Kickboxer (1989)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Phil H

  
  His second best martial arts fest, the same kinda story as 'Bloodsport' with the same kinda revenge subplot and the same kinda outcome, but its great fun. Watching JCVD get there through some excellent training scenes/tests whilst we learn of criminal activity behind the… More
  His second best martial arts fest, the same kinda story as 'Bloodsport' with the same kinda revenge subplot and the same kinda outcome, but its great fun. Watching JCVD get there through some excellent training scenes/tests whilst we learn of criminal activity behind the scenes in a typically classic 80's way is just sheer joy. The cast again is a good mix of west/east and if you look closely many are part of JCVD's stable of faces that are reused in a few of his old martial arts adventures. Of course its 100% predictable and virtually plays out in exactly the same way as 'Bloodsport'. The fights all look decent and realistic accept for the final showdown perhaps, some nice music accompanies and a great performance from Dennis Chan as 'Xiao'.

• Tim S

  
  Early Van Damme action goodness.

• Lenny M

  
  This in reality is around a 2-2.5 star movie but I love Van Damme. Time to Muy Thai.

• Jason O

  
  "Kickboxer" was one of Jean-Claude Van Damme's first good fighting movies. Now he's made several, but this is one of the movies that got him recognized as a great actor and a great fighter in movies. Kurt Sloane (Jean-Claude Van Damme) makes it his mission to seek… More
  "Kickboxer" was one of Jean-Claude Van Damme's first good fighting movies. Now he's made several, but this is one of the movies that got him recognized as a great actor and a great fighter in movies. Kurt Sloane (Jean-Claude Van Damme) makes it his mission to seek revenge and ultimately fight Tong Po, the Thai kickboxer that paralyzed his brother Eric Sloane (Dennis Alexio). But if Kurt wants to earn a fight with Tong Po, he has to train and learn the style of Thai fighting. With the help of Xian (Dennis Chan), he just might have the chance. I've seen just about all of Van Damme's movies, and I still think that "Kickboxer" is one of his best. It has a lot of great fighting in it, and the training that Xian puts Kurt through to get him prepared for the big fight was another great thing about the movie. The training sequences seemed a lot like real karate training. When Tong Po and Kurt finally fight, it was some of the best fighting action I've ever seen in a movie. "Kickboxer" isn't the best Van Damme movie, but it is exciting and it's one of his best. It was a great movie to kickstart Jean-Claude Van Damme's career as an actor in fighting movies. It's hard to believe that the directors didn't pick Van Damme to be in any of the other Kickboxer movies because he did a good job in this one. If you like fighting movies, I definitely recommend getting "Kickboxer." NOTE: That was my Amazon review from the year 2000.

• Lady D

  
  Ok, so Jean Claude Van Damme, wants to get revenge on behalf of someone close to him, he manages to find a martial arts guru for adequate and authentic training, he finds some spectactular way to show himself doing the splits, whilst having cheesy 80?s love songs in the background.… More
  Ok, so Jean Claude Van Damme, wants to get revenge on behalf of someone close to him, he manages to find a martial arts guru for adequate and authentic training, he finds some spectactular way to show himself doing the splits, whilst having cheesy 80?s love songs in the background. When he eventually takes on the fighter (who is evil and much stronger), Jean-Claude finds he is no match, until right at the last moment when (through flashbacks) he remembers everything he was trained to do and let?s not forget he does a few slow motion growls? Yes this is the plot to most JCVD films and yet they are still my guilty pleasures, for it was these films that encouraged me to watch Martial Arts movies in the first place, which led to my attraction for the East. JCVD was in no doubt terrific shape during these films in the 80?s and although cheesy, I always enjoyed the training part of the films the best. This film was my second favourite (next to Blood Sport). My rating is based on the impact the film had on me during it?s time of release.

• danny d

  
  one of the fighting classics

• EightThirty .

  
  Excellent...Van Damme at his Best!

• Nani V

  
  Haha...I LOVE this movie...I think this is the only Van Damne movie I like.

• Dean !

  
  One of Jean-Claude Van Damme's best films. Has some great kickboxing fights. Done in a type of Rocky style.

• Dean M

  
  This flick looks a little like <i>Rocky</i> and a lot like <i>The Karate Kid</i>, but it's a step up for Jean-Claude Van Damme in the acting department. Good action scenes and a fun plot.

• Steven V

  
  Very good movie. Good action scenes and a fun plot. The best ending most people would want are a lots of well kickboxing.

• Joseph E

  
  Jean-Claude's best Film!

• Deb S

  
  An American kickboxing champion (Eric Sloan) is brutally beaten in a fight against the Muay Thai champion (Tong Po) and so his brother (played by Jean-Claude Van Damme) vows vengeance on the guy who put his brother in a wheelchair. Tong Po is a muscled and vicious force to be reckoned… More
  An American kickboxing champion (Eric Sloan) is brutally beaten in a fight against the Muay Thai champion (Tong Po) and so his brother (played by Jean-Claude Van Damme) vows vengeance on the guy who put his brother in a wheelchair. Tong Po is a muscled and vicious force to be reckoned with and a villain you might conceivably be scared of. A Classic Martial Arts flick with some fantastic fighting scenes and nothing was cooler than Van Damme's famous air born spin kicks.

• a b

  
  Remember the part where Van Damme breaks a 5-inch bamboo stalk with his shins? How about the part where he fights with flaming rope tied around his fists? Or was it shards of glass? Or both? Or how about the part where he dances in the bar? Yeah. You know. It's awesome.

• jason d

  
  this movie has one of the greatest training sequences ever. kick the tree...

• kawai d

  
  Better than Knock-Off but not as good as THE QUEST.

• Lee K

  
  One of my least favorites from Van damme

• Leo L

  
  Great!

• Barry L

  
  Loved this as a kid.

• Adam M

  
  Another guilty pleasure!Van Damme does some really camp dancing in one scene but like bloodsport,it has some great fight scenes.

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