One More Shot – A Superior Action Packed Sequel

One More Shot is the latest Scott Adkins action film and a sequel that picks up immediately from the aftermath of 2021’s One Shot (the film includes a brief recap of the former that audiences should still watch as it’s good fun). This time around, after surviving the attack on a US black site in Poland, Navy SEAL Jake Harris (Adkins) and terrorist prisoner Amin Mansur (Waleed Elgadi) arrive stateside to Washington DC. Mansur was set for interrogation as he claimed to have knowledge of a dirty bomb hidden somewhere in DC that was allegedly set to go off in less than 24 hours. With the clock ticking, the situation quickly escalated (or deescalated) as they arrived at an airport attacked by a group of highly trained mercenaries, forcing Harris to once again protect the asset and get the vital information needed. But things aren’t quite as they seem as a much larger conspiracy of double-crosses, traitors, and more sinister plans were also at play.

Similar to its predecessor, One More Shot is entirely done as one long simulated take, with no visible cuts or edits. While not particularly fond of this “gimmick,” as cuts and edits help propel the action on screen to be more impactful and allow more creative shot compositions. However, one cannot deny the skillful execution done by director James Nunn and his team here, pulling it off so seamlessly in spite of a significantly lower budget and scale compared to other productions. Contextually, the one shot helps enhance the ticking clock aspect of the story thus driving the film’s suspense and narrative momentum. The action makes use of its lingering flowing camera to great effect with an emphasis on vertical, multi-layered set pieces. Moving up and down various levels of a two-story room, weaving in and out of doorways and train cars, from bad guy POV to the good guy POV in one continuous action scene. In addition to the impressive staging of action is some incredible fight choreography done by Adkins’ frequent stunt coordinator Tim Man. Where One Shot arguably leaned too far into gun fights, this sequel better utilizes Adkins’ martial arts skills with numerous hand-to-hand fight scenes interspersed in to keep the action from feeling repetitive.

The question as to why Adkins is not a larger star continues to be a baffling one as the man has got the charisma AND the action chops, he can do it all and this film is no exception. Meanwhile, joining him in this sequel are martial arts legend Michael Jai White as commander of the mercenary group, Tom Berenger as the CIA chief and Alexis Knapp as a key CIA agent. White is a charismatic presence on screen who is unfortunately underused here. His long-awaited climatic fight with Adkins is excellent, showcasing both their unique skill sets but it’s more of an appetizer as his role comes across more like set up for a third entry. The vacuum he leaves when Adkins is not present is certainly felt as Berenger and Knapp can’t fulfill the same energy that White brings to the film.

However, the story bits in between the action get shaky once the conspiracy angle started to develop, with the writing not sustaining the intrigue and mystery one would want it to and slowing the film to a halt in a number of scenes. While the original film ended on an incomplete note though still leaving room for a sequel, One More Shot is far more open ended which leaves the ending feeling somewhat anticlimactic. In the end, if this film is of any indication, One Last Shot (or perhaps Final Shot?) should continue the upward trend of this series so it will definitely be exciting to see what Nunn and co. pull off in the grand finale.

Ultimately, One More Shot is an impressively crafted thriller that punches well above its budget to deliver exceptional action set pieces and continues to showcase why Scott Adkins is the best action star working today. Fans of the original should be more than pleased with a film that is more than worthy of a VOD rental on most major platforms.

still courtesy of Signature Films

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Alex Josevski

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