review scores
- Cityonfire.com · score: 4½ · scale: 5
- Production trivia
- The film was formerly titled Death March.; Principal photography started from the last week of July and into late of August 2024.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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