Screenplay:
Glenn A. BruceCinematography:
Jon KranhouseComposer:
Paul HertzogCast:
Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Alexio, Dennis Chan, Haskell V. Anderson III, Rochelle Ashana, Michel Qissi, Kar-wing Lau, Louis Roth, Ming-Yueng Lee (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
When U.S. kickboxing champ Eric Sloane is crippled in the ring by the dastardly Tong Po, his younger brother Kurt (Jean-Claude Van Damme) vows revenge. But if he is to defeat Po, Kurt must first learn a martial art known as Muay-Thai, so he seeks out the expertise of fight guru Xian Chow. Thanks to Chow's unconventional training methods, Kurt becomes an expert kickboxer. But is he good enough to defeat Tong Po? (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (2)
A legendary B-movie that is a class better than the one-year-older Bloodsport. The fights are intense and well-shot, and Van Damme tries much harder to act, so occasionally, he even succeeds in some facial expressions. Otherwise, the kicks are fine, the villain is weaker, but the atmosphere of Bangkok and some scenes are fantastic. The best shot is when Van Damme goes into the dressing room with the Thai master, captivating, atmospheric, and demonic sequence.
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The film doesn't quite deserve its rating; it's a pretty classic revenge story, in this case, involving sports. However, JCVD is absolutely excellent here, and it's a movie I watched several times as a child. I hold it close to my heart, and it can't be removed from there. Kickboxer is simply a film about how a person can rise to the occasion. It's nothing more than the main character pursuing his goal and, in the end, thoroughly kicking the villain's ass. Quite thoroughly at that.
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