Kickboxer *** (1989, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Alexio, Dennis Chan, Michel Qissi) – Classic Movie Review 8,489

The Belgian martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme gained wide movie stardom with the 1989 American martial arts action thriller film Kickboxer.

‘An Ancient Sport Becomes A Deadly Game.’

Directors Mark DiSalle and David Worth’s 1989 American martial arts film Kickboxer stars the Belgian martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme (aka ‘The Muscles from Brussels’), who gained wide movie stardom with this slightly predictable but more than passable martial arts action thriller.

He plays corner-man Kurt Sloane, aka The White Warrior, who swears revenge on the vicious Thailand champion kickboxer Tong Po (Michel Qissi) who maliciously paralysed his brother Eric Sloane (former world kickboxing champion Dennis Alexio).

For action fans there is spectacular film of Van Damme training in the ancient kickboxing art of Muay Thai under an unorthodox old kickboxing master trainer Xian Chow (Dennis Chan), exciting martial arts footage, and a satisfying big fight finale.

The low-budget film (estimated between $1,500,000 and $2.7 million) is modestly presented and assembled, and Van Damme shows the glimmerings of a burgeoning acting talent. It is notable in also featuring the former world kickboxing champion Dennis Alexio, and in being the first movie to bring Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) to a global audience.

Kickboxer may not be great, perhaps, but it is still quite exciting and certainly better than expected, and it was a hit, grossing $14,697,005 at the US box office for a worldwide total of $50 million.

Also in the cast are Haskell V Anderson III, Rochelle Ashana, Ka Ting Lee, Wong Wing Shun and Richard Foo.

It runs 104 minutes but the video version 97 minutes.

It was produced by Kings Road Entertainment and released in the US by The Cannon Group on September 8, 1989, 

Jean-Claude Van Damme previously made No Retreat, No Surrender, Bloodsport, Black Eagle, and Cyborg. It was Bloodsport (1988) that launched him as a mainstream action star.

Kickboxer is directed by Mark DiSalle and David Worth, runs 104 minutes, is made by Kings Road Entertainment and The Movie Group, is distributed by Entertainment Film Distributors (1989) (UK) and Cannon Film Distributors (1989) (US), is written by Glenn A Bruce (screenplay), based on a story by Jean-Claude Van Damme and Mark DiSalle, is shot in Technicolor by Jon Kranhous, is produced by Mark DiSalle, and is scored by Paul Hertzog, with Production Design by Shay Austin.

It was filmed in August 1988 in Bangkok, Thailand, and Hong Kong.

It is followed by Kickboxer 2: The Road Back, Kickboxer 3: The Art of War, Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor, all with Sasha Mitchell, and Kickboxer 5: The Redemption with Mark Dacascos, and Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016), with Dave Bautista, Alain Moussi, Gina Carano and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8,489

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