Not really worthy of the belt

He was partly right. "Redbelt," written and directed by David Mamet, is a great movie during specific parts of its running time. Once the film gets warmed up, it is a truly exciting and uplifting story. The only problem is that it takes the first two-thirds of screen time for the movie to reach that level.

"Redbelt" revolves around Mike Terry (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and more specifically, the fighting form of Brazilian jujitsu that he practices. Terry, a seasoned martial arts blackbelt, runs a small gym in Los Angeles where he trains his students according to the samurai code. He has money problems, stress from his job, and constant pressure from others to compete in martial arts competitions. A chance encounter with actor Chet Frank (Tim Allen) allows Terry to show off his fighting skills, taking down several men while coming to Frank’s aid in a barroom brawl.

The theme of the movie is fighting – literally and metaphorically – even with a handicap against you. Terry continues to face more obstacles, financially and socially, until he reaches his breaking point. This is when things get going. Despite his tremendous fighting skills, Terry refuses to participate in competitions because he believes they weaken the fighter. But when financial obligations become too great, he agrees to fight as an undercard in a mixed martial arts event. This is when the movie truly shines.

Mamet is most famously known as a playwright – he received a Pulitzer Prize for his play "Glengarry Glen Ross" – and the first two- thirds of the film reminded me a lot of this format. Minus a couple bursts of action, the film is focused on dialogue and character development. Ejiofor does a great job as Terry – selfless, putting others ahead of himself, and completely in control of his emotions, until he finally lets loose at the end.

There are a lot of good things about "Redbelt". Unfortunately, until the end, there are not.