Washed-up ex-fighter is approached by shady manager and convinced to enter the illegal / no-rules fighting circuit, but what he's really looking for is redemption. Though better made than the similar films Jean Claude Van Damme was making in the early 90's ("Lionheart", for example), "Scorpion" will probably not satisfy most martial arts fans. The fights are brutal but suffer from flashy over-editing which makes them hard to follow. And the severely unpleasant subplot about a barwoman who is also forced to work as a prostitute for a violent criminal is both a downer and a distraction. The acting is convincing across the board, but there is only so much you can do with this story. (**)

This is not a bad movie. The acting is very good and the direction is solid. I get the impression from the DVD extras that the budget was cut during the making of this and it does show.

The fight scenes lack any real passion, and lack any real empathy with the main protagonists. I feel some of the main characters needed to be fleshed out somewhat more. As a viewer I felt that the director had a very strong feel for each character in his head but couldn't fully portray it in the final movie.

This sounds negative and I don't want to leave that impression. I would recommend this as a good film that has a interesting story and strong characterisation. I look forward to seeing what the people behind this produce in the future. I think the best is ahead.