While Japan, China, South Korea, and the United States were long considered the main sources of top-quality action movies, the 2000s and 2010s have really seen an uptick in other countries staking significant claims in the genre. Thailand and Indonesia are arguably the two most significant new contenders for martial arts films of the last few decades, but Germany has also joined the fight, with 2016’s “Plan B” proving that the country knows how to make a movie about flying kicks and punches as well as anyone.
It’s not surprising that “Plan B” really delivers on the action once you release that its top-billed actors are not only stunt performers, but whose work includes the likes of franchises like “John Wick,” “The Matrix,” and “The Fast & Furious.” These guys really know their stuff, and it’s always nice when stunt workers get the chance to actually be themselves on screen rather than only getting to make other actors look cool while often risking their lives in the process.
The plot is fairly standard fare about the protagonists needing to fight their way to the rescue of a friend from gangsters, but whatever it takes to get the likes of Can Aydin, Cha-Lee Yoon, and Phong Giang plowing through bad guys is good enough. IMDb has a “Plan C” listed as in development, but take that with a grain of salt as it’s difficult to find any other information about it elsewhere. Here’s hoping, though.