42. Underdog; movie review

UNDERDOG
Cert 15
116 mins
BBFC advice: Contains very strong language, strong sex, violence, injury detail, drug misuse

One of the big plusses of largescale immigration of Polish people into the UK has been the increase in the number of movies to serve them.
I can't imagine that cinema chains are not feeling very positive about Brexit knowing how many people go to watch them.
Interestingly, like Underdog, the films tend to be very accessible to British audiences - if a little bit more violent and sexually explicit than their usual movie diet.
Underdog has both brutality and between-the-sheets action but neither detract from its central focus - the haphazard life of a former mixed martial arts fighter.
Maciej Kawulski's movie stars Eryk Lubos as the title character, who lost his championship belt two years' early because of a drug infringement.
He is seen trying to carve a living while managing the pain which is his career's legacy.
Lubos's Kosa is a man of relatively few words and this means that his back story is rather slow coming to the fore.
It turns out that the fighter (Mamed Khalidov) to whom he relinquished the title is an honourable chap who is not happy with the way he won it.
Meanwhile, Kosa is trying to handle the disappointment towards him of a brother (Tomasz Wlosok) who has been paralysed in the ring and his father (Zbigniew Paterak).
He may look like a meathead but there are depths to Kosa which are evident in his relationship with them and with a local vet (Aleksandra Poplawska) and her daughter (Emma Giegzno).
And then there is the mixed martial arts action and the gruelling training.
This puts me somewhat to shame because I am lying on the couch, moaning about a sore stomach from my pitifully weak sessions at the gym.
Frankly, if I had to undergo anything like the schedule of Kosa, I think I would be in a pine box.
Oh, and I nearly forgot the presence of the Russian mafia which really gets up Kosa's nose.
It adds up to an engaging if not an enthralling couple of hours but left me wondering whether Polish film directors will ever lighten up.

Reasons to watch: Cold hard reality of the mixed martial art scene
Reasons to avoid: Some brutal scenes

Laughs: A couple of chuckles
Jumps: None
Vomit: Yes
Nudity: Yes
Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? One of Underdog's stars, Mamed Khalidova, was an international heavyweight martial arts champion in 2009 and 2015. This is his acting debut.

The final word. Maciej Kawulski: "There is no area in this movie that is unrealistic."

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