Director Peter Berg recently told Rotten Tomatoes that a big part of why he wanted to make Mile 22, which is released this Friday, was to work with Indonesian action star Iko Uwais, who rose to international fame in The Raid films. As you might expect, early word is that Uwais – who was discovered by Raid director Gareth Evans while shooting a documentary about silat, a martial art form that originated in the Indonesian Archipelago – steals Mile 22 in a series of epic, vicious, Raid-like close-quarters-combat scenes.
In the lead-up to the new movie’s release, we sat down with Uwais to talk about the movie fight scenes, and martial arts stars, that inspired him. His choices include two Jackie Chan favorites – Wheels on Meals and Armour of God – recent Korean thriller The Yellow Sea, a Zatoichi classic, and Fuyuhiko Nishi’s High-Kick Girl. See Uwais break down why he loves the scenes in the video above. And if you’re looking for more action, check out Mile 22 director Berg’s five favorite action scenes.
Mile 22 opens everywhere on Friday, August 17.
