Product: Bloodsport [VHS] (1988)
Rating: 3.0
Good movie, except when the plot gets in the way
Bloodsport is about an American soldier who fights in a full-contact martial arts contest called the "kumite." That's pretty much it. There are distracting subplots, like the federal agents who are chasing after him to return him to the states (why is never explained. It is mentioned that the government does not want him dsiabled. Does the army forbid officers to skydive or hunt for recreation?) There is another subplot where an obligatory beautiful reporter/love interest tries to get into the kumite for a story. The hero meets and befriends a buddy whom he must later avenge (aside formn being a cliche, its hard to see why they became friends as the buddy is a loudmouth jerk). Then there is the old cliche about the hero trying to please his demanding master by busting heads (this subplot does little excpet highlight the writer's ignorance about Japanese martial philosophy). If you can ignore/fast forward through the subplots, you have a collection of great fighitng scenes the provoke a great deal of macho enjoyment.