In the self-absorbed action movie “The Martial Artist,” the director Shaz Khan stars as rising Pakistani American mixed martial arts fighter Ibby “The Prince” Bakran, an unconventional pugilist whose bouts are live streamed from remote locales like Death Valley in eastern California.
Impressed by Ibby, the head of a mixed martial arts league (Gregory Sporleder) promises him stardom. But alcohol, women and the killing of Ibby’s brother and trainer, Ali (Babar Peerzada), by friends of a former opponent, derail his career.
After four years of boozing and working as a waiter, a frustrated Ibby tries to revitalize his moribund career by venturing home to the lush green mountains of Pakistan to be trained and spiritually healed by his grandfather (Faran Tahir).
It’s disappointing that “The Martial Artist,” an adaptation of Khan’s 2016 short film “Say It Ain’t So,” is a shallow film. Characters like Ibby’s long-suffering mother (Thesa Loving), his estranged girlfriend (Sanam Saeed) and his deceased brother are nothing more than maudlin plot devices. Though Pakistan is filmed with a sense of grandeur, Ibby’s return to his cultural roots is rushed and superficial. Khan’s lack of screen presence, toothless mixed martial arts sequences and unintelligible editing further knock the film down.
By the end, when Ibby faces the undefeated Decan Johnson (Philippe Prosper) at the foot of some Mayan pyramids in Belize, we’re unsure what or who he is fighting for, or why we should care.
The Martial Artist
Rated PG-13 for violence and bloody images. Running time: 1 hour 57 minutes. In theaters.