Inspiration in the strangest of places...

Rating: 6/10 (20 August 2007)

While not a great film, this is an awesome example of an American action/martial arts movie.
Fight choreography is fantastic, I mean, let's face it, Jean Claude didn't get acting gigs because he is a decent actor, he got em because he's a great martial-artist. And it shows. So he was a never a prize fighter, so what? True martial arts is not about fighting, it's a mental/physical discipline, akin to religion in that to truly understand it you must devote yourself to it entirely.
The revenge story is run of the mill but cool - Kurt's bro gets paralysed in the ring by the nasty Thai champion (and quite intimidating character) Tong Po, so Kurt, an inexperienced martial artist, seeks training from an old master so he can return and defeat Tong Po in an honorable, though brutal, underground kickboxing contest in Thailand.
The real gem of this film is the second act, where Kurt trains in the jungle with the master Xian Chow. It shows some pretty full-on and very interesting scenes of harsh training, both mental and physical, and the forest setting is great. This part actually inspired me to pursue more intensely the martial art I was studying at the time, Arnis (bamboo stick fighting - originated in the Phillippines). Never did I think I would be inspired to better myself by a dumb action movie. Inspiration can come from the strangest of places.
The romantic subplot is aided by a nice performance from Rochelle Ashana as Mylee, she is very pretty and a decent actress. Xian Chow (Dennis Chan) is also very good as the wise master.
Can't help but mention the dance scene...it really is best experienced rather than described...
The final fight is one of the best pre-CGI fight scenes ever put on film. At first it appears like a Rocky-style "champ gets pounded by bad buy for 9 rounds then makes a startling comeback at the end" but it is far more, and that makes it so memorable. If you haven't seen it just watch it don't read on. If you have...how cool is it? Kurt knows he can k*ck Tong Po from the second he walks in the ring. Kurt has trained like the warriors of old, while Tong Po is really nothing more than a very strong street fighter. The agony is palpable as Kurt knows he has to throw the fight...but as soon as he knows his bro is safe, his girl is safe...the gloves come off...the fear shows in Tong Po...and from that first kick to the head it's all over in great Van Damme style for the Thailand's "Tiger"! Enjoy.