Kickboxer is vintage Van Damme doing what he does best.

Rating: 7/10 (21 November 2015)

Kickboxer may be seen now as a dumb action movie but there's no denying that Kickboxer is still popular amongst many of Van Damme's fans as well as those that grew up in an era where audiences liked their heroes musclebound and the action violent and bloody. I last saw Kickboxer when I was 11 years old and I hadn't seen the movie in 20 years. Thankfully, the movie was still enjoyable and like a vintage wine you can still enjoy it with age. Kickboxer also showcased Van Damme's spectacular martial arts prowess and he does it with style.
Kurt Sloane (Jean-Claude Van Damme) acts as cornerman and trainer for his older brother Eric (Dennis Alexio), an US kickboxing champion. Kurt and Eric travel to Bangkok, Thailand to challenge Tong Po (Michel Qissi), Thailand's undefeated powerhouse champion who ruthlessly pummels his opponents in the ring. Ignoring all of Kurt's warnings to pull out of the match, Eric remains proudly adamant that he is not going to back down from Tong Po in the ring. Kurt helplessly watches Tong Po brutally beat Eric in the ring and leaves him paralysed from the waist down, wheelchair bound and unable to walk again. Filled with grief and rage, Kurt swears revenge on Tong Po. Kurt finds a sole ally in Winston Taylor (Haskell Anderson), a retired US Army special forces soldier who helps Kurt enlist the help of a former Muay Thai trainer Xian Chow (Dennis Chan) who lives in seclusion in a quiet village along with his niece Mylee (Rochelle Ashana). Though reluctant at first, Xian teaches Kurt the ways of Muay Thai with primitive but extremely effective methods to transform Kurt into a hardened fighter primed to avenge his older brother by fighting Tong Po.
The acting was never going to set the world on fire but there is no doubt Kickboxer is still exciting and enjoyable from start to finish. The fighting and martial arts showcased on screen are still a delight to watch many years later. Jean-Claude Van Damme in his halcyon days is still enjoyable to watch on screen. Though Van Damme's star has since faded and he is no longer the box office drawcard he used to be, a lot of his early movies still have a special spot in all of our hearts.
Kickboxer is vintage Van Damme doing what he does best. If you are a true Van Damme fan, Kickboxer is certainly a movie to have in your collection.
7/10.