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- Scott Adkins continues to enjoy one of the most successful careers of any martial-arts star in Hollywood. With his recent film, Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday, just recently being released and an appearance in the highly-anticipated John Wick 4 on the way, Adkins certainly has a career worth celebrating, including certain films that stand above the rest.
English actor Scott Adkins is best known for his role as the Russian prison fighter Yuri Boyka in the Undisputed franchise. The actor, who made his name after appearing in a number of Hong Kong films, is mostly cast in action roles due to his martial arts background.
Even though he has been cast in several blockbusters in supporting roles, most of his lead roles have been in direct-to-video movies. Due to his good performances and consistency, Adkins is often thought of as an underrated action star who deserves more recognition. Here are his best movies, according to IMDb.
Updated October 21st, 2022 by Jordan Iacobucci:
Scott Adkins continues to enjoy one of the most successful careers of any martial-arts star in Hollywood. With his recent film, Accident Man: Hitman's Holiday, just recently being released and an appearance in the highly-anticipated John Wick 4 on the way, Adkins certainly has a career worth celebrating, including certain films that stand above the rest.
Ninja: Shadow Of A Tear (2013) - 6.1
Available On Fubo TV
Ninja: Shadow of a Tear is the sequel to the 2009 Ninja film. Shadow of a Tear follows Scott Adkins's returning hero, Casey Bowman, who seeks revenge after his pregnant wife is murdered by a group of bandits.
The film received mixed reviews from critics but proved generally popular among Adkins's built-in fanbase. Shadow of a Tear did manage to outshine the original film in terms of quality but has yet to receive any word regarding another installment in the franchise.
Day Shift (2022) - 6.1
Available On Netflix
Day Shift is an irreverent vampire comedy starring Jamie Foxx as a vampire hunter moonlighting as a California pool cleaner. Adkins features as Diran Nazarian, one-half of a pair of vampire hunters who work alongside Foxx's character during a certain action-packed segment of the film.
Despite middling reviews, Day Shift proved to be a moderate hit for Netflix, gaining plenty of viewers during its release window. Adkins himself may have picked up a few fans as a result of appearing in this movie, which may open up the door to a brand-new franchise for the streaming giant.
The Brothers Grimsby (2016) - 6.2
Available On Starz
Starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Mark Strong, The Brothers Grimsby is a severely misguided action thriller following two brothers on a covert mission for MI6. Adkins has a supporting role in the film as a hitman by the name of Pavel Lukashenko, who attempts to kill the two brothers before they can accomplish their mission.
The Brothers Grimsby ultimately flopped both among critics and at the box office, doing little to bolster the careers of anyone involved in the project. Though the movie may not be the worst project with which Adkins has been involved, it certainly doesn't stack up to some of his better projects.
American Assassin (2017) - 6.2
Available On Hulu
American Assassin is a 2017 action film based on the Vince Flynn book of the same name starring Dylan O'Brien, Michael Keaton, and Taylor Kitsch. Therein, Scott Adkins appears as Victor, a member of the same black ops team as O'Brien's protagonist.
While anticipation for American Assassin was high, the film underperformed. Nevertheless, Adkins had the opportunity to prove to a wider audience that his action skills were still top-tier, paving his way for future appearances in big-budget films.
Accident Man (2018) - 6.5
Available On The Roku Channel
In Accident Man, Scott Adkins stars as Mike Fallon, an assassin who specializes in making his kills look like accidents. His hits frustrate the police but leave his clients very happy, leading him to become the world's most highly recommended assassin.
Things soon take a turn when his pregnant girlfriend Beth gets murdered by one of his crew members. Enraged, he goes on a path of revenge and leaves several bodies in his wake. The movie received generally mixed reviews from critics but has warranted a sequel, which came out in October of 2022.
Criminal (2016) - 6.3
Available On Pluto TV
Criminal is an often forgotten action-thriller with a star-studded cast that includes Ryan Reynolds, Gal Gadot, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, Kevin Costner, and many more big-name actors. Starring alongside this impressive cast is Scott Adkins, who portrays a CIA agent named Pete Greensleeves.
Criminal failed to catch on with the general public, with critics complaining that the film was ultimately unimpressive and droll. Nevertheless, the film gave Adkins some much-necessary face time with several impressive stars that he had never worked with before in his career.
Avengement (2019) - 6.5
Avengement is a 2019 action B-movie sporting Adkins as its leading man. Directed by Jesse V. Johnson, the film features Adkins as Cain Burgess, a convicted felon who takes matters into his own hands in order to avenge those who landed him in prison.
Avengement was fairly well-received by its target audience, with Adkins's performance earning considerable praise. To this day, the film remains one of the actor's biggest hits, leading him to even more starring roles in similar projects over the last several years.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) - 6.6
Available On Disney+
X-Men Origins: Wolverine covers Wolverine's childhood, back when he was James Howlett. His days as part of Major William Stryker's Team X are also covered and so is his association with his half-brother Victor Creed. It was the first of the solo films focusing on Wolverine.
Scott Adkins plays Wade Wilson/Weapon XI, the film's version of Deadpool. Adkins provided the stunts for Wilson's character in each fight scene, while Ryan Reynolds played the character in other scenes. Overall, Adkins's character and the film as a whole would be critically panned.
The Expendables 2 (2012) - 6.6
Available On Prime Video
This star-studded film is often considered the worst installment in the franchise, but certainly wasn't lacking in the casting department. Plenty of big-name stars appeared in the action-heavy film, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Chuck Norris, Jet Li, Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Bruce Willis.
Scott Adkins plays the henchman of the film's antagonist, Jean Villain (Jean-Claude Van Damme). His character proved to be as equally skilled as Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), but he eventually met his death when he was punched straight into a helicopter's tail rotor.
Boyka: Undisputed (2016) - 6.9
Adkins returned as Russian fighter Yuri Boyka in this fourth installment of the hit Boyka franchise. In the film, the eponymous character aims to face the biggest names in the MMA industry and make himself a true legend. His dreams are threatened, however, when he accidentally kills an opponent in the ring.
Boyka is consumed by guilt when he finds out that the wife of the man he killed is in trouble because she owes money to a mobster. This pits him against dangerous people, and he is soon forced to kill again, finding himself back in prison. The deep character work and relentless action make this film one of Adkins's very best.
Unleashed (2005) - 7.0
Available On Starz
In the action film, a fighter named Danny (Jet Li) finds himself being used by a man named Bart (Bob Hoskins) to make money from illegal brawls. He doesn't mind because he earns, too. Bart, unfortunately, gets badly injured after a car accident, and Danny is left alone with no clue how to make his money.
Adkins only plays a minor role in this film, portraying a nameless fighter whom the protagonists must battle in a drained pool. While the film might not have boosted Adkins's career as much as certain other projects in his filmography, it certainly gave him the opportunity to work with certain big-name actors in the industry.
Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019) - 7.1
Available On Netflix
In the fourth installment of this popular martial arts franchise, Kung Fu master Ip travels to America after his student, Bruce Lee, upsets the local community by opening a martial arts school in San Francisco. Adkins plays Barton Geddes, a US Marines Corps gunnery sergeant.
After its release, the movie became the highest-grossing Chinese film of all time. The action sequences were singled out for praise, with many acknowledging Donnie Yen's dedication to his role. The film's success similarly has played out well for Adkins, who continues to get starring roles in action films ever since.
Zero Dark Thirty (2012) - 7.4
Available On Netflix
This thriller/espionage film tells the story of the lengthy search and eventual killing of the infamous Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden at his hideout in Pakistan. Scott Adkins plays a CIA field operative named John.
The film was nominated for five Oscars despite generating controversy due to its intense depictions of torture. In general, the film was well-received by fans and critics, giving many audiences their first chance to see Adkins in a mainstream role.
Doctor Strange (2016) - 7.5
Available On Disney+
Doctor Strange is a film set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe following neurosurgeon Stephen Strange, who finds himself caught in a world of mysticism and weird dimensions after suffering a critical injury that ends his career.
Adkins played Lucian Aster, a follower of Kaecillius and an alumnus of the Masters of the Mystic Arts. He fought against the Zealots with the aim of taking down the Ancient One and eventually opening the way for Dormammu to come to Earth. This is by far Adkins's most popular film to date, though his character has very little screentime therein.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) - 8.0
Available On SyFy
In the second installment in the Bourne franchise, Jason Bourne continues to search for his true identity. Despite "Project Treadstone" being shut down, he soon finds himself getting hunted again. He then learns that there is a bigger project known as "Operation Blackbriar."
The movie won three Oscars for Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, and Best Sound Editing. It also went on to gross $444 million (per Box Office Mojo), becoming one of the highest-grossing action films of the 2000s. Adkins had a supporting role as Kiley, a skilled field agent, who runs across Bourne during the events of the film, marking one of the actor's best-recognized roles to date.