When I was a kid this was one of my favourite films. For some reason I remember it having an 18 rating (adding to the illicitness of it when you are 11), but it seems to be only a 15 now (or perhaps it was always a 15). I bought it, fully expecting it to be far far worse than I remembered, but it is still a very good film in my opinion.
The plot ====== The plot, such as it involves a champion kick boxer called Frank Dux (Jean Claude Van Damme) who is invited to take part in an illegal and dangerous full-contact martial arts competition called the Kumite. This story is apparently based on a true story, Frank Dux did exist and according to the legends he did compete at a competition called the Kumite.
The film sees Dux escaping from a military compound where he is based and travelling to Hong Kong. Along the way we are introduced to his mentor and trainer Mr Tanaka and through a series of flashbacks see how Dux became so good at martial arts. We also find out the reason for Dux wanting to compete in the competition.
When Dux arrives in Hong Kong he quickly becomes friends with another competitor named Ray Jackson (played by Donald Gibb) and their friendship forms an important part of the subsequent story line. Dux is also being chased by two incompetent detectives (one of whom is played by Forrest Whitaker) who are tasked with returning him to the army (for some reason he seems really important to them, but you never find out why).
The remainder of the film is fighting interspersed with a tedious love interest as Dux has to fight a variety of dangerous opponents including the dangerous bad guy Chong Li (played by Bolo Yeung, who at the age of 55 or whatever he was when he made this still looks absolutely awesome) and Paco (Paulo Tocha), who is in real life a champion Muay Thai fighter. Does he make it and keep his promise to his mentor? Well you will have to watch the film to find out then won’t you!
Why I like it ========= I have given this film 5 stars despite it being possibly the worst acted film I have ever seen. JCVD is his usual wooden self and his love interest (played by Janet Kent) is visibly laughing during one of the more horrific scenes in the film. If you are expecting a film full of Oscar winning performances then this is probably not the film for you. Some of the dialog is incredibly cheesy, especially the 10 or so words spoken by Chong Li during the entire film (“Brick Not Hit Back” being my personal favourite).
What Bloodsport does do well is the fighting sequences, which are amongst the best I have seen in any martial arts film. The action is incredibly realistic to the extent that I would not be shocked if some of the action was actually filmed using semi-contact instead of the usual missing by a mile and adding sound effects later that you often get in martial arts films. Luckily enough the fighting sequences form a large percentage of the film and if you can ignore the love interest and detective scenes then the film is actually very good.
Some of the music in the film is actually pretty good as well and matches the general feel throughout the film (think 80s camp and you are pretty much there).
If you are in any way interested in martial arts then I would recommend this film highly. If you are not interested in martial arts then I probably would not recommend it quite as highly, but personally I think it is great! You can pick it up from eBay for a few quid and I think it is worth a space in any self-respecting martial arts fans DVD collection.
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Soundtrack
Good
How does it compare to others by the same director?
Good
Value for Money
Excellent
What format are you reviewing?
DVD
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