After another successful title defence, heavyweight kickboxing world champion Eric Sloane (Dennis Alexio) is enticed by the media to compete in Thailand. Together with his younger brother, Kurt (Van Damme), Eric travels to Bangkok to take on Tong “The Tiger” Po, Thailand’s undefeated top fighter. Despite his confidence, Eric is badly beaten and left paralysed from the waist down. An enraged Kurt vows to avenge his brother and goes in search of a trainer to help him learn Muay Thai. After being rejected by all of the local schools, his newfound friend Taylor (Haskell Anderson) tells him about Xian Chow (Dennis Chan), a famous Muay Thai Kru. Although reluctant at first, Xian agrees to train Kurt after he protects his niece from Freddy Li, a higher up in a racketeering organisation as well as Tong Po’s manager. But Kurt will need to push himself to the limit if he is to have any hope of defeating the monster that crippled his brother.
After delving into different genres with the likes of ‘Black Eagle’ and ‘Cyborg’, Van Damme made the welcome return to his martial arts movie roots with 1989’s ‘Kickboxer’. Although very clearly an American action B-movie in terms of budget and star power, it’s fair to say that ‘Kickboxer’ owes more than a little to films from the Far East. I say this because it follows a very familiar formula: tragedy befalls our hero, they go in search of justice but fail, a martial arts master helps to train them, and finally, they exact their revenge. It’s a tale that any kung fu film fan knows all too well, but it is one that works to great effect here. Admittedly, it’s more than a little cheesy at times, but all of the key elements are well implemented, and the choice of kickboxing mixed with the Thai backdrop gives the film a fresh slant. And of course, special mention must go to the film’s incredibly catchy soundtrack that fits the vibe perfectly.
Van Damme in the lead is another one of the film’s biggest highlights. This was an era of larger-than-life action heroes, and his performance as the slightly arrogant yet affable Kurt is immensely entertaining. Obviously, I’m not going to pretend that this is any kind of acting masterclass, but his raw enthusiasm and energy (especially when it comes to dancing!) always shine through. The chemistry between Van Damme and Dennis Chan also works extremely well; the pair play off each other nicely for the comedic moments and forge a good master-student relationship as the film progresses. They are further complemented by the inclusion of real-life kickboxer Dennis Alexio as the (slightly wooden) older brother, Rochelle Ashana as the love interest, and Haskell Anderson as the comic relief. However, it’s Michel Qissi who often steals the show as the silent yet deadly Tong Po.
Despite what you may be expecting, it’s fair to say that ‘Kickboxer’ isn’t exactly overflowing with fight sequences. The action beats we do get, though, are very satisfying and keep you entertained throughout. It’s all very typical 80s-style fights, with big, choreographed movements and some slow motion thrown in to highlight the flashier moves. In between, we get a number of training sequences along with the classic montage that certainly warms my nostalgic heart. It also has to be said that this is Van Damme at his peak; he’s evidently in amazing shape, and his kicks are extremely clean and precise. The final fight in particular really highlights his abilities (and was spoofed to great effect in ‘Hot Shots Part Deux’), and it pretty much set the stage for several signature Van Damme moves.
‘Kickboxer’ is excellent old-school action entertainment, filled with top-notch fights, classic training sequences, and a sublime soundtrack. This is vintage Van Damme, and if you’re one of the few yet to see it, it’s worth seeking out a copy today.
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