Kickboxer is truly a video store classic!

Rating: 6/10 (10 June 2013)

Eric Sloane (Alexio) is a champion kickboxer in the United States, so, seeking new triumphs in the ring, he travels to Thailand. With his brother/ringman Kurt by his side, he feels he cannot lose. That is, until he faces off against the most fearsome fighter in Thailand, if not the world: the dreaded Tong Po ("himself"...actually Qissi) Despite Kurt warning him to not get in the ring with him, Eric pridefully ignores his brother and fights Tong Po. The evil Po mercilessly beats Eric so badly he paralyzes him for life. Seeking revenge for his brother's crippling, Kurt sets out to learn Muay Thai and beat Tong Po in the ring. No school will accept him, so, working on a tip from ex-Special Forces Vietnam vet Winston (Anderson), Kurt goes to the Thai countryside to receive lessons from master Xian Chow (Chan). Chow puts him through his paces, but ends up falling in love with Mylee (Ashana) in the meantime. Gangster Freddy Li (Lee) has bet millions on the upcoming fight, AND Tong Po assaulted Mylee, AND he wants to get revenge, so with all the pressure building, will Kurt defeat Tong Po? Here's another Van Damme classic from the golden year of 1989. Most people, even if they're not action fans, are at least aware of Kickboxer. Even a David Letterman "Top Ten List" of the day featured the topic "top ten things overheard while waiting in line for Kickboxer". Underground fighting movies had hit the mainstream and had their brief moment in the spotlight. And Van Damme was spearheading the trend, thereby becoming one of the faces of the action movie movement of the late 80's/early 90's. While Kickboxer falls squarely in the middle in terms of the quality of his Punchfighting era (the best being Bloodsport, 1988 and the weakest being The Quest, 1996 - as always it's open for debate but that's our opinion), it has a "much imitated, never equaled" kind of feel to it and even though it's a little on the long side, it never really gets boring.
It may be a bit of a stretch to believe Alexio and Van Damme are brothers, but, that aside, in the movie, Eric disregards Kurt's advice to not fight Tong Po, thus reinforcing the old saying "always listen to your Van Damme". But the brothers in Bangkok do share a genetic sense for fashion, as stonewashed denim vests and half-shirts seem to be the order of the day. But Van Damme steals the show in the wardrobe department when he unleashes what can only be described as a tanktop with suspenders for straps. And for no explained reason, for the final face-off with Tong Po, they are BOTH wearing silly loincloths that leave criminally little to the imagination. How did they both know wear a freakin' loincloth to this particular battle? Presumably they didn't talk beforehand and arrange it - it's surprising they both weren't embarrassed, like two women who wear the same outfit to a party.
There are some excellent and picturesque Thai locations, there's a great song at every turn which smartly keeps the energy going (most of which are by AOR artist Stan Bush), and at one point one character says to Van Damme, "I'm not signing your death warrant". Seeing as the movie of that name came out the next year, could this line be an inspiration? Also in 1990 came a similarly-themed movie to Kickboxer, The King of the Kickboxers (1990), where Keith Cooke takes over the rural Thai trainer role. But one thing that movie does not have, nor any of the myriad "training sequence" movies that followed in its wake has, is one very important element: the "Van Damme" dance. Yes, part of Kurt's training is to go to a roadside cafe, get drunk, then bust a move with some local ladies. The movie pretty much stops - as it should - so we can see Van Damme get funky on the dance floor. Not since Breakin' (1984) where he claps along to the beat in his wrestling singlet have we seen his expertise with rhythm. Definitely a movie - nay - a career highlight for JCVD. He should have danced more in his movies.
One other note: like how in Best of the Best 2 (1990), the name "Brakus" is constantly and continuously said throughout the movie, here the name "Tong Po" is the constantly-said name. These writers were sure proud of their bad-guy names. While the popularity of this movie led to the inevitable flood of sequels (where Sasha Mitchell replaces Van Damme), this original is truly a "video store classic" and a worthy movie in its own right.