Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.
Kickboxer is always the forgotten 'Good Van Damme Film'.Everyone remembers Universal Soldier,Death Warrant and Bloodsport,but this is always forgotten.This is possibly down to the fact that its story is pretty similair to that of Bloodsport, so the two may have merged in people's minds,this actually happened to me until I tracked them both down on DVD,anyway on to Kickboxer.
The movie follows two Brothers.Kurt(Jean Claude Van Damme) and Eric(Dennis Alexio - Picasso Trigger) Sloane.Eric is known as 'the Eliminator' in the Kickboxing ring, and as the movie opens he wins the US Heavyweight title.While being interviewed post fight, he declares that he wants to take on the world's best Kickboxers,a reporter points out that Thailand was where the sport originated,so therefore they should have the best Kickboxers.It isnt long until Eric,with trainer and cornerman Kurt take off for Bangkok,where a duel with Thai champion 'Tiger' Tong Po (credited as Tong Po,real name Michel Qissi - Extreme Dragon)has been arranged.After a few days of taking in the sights,the day of the fight comes.Kurt witnesses the brute strength of Po as he volleys a stone pillar for warm up and tries to dissuade his brother from taking part in the fight,but Eric believes he is the best and sets off to take on the Thai.In the first round Eric is outclassed,and crippled in a senseless act of violence by Tong Po,Kurt tries to help, but is easily brushed aside by the gigantic villain.
With some help from a US arms dealer named Winston Taylor(Haskell Anderson - American Made),Eric is taken to hospital,where it is discovered he will never walk again.Kurt declares he wants to learn Mui Thai to take on Tong Po, and after being laughed out of every gym he visits,Winston takes him to meet a retired old trainer,Xian Chow(Dennis Chan - Naked Weapon),whom agrees to teach Kurt the art.Chow also has a niece Mylee(Rochelle Ashana - Sword of Bushido),whom Kurt soon falls for.
In the meantime, we have discovered that Tong Po is really just a pawn for the gangster-esque Freddy Li(Steve Lee - Steel Fisted Dragon),after rigorous training,including that splits-pulley device,a drunken bar brawl and fighting in picturesque Thai ruins,Kurt has a few fights with lesser opponents, before a match is arranged with Tong Po.But there is a catch, Tong Po will only fight Kurt "the way of the ancients" with hands bound,covered in resin and dipped in broken glass Kurt agrees,against the wishes of Eric, to fight.
Freddy Li's henchman requests a million dollars to wager on Tong Po, as he has some tricks up his sleeve.First of all Tong Po rapes Mylee,and then Eric is kidnapped.
However,Mylee keeps he ordeal from Kurt,so as not to disturb his mind.This is one of the few points in the plot I find ridiculous, seeing as he is already on a quest of vengeance.
Kurt is told, he must lose the fight, but last all twelve rounds, if he ever wants to see Eric again,in the first few rounds, Tong Po destroys Eric,during the fight,Tong Po ,in his only line in the whole movie, reveals to Eric what happened with him and Mylee,Kurt now has a dilemma.Clearly livid with Tong Po he must decide what to do.Thankfully he doesnt have to,as meanwhile Xian and Winston were busting Eric from his captors, and taking him to the underground arena where the showdown is being staged.
With the Blackmail device gone,its now a real fight between Kurt and Po.
While Kickboxer is by no means original,it is by all means entertaining.
It has one of Van Damme's best performances,coming before he hit superstardom, and also some of his best fight scenes to date.
Michel Qissi is superbly menacing as Tong Po.However one thing that always confused me was why he was credited as 'Tong Po - Himself'? why would you want people to think of you as a rapist associate of a gangster?
Dennis Chan is the real star though,stealing every scene as the charismatic old sensei Xian.
The movie on a whole has very few flaws,apart from the previously mentioned Mylee rape thing,the only other I can think of is the fact that despite the fact that Eric is a world champion, he does not have any sort of entourage, only his brother with him.
I can honestly say I love everything else about the movie.While people often say it is just an inferior Bloodsport ripoff, I would argue that Tong Po is a better villain than Chong Li, Mylee is better than the reporter woman and Xian is given much more of a personality than Tanaka.Kurt also has more motivation to hate Tong Po than Dux did with Chong Li.
The Thailand setting is also better explored than the HK one of BS.
Overall I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes Van Damme,Martial arts movies or just entertaining movies in general.
The movie is good enough to watch in the two main contexts I have for watching movies.Alone,taking it in and with friends having a laugh, very few movies can do both equally well.I also rank it as Van Damme's best work.Its simple and its brilliant.
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