Ten Dead Men (2008) User Reviews

BDSM, Homo-Erotica, MMA and lots of Bad Acting

[ryan-1237 · 4/10 · 17 December 2008]

I was hoping that "10 Dead Men" was going to be as good as "Rise of the Foot Soldier." The premise/plot is a decent yet typical tale of revenge while the fight choreographing is superb. The acting, dialog, cinematography and editing are horrible (i.e. terrible directing).

The small budget excuses the poor cinematography and editing however it doesn't excuse the bad acting, dialog and overall horrible directing.

The film seems more a vehicle for sadistic homo-erotica than serious story-telling with lots of violent BDSM, torture, transvestites, and big burly men.

As a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fan I was offended by the film's portrayal of MMA competitors as brutal, blood-thirsty, mindless goons.

The entire film is summed up in one scene halfway though the movie. Two of the main characters are mindlessly watching TV on the couch. The supporting actor channel surfs past an MMA fight to a porn channel which bores and annoys Ryan (the main character). Ryan then takes the remote and returns to watching the MMA fight and is visibly excited by the action.

If you're looking for a film featuring homo-erotica, BDSM and MMA to watch with your guy buddies then this is the flick for you. However if you are looking for a good action film like "Rise of the Foot Soldier" look somewhere else.

Don't be fooled by a high IMDb rating of this film. I watched it as it had an IMDb rating of 8.1/10 with 156 votes. After watching the film I am very certain that the entire cast and everyone they know voted a 10 for this movie.

I rated it a 4/10 as the fight choreographing is superb.

cheap but fun

[colinhawksby · 3/10 · 28 May 2009]

Ten Dead Men is one of 2 low budget films I watched recently.The other was Jack Says.The 2 have quite a bit in common- they start with someone being tortured by gangsters, girlfriend is murdered,revenge etc.

Whereas Jack Says tries to be cleverer, 10DM just charges in like a Bull in a China Shop and uses the plot as an excuse to shoehorn some brutal fight scenes into the story.

Brendan Carr is the lead..playing a proper psycho he is believable and ( unlike Jack in Jack Says) quite intimidating.All the heavies in this film seem more than capable of damaging someone.

We only see his girlfriend briefly but she seems very sweet..just the type to take him out of his criminal life.

Production values are rubbish..at times this looks like it was filmed on a mobile phone.There is little dialogue and the story is driven forward by a narrator..Pinhead from Hellraiser.( He must need the money badly). He is the wrong choice to play the voice over of the lead character....he is far too posh.

This is not a great film by any means but it is the sort of thing you might enjoy with a few beers

Stop calling this a film please

[crazynorweegian · 4/10 · 14 February 2009]

I could only get about 3 minutes into this video. Most of the reason for this is because it is, in fact, a video and not a film. This is an important distinguishing feature, because the use of a video camera here has made the piece look amateurish despite some decent camera work and far above average editing. Everything is there to make this a mediocre film... except the film. A better camera and an actual professional sound crew would have made this video something worthy of the video rental vending machine I got it from. Unless you are a film student and want to view this from the point of view of a director/ editor, then I strongly recommend that you avoid spending any money on this at all.

Brilliantly Awful

[M_R_G · 1/10 · 10 May 2009]

Ross Boyask & Phil Hobden have created, in this movie, a work so awful that it is utterly compelling.

If you remember the dreadful photo stories from the girly teen comics of the 80's, (so brilliantly parodied in UK adult comic Viz) then imagine a moving picture version with violence, and you will be most of the way toward understanding the feel and presentation of this film.

The storyline itself, is a poor version of The Crow, without all the coolness of course, and without the exceptional feeling of empathy for the main character. Where The Crow had dark, brooding, Gothic brilliance, with a classic and memorable score, this movie failed at everything... except at being bad, that is. If revenge story lines were drinks, The Crow would be a fine vintage Champagne, whereas 10 Dead Men would be p*ss flavoured water.

Where it fails in the storyline department, it fails equally as spectacularly in the action genre department. The fight scenes are patently contrived and badly executed, and the gore effects brilliantly poor.

The acting itself is so appallingly bad, that the viewer is forced to consider the possibility that Boyask abandoned the traditional auditioning route, and instead opted for the less orthodox method of approaching likely looking characters in bars, and asking them if they wanted to be in his movie. Seriously, the acting is so bad, that at times even the walking looks strained and put-on.

Doug Bradley's narration seals the deal. It comes across as a badly written afterthought; an addition to the moving picture storyboard. It's almost as if the director realised that the acting talent within the cast pool was utterly incapable of putting the rather tired storyline across, and threw it in as a necessary evil. The movie is however, all the better for it.

And therein lies the brilliance in this movie. It is so unintentionally bad, that it compels you to keep watching, right up to the rather predictable and clichéd ending. One needs to look to the deliberately awful genius of Peter Jackson's 1987 movie "Bad Taste" to see this sort of dreadful. Where movies deliberately made this bad miss the mark of awful by the very act of trying to be such, this movie succeeds in spades entirely by accident... It is that which makes this movie worth watching.

I would have loved to have given this movie a 10 vote, if for no other reason than the maker's sheer lack of shame for releasing it. In the end, I gave it one star, because awful REALLY IS the best description for it... and that's why you should watch it.

Proper Tripe.

[joker_greenhouse · 1/10 · 27 January 2009]

I never give up on a film, but I jacked this one in after only 20 Min's just now. Bad camera shots, equally bad editing and sound post production. The score is one of the worst I've ever heard. I really could knock up up better one right now (even the instruments/sounds used are cheap ass midi tacky rubbish).

And to cap it all, (bearing in mind this is meant to be a hard bloke sorta film), it's only got Lee Latchford-Evans from a crappy British Village People-esquire pop band called 'Steps' that destroyed the airwaves for a good ten years or so.. trying to act hard/gangster. Even if your not British and don't know who he is, it's still not gonna sit right.

I get the feeling the whole thing is devised and made by inexperienced, retired cage fighters still high on after show testosterone fuelled steroid binges.

Yikes! AVOID!

[rjpurves · 1/10 · 22 January 2010]

This film is so utterly dreadful that I couldn't finish it. It's obvious that the "actors" were just martial artists plucked from a gym and had no acting ability whatsoever. There's been no story development past whatever gangster films the writer/director and producer decided to use elements of and lastly there's a voice-over ... which made me cringe every time I heard it, and insisted on telegraphing the story.

The story is not so much conveyed to us, but dictated to us which is just sloppy. Didactic films are not the way to go here.

It's at that point I stopped the DVD and checked out the IMDb. Guys, you proudly proclaim that this is your 40th film together. Did you actually bother learning anything from the previous 39? Things that are essential in film-making such as story, character, frame composition, lighting, sound design, music and directing? It's obvious that while you have the talent (or luck) to get projects off the ground, you've no idea about how to execute a film.

In summation, either watch a bunch of really good films and learn to see how they work ... or just stop now and let other people have a go. I really hope this isn't representative of your body of work but i've an odd feeling it is.

Not the worst film....but not far off!!

[david-3354 · 1/10 · 4 November 2009]

This is absolute tripe!! Terrible acting by most, if not all of the cast. I watched this for about half an hour thinking it couldn't get any worse....but it did. I only watched it because Terry Stone is in it and I thought Rise of the Footsoldier was excellent. Avoid this film....it is 90 minutes of your life you won't be able to get back. BAD BAD BAD BAD. I do wonder what people think of when they are making garbage like this? Do they honestly think this is a good piece of film making? I would love to hear what the director/producer have to say about it. It makes it into my all time worst 5 films. It is years since I saw something as bad as this. I love this type of film but this one falls way short on so many levels. The acting is rubbish, the sound is rubbish, the directing is rubbish.....and did I mention the acting???

Trash. If you want a random laugh watch. If not, KEEP AWAY!!!

[luis691991 · 1/10 · 12 February 2011]

This is by far the worst British film I have ever seen. An absolute disgrace to my eyes, ears and general well being. Its suppose to be a 'action thriller' but turned out to be the unintentional 'Comedy of the year'. Me and my mates had a right good laugh at this tripe. God knows where we stumbled upon this steaming pile of dog toffee but it was soon discarded from my presence. I hate it that much it has a special place in my heart. We watched it several times and even viewed the 'making of', what a top laugh that was. I was tortured with the theme tune, little quotes and reminders of scenes to this day. All in all the term 'hate from the pit of my stomach' is thrown around too much these days but Ten Dead Men really fits the bill. The cast and crew should be ashamed of what they have done and let loose on the unsuspecting public. Ten men took Ryans life way. Ten men had to pay. Including Brendan Carr, Lee Latchford Evans, Terry Stone and that idiot 'the Projects Manager'.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!

Passionate low-budget film-making

[filmnut1 · 5/10 · 12 December 2008]

Inspired by the DIY initiative of Robert Rodriguez and the hard-hitting but playful style of Quentin Tarantino, Ten Dead Men is passionate genre film-making and despite some weaknesses it's well worth a look.

One of a growing number of British action movies, Ross Boyask's follow-up to 2004's Left for Dead revisits many familiar themes but shows a great deal of maturity. Left for Dead was dense with action but was easily forgotten, but there's something about this film that lingers.

Made for genre fans by genre fans, Ten Dead Men has much in common with equally gritty British action flicks such as Underground and The Silencer, as well as the likes of Ultimate Force, a vehicle for UFC fighter Mirko Cro-Cop Filipovic.

Brendan Carr stars as Ryan, a reformed gangster whose darkside is reawakened when he returns, apparently from the dead, to avenge the murder of his girlfriend. It's a good set-up and the supernatural element is commendably underplayed.

Carr seems a little young to play the role but gives it his all. Like Arnie in The Terminator or Kurt Russell in Soldier, Ryan is almost entirely a physical presence, a force of nature. His lack of dialogue keeps the viewer unsettled and he's impossible to relate to. But that seems to be the point.

Aside from the action the most notable feature of Boyask's film is the use of voice-over. The contribution of fan favourite Doug Bradley is this film's greatest asset and unfortunately it's also the biggest weakness. As The Narrator, Bradley explains the story and speaks for the hero, but this is intrusive and seemingly added only to give cohesion to some of the more throwaway sequences. Bradley's voice too often distracts. Unfortunately it's an interesting idea that only highlights shortcomings in the structure and execution of the story.

That criticism aside there's much to praise. Boyask's bold non-linear approach is intriguing and there are an inventive variety of shots, which compensate for an overuse of freeze frame and fade to black devices. Aside from the diverse camera-work, the Cage Rage and speedboat sequences add some nice production value. Plus, you can't help but be amused by the incongruous presence of Lee from one-time pop sensations Steps.

Most importantly this is an action movie and Ross Boyask delivers some solid action with the help of experienced Hong Kong stuntman/action director Jude Poyer. His quick edits get maximum impact from some brutal martial arts action and stunts. Standout set-pieces take place in a garage and a derelict house, as the plot builds steadily in intensity toward a satisfying climactic duel with Transporter 3, Dead or Alive and Black Mask 2 heavy Silvio Simac.

Shot on digital video, a format popular not only with budget-conscious filmmakers but also the likes of Michael Mann and Mike Figgis, Ten Dead Men is best described as art-house action. A restless and fragmented experience with some memorable moments that may disappoint those expecting Hollywood production quality but will entertain and intrigue those with an interest in action films and independent film-making.

Well, I've seen worse...

[MBunge · 5/10 · 2 March 2011]

Ten Dead Men is like a B+ film school project. Most of the filmmaking is low-budget and elementary but competent. The storytelling is a little better than that, though it's marred by a few too many things that make no sense at all. The acting is perfectly acceptable, even with a lead actor that has all the on screen personality of a throbbing boil. The action scenes are thoroughly energetic, sort of like crossing The Transporter with the Mortal Kombat video game. Basically this British revenge flick is like a dollar store version of one of those countless American action films from the 1980s, with just a bit more imagination.

Ryan (Brendan Carr) is a mob hit man who left his life of crime to be with his girlfriend (Pooja Shah). He's forced back into his old life, however, and crosses his old boss (Terry Stone). That results in his girlfriend being killed in front of him and Ryan being left for dead. He, in a completely inexplicable and irrational manner, recovers and starts hunting down the ten men responsible for destroying his new life. What follows are action scenes that are as over-the-top as you can get when your movie has a budget of about 13 pounds, more flashbacks than you can shake a stick at and acts of retribution that range from the mundane to the ridiculous.

To say the narration is the best part of Ten Dead Men may sound like I'm damning it with faint praise, but Doug Bradley guiding us through Ryan's tale of vengeance like he was telling his children a bedtime story is very inviting. It draws you into a story that is otherwise unexceptional and helps get you past those points where the film tosses logic and plausibility into the rubbish bin.

Now, there's no getting around how cheap-looking this thing is. The judicious use of computer effects does give a kick to some of the acts of violence, but Ten Dead Men looks more like it was filmed by a talented group of friends with a video camera and a tripod than it does a professional production. At times it looks fine, but other times it really seems like these filmmakers did not know what they were doing.

If you're looking for a non-stupid, bloody and violent movie, and don't mind substandard production values and the occasional bit of nonsense, check out Ten Dead Men.

Gory but action packed

[heleng-2 · 8/10 · 10 December 2008]

I saw this film by chance a few months ago, and winced in some parts of this film as it is a little gruesome, but it certainly kept my attention right to the end. The film's fast moving, and has been well shot and edited, despite its low budget, and I loved the very dark comic tone, and the gusto with which the anti-hero got his revenge. The story held my attention well, and I particularly liked the performances of the two funny characters Parker and Garrett, who provided some comic relief to the hard-hitting action. There's a good cast of British character actors and there's a twist at the end that's a bit of a shocker, but also left that satisfying redemptive feeling that you get from a well-rounded film. Definitely worth a Saturday night's viewing - would be even better to enjoy on the big screen, but I think like a lot of indie movies it's tough to get cinema distribution, so this film should do well on DVD.

Bourne on a budget

[chrisc145 · 7/10 · 11 December 2008]

Ten Dead Men is an amazing achievement on a slender budget. The fight scenes have the imagination and delivery of a budget 1000 times as high. I liked the Bourne-style fighting - not always resorting to guns. Which can be a bore - especially if you are the one shot. There's a nice comic angle from two of the thugs reminiscent of the Diamonds Are Forever guys. I'm a bit a stickler for dialogue and delivery so would have liked to have seen a bit more work in this area however the classic revenge premise keeps things moving along nicely. Ten Dead Men is certainly not for the faint-hearted as there's a high gore count and graphic visuals of the hero gouging a bullet out of his stomach. It's good that Brit movies are still getting made independent of the big boys and you will be hearing more from director Boyask and writer Regan.

typical Brit mobster flick but low on brutality

[trashgang · 5/10 · 24 November 2011]

This flick was sold at a horror convention due the name Doug Bradley. Horror geeks do know who he is, pinhead from Hellraiser. Naturally, by using his name the producers thought it would sell well. Doug isn't in the flick at all, he's just the narrator.

It even got nothing to do with horror, it is more a mafia flick were one is taking his revenge for killing his girlfriend. 1O people were there so ten men had to die. This is a British production and by doing so you have to dig the accents used. But it's all understandable. The last year I have seen a few revenge flicks coming out of the UK but this one here isn't that brutal. It's rough and merciless but I have seen rougher flicks like for example A Day Of Violence. Still, due the merciless fight scene's it isn't for the easily offended. The red stuff do flows but the torture is done off screen. So it's easy to see that it was a low budget. Personally I expected a little more from it but it fits in the line of British mobster revenge flicks. And there's a bit of relieve of fight scene's due the goofy couple Parker and Garrett.

Gore 1/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 2/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 1/5

The Tough Guys Tumble Like Ten-Pins

[zardoz-13 · 8/10 · 24 August 2020]

Before he stepped up to bigger budgets and better actors, writer & director Ross Boyask made a crude but effective homage to John Boorman's "Point Blank" with Lee Marvin where the Marvin character was killed and left for dead. He recovered from his wounds and decimated the San Francisco underworld as a consequence of his betrayal. Boyask and "London Heist" scribe Chris Regan take the violence to another level and fuel our hero's need for revenge when the villains blast his pregnant wife in the belly and watch her die. They beat our skinhead hero, Ryan (Brendan Carr of "Viking Destiny"), up and shoot him a couple of times, but he recovers, too, and has a field day knocking off the mobsters who killed his wife and tried to kill him. The violence is pretty gruesome, nothing like you'd see in a mainstream crime thriller. Curiously, the filmmakers deprive Ryan of a voice and use David Bradley to narrate his thoughts, feelings, and words. Meanwhile, everybody else emotes as actors and actresses should and deliver their own dialogue. Whatever the case, "Ten Dead Men" is a fairly gripping melodrama that keeps surprising us until the final gunshot rings out. Boyask is definitely somebody to watch in the future. Would that his two "I Am Vengeance" epics had boasted this kind of off-the-rails bravura. Some of the action scenes, especially where Ryan tosses a hand grenade into a wrecked car while an underworld figure struggles to get out is something else. "Ten Dead Men" lives up to its title, and Boyask delivers an actioneer that is well-night unforgettable, if you can overlook some of the questionable acting.

That's gotta hurt!

[strangwayssean · 7/10 · 24 December 2023]

There are quite a few very creative and painful looking attacks in this movie, so the guys can be forgiven if some of the acting was a little off. When Ryan bugs his eyes out, he looks like he's on a mushroom trip and can't decide if he wants to fight or flee. I've never seen professional boxing, wrestling, or fighting (or any other professional sport) in person, and it's hard to judge by looking at the screen; but I'd probably be intimidated by at least half of these guys. The thought of Mr. Hart with a gun is actually terrifying, but not because of skill. I'm not a fan of the music, but I get that it was to add adrenaline. There are a couple of high kicks that left me feeling pain in numerous areas. Being that flexible just isn't right...

A pleasant surprise ...

[neilgammon · 8/10 · 11 December 2008]

I'm not going to say this is the greatest film in the world, but it is a great little film. When I spent a hot summer Sunday this year in Swindon's Art Centre attending the inaugural Phantasmagoria film festival, I was pleasantly surprised by Ten Dead Men. I'll be honest - I was attending for the horror/thriller films like Dead Wood and Summer Scars and wasn't really in the mood for a low budget UK action film, but I'm glad I stayed and watched it. The movie takes the well trodden revenge story and puts a very British stamp on it. Well written and directed with a (mostly) great cast - hey, it's even got Lee from Steps in it! Sure, the movie does rely on some clichés, but most action films do anyway. I'd recommend it to fans of gritty British gangster films with an action twist.

low budget British revenge flick

[mick-pearce · 6/10 · 22 March 2009]

I watched 10 Dead Men following some of the comments I had read here on IMDb. I agreed with some of them and found this to be a (very) low budget revenge film albeit with some interesting scenes, (mostly the fight scenes).

10 Dead Men borrows from quite a few gangster films e.g. Reservoir Dog in the use of costume and flash backs as this is not necessarily a bad thing.

The makers have tried to add parts to the movie such as using Hellraisers Doug Bradley as a narrator that I felt were a surprise and welcomed.

This is by no means the best acted film ever but at times shows promise, (without giving too much away). Worth a watch if you can find it but probably only the once.

Why isn't this out yet?

[gdarcyteacher · 10/10 · 10 December 2008]

I was privileged enough to get a ticket to see the Premiere of this film in Brighton, No small feat as I live in Wales and made the journey especially, but it's not every day that a British action Movie with no budget looks so very exciting. I stumbled upon the production rumours a few years ago, a friend mentioned that the makers of a comic I had started reading were making a film. The comic was called night warrior and had produced some excellent issues, so when I heard that they were realising a script written by a regular contributer to that comic, my interest piqued. I travelled to Brighton, watched the film and even met Doug Bradley, but that has little reflection on y opinion. I love Doug Bradley regardless of what he's in, I think he's great from Salome through to Killer Tongue it really doesn't matter. Ten dead Men however, made me stop a while and think: do I like this 'cos Bradley's in it, or is there something else?

There is something else.

This is why I like Ten dead Men: it's a British B-movie, it has excellent stunt work (really mad skills - they actually wail on each other all the time), a surprisingly good cast of unknowns (and Doug Bradley, who is frankly brilliant), absolutely no budget, but millions worth in production values. It was clearly filmed in bits over a long period of time before a script tied it together, but thank god for that script. Or rather: Chris Regan, thank him for writing it. And thank Hobden, the Producer, for picking him up and Ross Boysak for his direction of the material he was furnished with. Boysak's direction is slick, the production excellent, I really don't have a bad thing to say about the ciné but without the script it would just be ninety minutes of fights and dull as hell. There was a trembling feeling in my gut when I watched it that they were a titanium acid-edge away from making a film that's ninety minutes of fight scene. The script lifts it up: it's narrative based, an incredibly risky and unusual thing to do and one which you think may fall flat on its behind after twenty minutes, but this is the genius: it doesn't, it persists, it flows through every scene, and rather than alienate it's audience as, theoretically, too much narrative in a drama does, the narration becomes your guide, it's a running commentary for a revenge tragedy; it gives blind rage a poetry it may not have had otherwise.  It makes the film's violence accessible, justified, sanctified and right. We support the main character wholeheartedly, just I support the predator when David Attenborough tells me to, I feel and empathise with an animal that I would not have otherwise. Regan anthropomorphises fury and allows an omnipotent Doug Bradley to tell us about it. It's brilliant, and worth watching, re-watching and then buying the DVD. (If it ever comes out.)

good low-budget gangster film, horrible British gangster film.

[nathan-yeo · 6/10 · 8 August 2009]

Here's your average low-budget gangster "Resevoire Dogs" rip-off flash-back gangster revenge film. With awesome fight sequences. I'm still running the flash-backs of the sword fight in my head. But as a low budget gangster film it gives you exactly what you want. The fight sequences are Brilliant amazing. Whe the main character(who doesn't speak a word) goes up against bruiser he beats him like a rented mule. Hands him a beating that made my shins and knees hurt. Bruiser laffs wipes the glass and plaster off himself and yells "Is zat all you got!" (see KIMBO SLICE you-tube video). Then the real fight starts. It was as goodas the one in "SNATCH/5 MINUTES IN HEAVEN" Howeva as a British Gangsterfilm, it sucked. British Gangster films are known for witty dialog,humorous and interesting characters and getting "MID-EVIL" (SNATCH/GANGSTER #1/LOVE and HONOR/THE GENERAL/THE RISE OF THE FOOT SOLDIER)on someone(they invented it) instead of shoot-outs. This one didn't have that, any-time you hear narrations throughout the movie it takes away.

Now if you don't mind I'm gonna re-watch all the fight scenes.

gritty, kick ass action flick

[drive2 · 8/10 · 31 December 2008]

caught an early screening of Ten Dead Men and was impressed by this low budget action film. gritty, violent and packed with knuckle dusting action, Ten Dead Men harks back to the old school days of action films when violence was dished out frequently and the bad guys got what was coming to them. for a low budget flick, the acting was decent, the directing and script tight and the action full on. it may not be glossy but it's a hell of a lot of fun and a good tough as nails British action film. the film is also packed with a number of real life fighters and action cinema regulars so there is plenty for the fight fan to enjoy. check it out.

Very entertaining film

[ContainsNuts · 7/10 · 12 June 2009]

If you only give a film 3 minutes then I don't think you can call yourself a film fan and shouldn't really review it. There's some truth that its clear the film was shot on a low-budget but it doesn't take long to forget that and get into a very thrilling story that keeps up a good pace throughout and has some genuinely surprising twists in it. I enjoyed this film. The fight scenes are very well done and the script is well written, balancing flashbacks with the present as well as unravelling the motive behind the confrontations. There are a lot of million-pound budget action films that are predictable and boring, you won't be saying that about this film.

Action packed roller coaster

[tony-cook-86 · 10/10 · 14 December 2008]

I would recommend this film to fans of martial arts, action..even love stories, its got everything you need! A lot of well known British talent like Terry Stone, Jason Mazza and Brendan Carr. There is gruesome parts which will have you trapped between look away and miss or look and hope you stay on your seat.

This film is an example of anything can be done despite money! If you think Rodriquez's El Mariache had production value for a low budget...you haven't seen anything! The sets, the explosions, the guns, the cast! They are all big production value. It's a masterclass in Indie film making.

Definitely on the Christmas list!

Brash British Action...

[themadmullah · 8/10 · 18 March 2009]

If you ever got around to watching Left For Dead, the debut feature from the team at Modern Life? the you'll know what to expect with their second film 'Ten Dead Men' because it's very much more of the same… So what CAN you expect? Well most lots of violence, very few female characters, testosterone, guns, deaths a plenty and action galore. If this is your idea of heaven then this film is for you… I you like your films a bit more refined then may I suggest you look elsewhere.

The biggest difference between the two films is that in terms of filmmakers the team have taken a massive step forward. More polished, better shot and edited, better direction and far more bang for your buck means that this film is about as close to a Hollywood action movie you could make on such a limited budget.

Is it perfect? No. It doesn't always make sense, the pacing is a touch off at the start and Doug Bradley's voice over (whilst expertly delivered) doesn't always add the value intended. It's also not as fun as Left for Dead with hardly any comic relief making it tough going at times.

If you like your films in your face and brash, then Ten Dead Men is the perfect uber violent hit.

Ten Dead Men - The Combat Review

[filmsploitation · 8/10 · 15 July 2008]

This is the Review for 10 Dead Men taken from UK magazine COMBAT, published June 2008. This review is totally independent and from a magazine established over 40 years in the UK. I have full righst to reproduce this work here.

EXCLUSIVE ADVANCED FIRST LOOK REVIEW by Will Strong

Ryan (Brendan Carr - Rise of The Foot soldier) a former mob enforcer gone straight, is called upon by an old friend to perform one last hit in payment of a long forgotten blood debt. The job goes badly wrong and Ryan is captured, tortured, forced to watch his girlfriend murdered before his eyes, brutally shot and left for dead. Betrayed, broken and burning with vengeance, he embarks on a bloody one man rampage to exact revenge on the 10 men who destroyed his life.

Directed by cult filmmaker Ross Boyask (Left for Dead), produced by Modern Life?'s award winning Phil Hobden (also Left for Dead and 2003's The Johnna Man), and with an all star cast featuring the likes of Terry Stone (Rolling with The Nines), Lee Latchford Evans (Steps) and Pooja Shah (Eastenders), 10 Dead Men is that rarest of commodities - a quite superb British action film.

Right from the get-go it simply does not stop - its all here in full Technicolor folks- gun battles, explosions, seriously evil bad guys, and some of the most blistering hand to hand combat you will see all year. Every fight is brilliantly choreographed, dazzling to the eye and so bone crunchily real I lost count of the amount of times I found myself wincing!

Special mention must be made about two action sequences in particular. The first takes place in a derelict house between Carr a henchmen. In feats of incredible agility, Carr runs up a walls, backflips, high kicks and punches his way through a scene that puts the fights in the Bourne films to utter shame. The other is the finale – where he tools himself up and launches a one man assault on the last remaining members of Stone's gang – basically this is a free for all where just about anything goes and was so enjoyable that it had me grinning all over like a schoolboy .

It isn't just the action that is good - the performances' too are all excellent - Carr in particular gives real depth to the virtually wordless Ryan, and matches this with some astounding martial arts prowess that would give the likes of Jet Li and Tony Jaa a run for their money. In addition, Pooja Shah as Ryan's doomed girlfriend, Ben Shockley as a bent copper and (shock!) ex-Steps crooner Lee Latchford Evans as a vicious henchman are all great value. Kudos also to Keith Eyles - exceptional in the role of the psychopathic 'Project Manager' - a man so evil he'd give Freddy Krueger nightmares.

Boyask's direction is sure handed, very creative, and shows a real talent that must have Hollywood calling any day soon. Special mention must go to his handling of the numerous action sequences on show (particularly the finale) which rivals that of John Woo and Corey Yuen for sheer ballistic excitement. Furthermore his and Hobden's script is razor sharp, evoking fond memories of Tarantino's Pulp Fiction and Lethal Weapons' Shane Black in his 80's heyday.

There are some criticisms' - a running narration by Doug Bradley (Hellraiser) is a bit on the smug side and gets somewhat intrusive in parts, the great Terry Stone (superb as Mob boss Hart) is wasted in two somewhat throwaway scenes, and the plot is little bit too much like the Punisher and Commando in places. Carr also has virtually no lines in the entire film and whilst I could see that with the character of Ryan, Boyask and Hobden where trying to envoke the strong but silent type heroes of old – ala' Mad Max or John Matrix, they really should have given Brendan Carr a lot more lines to say.

However, these are minor issues in an otherwise cracking film. Ross Boyask has taken a giant leap from 2004's impressive Left For Dead, and crafted a film that could well see him and his team go on to even bigger and better things in the near future.

So in summary - well directed, great writing, incredible fight scenes and a star making performance from Carr all adding up to one of the best British action movies of the decade.

Action rating: 5 stars out of 5

See this if you liked: The Punisher, Kill Bill, Commando, Kiss Of The Dragon and The Transporter.

Ten Dead Men will be released in late 2008, for more see www.tendeadmen.co.uk

These filmmakers are worth watching

[weltonb · 8/10 · 13 February 2009]

I really enjoyed this film! It's obviously on the lower end of the budget spectrum, but the filmmakers really made what they had work for them. It was extremely violent, which in my eyes is a good thing, considering that's pretty much the genre, and it was edited very well. There were times when some of the sound editing might have been tightened up a tad, but all in all, this was an excellent "anti-hero takes revenge on even worse people" kind of film. I suppose I should mention that the script was way above average for this type of film, but I might be biased. Chris Regan is a friend, after all! But good going Chris!!! And I DID notice that brother Peter worked on the extras. Good show Pete! The whole thing was a perfect entertainment for me while my wife was out of town! Definitely keep an eye on all of the people involved here. This won't be the last we'll be hearing from them.