Kickboxer (film)
Encyclopedia
Kickboxer is a 1989 martial arts
film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme
and former world Kickboxing champion, Dennis Alexio
. Like Van Damme's previous film, Bloodsport
, it showcases Van Damme's martial arts fighting abilities. In Germany it is known as "Karate Tiger 3 – Der Kickboxer".
), a cornerman
for his brother Eric (Dennis Alexio
), an American kickboxing
champion. Kurt and Eric travel to Bangkok to challenge Tong Po (Michel Qissi
), Thailand's undefeated champion. After a brutal first round, Kurt realizes that they are outmatched by Tong Po and tries to convince his brother to stop the fight. Unwilling to give up, Eric returns for the second round and continues to take a vicious beating, finally prompting Kurt to throw in the towel. But Tong Po ignores him and continues the assault, which ultimately leaves Eric paralyzed from the waist down
. Eric is then carried outside and left on the street without any help, until Winston, a retired American Special Forces
member, agrees to take the brothers to the hospital.
Furious, Kurt vows to avenge his brother and defeat Tong Po in the ring. Though reluctant at first, Winston eventually tells him about Xian Chow, a locally famous trainer living in a remote area of Thailand. Upon locating Xian, Kurt is able to convince the man to train him in the art of Muay Thai
("Thai boxing"). While training, Kurt attempts to foil the operations of a group of Thai mobsters led by Freddy Li, who continuously threaten and steal money from Xian's niece, Mylee. After Kurt makes short work of the thugs in a bar fight, Xian is able to arrange a match with Tong Po on Kurt's behalf. It is determined that they will fight in the "ancient way", in which both fighters wrap their hands in hemp rope, which is then coated in resin and dipped in broken glass to make them deadly weapons.
In the days leading up to the match, Mylee is beaten and raped by Tong Po, and Eric is kidnapped by Freddy Li's henchmen for the purpose of blackmailing Kurt into losing the fight. To save his brother's life, Kurt is instructed to go the distance with Po before losing the match. He endures a torturous beating, but fortunately, Xian and Winston are able to locate and rescue Eric before the fight concludes. With his brother free from danger, Kurt manages to find a second wind and ultimately triumphs over Tong Po.
.
The score for the movie was composed by Paul Hertzog
and is considered a cult classic by many.
The full score was remastered and released in 2006 by Perseverance Records in limited quantity.
The tracklisting is as follows on the 2006 full score CD.
The 2006 official score release does not include a previously released version of the score track titled "Buddha's Eagle" which was released on the "Best of Van Damme Volume 2 Compilation" CD. The reason why it was left off the official score CD release is unknown.
in Thailand
.
status. It currently maintains no status on Rotten Tomatoes
. In Zachary Oberzan
's 2010 theatre performance "Your brother, Remember?", re-enactments of 'Kickboxer' and other violent cult movies form an integral part of the play.
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
and former world Kickboxing champion, Dennis Alexio
Dennis Alexio
Dennis Raymond Alexio is an American former kickboxer. He was world champion as a light heavyweight and cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight where, for a short time, he became the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion...
. Like Van Damme's previous film, Bloodsport
Bloodsport (film)
Bloodsport is a 1988 American martial arts film directed by Newt Arnold and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Donald Gibb and Leah Ayres. The film is based on the claimed adventures of Frank Dux, and was followed by three sequels Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite , Bloodsport III and Bloodsport 4: The...
, it showcases Van Damme's martial arts fighting abilities. In Germany it is known as "Karate Tiger 3 – Der Kickboxer".
Plot
The story follows Kurt Sloane (Van DammeJean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,...
), a cornerman
Cornerman
A cornerman, or simply corner, is a combat sports term for a coach or team mate assisting a fighter during the length of a bout. The cornerman remains outside the combat area during the fight, but in proximity, and can assist the fighter through instruction...
for his brother Eric (Dennis Alexio
Dennis Alexio
Dennis Raymond Alexio is an American former kickboxer. He was world champion as a light heavyweight and cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight where, for a short time, he became the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion...
), an American kickboxing
Kickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
champion. Kurt and Eric travel to Bangkok to challenge Tong Po (Michel Qissi
Michel Qissi
Michel Qissi is a Moroccan-Belgian actor, perhaps best known for his role as Tong Po in the 1989 martial arts film Kickboxer.-Biography:Qissi was born in Oujda, Morocco and moved to Brussels, Belgium as a child. He began training in boxing at seven years old, and became an amateur champion in his...
), Thailand's undefeated champion. After a brutal first round, Kurt realizes that they are outmatched by Tong Po and tries to convince his brother to stop the fight. Unwilling to give up, Eric returns for the second round and continues to take a vicious beating, finally prompting Kurt to throw in the towel. But Tong Po ignores him and continues the assault, which ultimately leaves Eric paralyzed from the waist down
Paraplegia
Paraplegia is an impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities. The word comes from Ionic Greek: παραπληγίη "half-striking". It is usually the result of spinal cord injury or a congenital condition such as spina bifida that affects the neural elements of the spinal canal...
. Eric is then carried outside and left on the street without any help, until Winston, a retired American Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
member, agrees to take the brothers to the hospital.
Furious, Kurt vows to avenge his brother and defeat Tong Po in the ring. Though reluctant at first, Winston eventually tells him about Xian Chow, a locally famous trainer living in a remote area of Thailand. Upon locating Xian, Kurt is able to convince the man to train him in the art of Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
("Thai boxing"). While training, Kurt attempts to foil the operations of a group of Thai mobsters led by Freddy Li, who continuously threaten and steal money from Xian's niece, Mylee. After Kurt makes short work of the thugs in a bar fight, Xian is able to arrange a match with Tong Po on Kurt's behalf. It is determined that they will fight in the "ancient way", in which both fighters wrap their hands in hemp rope, which is then coated in resin and dipped in broken glass to make them deadly weapons.
In the days leading up to the match, Mylee is beaten and raped by Tong Po, and Eric is kidnapped by Freddy Li's henchmen for the purpose of blackmailing Kurt into losing the fight. To save his brother's life, Kurt is instructed to go the distance with Po before losing the match. He endures a torturous beating, but fortunately, Xian and Winston are able to locate and rescue Eric before the fight concludes. With his brother free from danger, Kurt manages to find a second wind and ultimately triumphs over Tong Po.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg , professionally known as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor, best known for his martial arts action films, the most successful of which include Bloodsport , Kickboxer , Double Impact , Universal Soldier , Hard Target , Timecop ,... |
Kurt Sloane |
| Dennis Alexio Dennis Alexio Dennis Raymond Alexio is an American former kickboxer. He was world champion as a light heavyweight and cruiserweight before moving up to heavyweight where, for a short time, he became the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion... |
Eric Sloane |
| Dennis Chan | Xian Chow |
| Michel Qissi Michel Qissi Michel Qissi is a Moroccan-Belgian actor, perhaps best known for his role as Tong Po in the 1989 martial arts film Kickboxer.-Biography:Qissi was born in Oujda, Morocco and moved to Brussels, Belgium as a child. He began training in boxing at seven years old, and became an amateur champion in his... |
Tong Po |
| Steve Lee | Freddy Li |
| Rochelle Ashana | Mylee |
| Haskell V. Anderson III Haskell V. Anderson III "Haskell Vaughn Anderson III is an American film, television and theater actor. He is perhaps most widely known for his prominent supporting role in the 1989 film "KICKBOXER"', which starred Jean-Claude Van Damme. In 2011 Haskell starred as Frank Malgado in the Off Broadway production of JULIA a... |
Winston Taylor |
| Richard Foo | Tao Lin |
| Ricky Liu | Big Thai Man |
| Africa Chu | Messenger |
| Joann Wong | Tao Liu's Wife |
Crew
- Music by Paul Hertzog
- Edited by Wayne WahrmanWayne WahrmanWayne Wahrman, sometimes credited as Wayne P. Wahrman or Wayne R. Wahrman, is a film editor. He has worked on over twenty films in a career that has lasted more than three decades.-Filmography:* Tunnel Vision * Going Back...
- Special effects by Tuffy Lau
- Cinematography by Jon Kranhouse
- Produced by Mark DiSalle
- Associate producer Charles Wang
- Screenplay by Glenn Bruce
Soundtrack
A soundtrack containing songs from the movie was released in limited form on CD and is often hard to find. It contains classic songs from soundtrack specialist Stan BushStan Bush
Stan Bush is an American singer-songwriter and musician whose most notable work includes the songs "Dare" and "The Touch" from the soundtrack to the 1986 animated film The Transformers: The Movie, and "She's Got the Power", featured in the American voice dub of the animated series Sailor Moon...
.
The score for the movie was composed by Paul Hertzog
Paul Hertzog
Paul Hertzog is an American film composer. In his brief career in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Hertzog composed the soundtracks for two Jean-Claude Van Damme movies, Kickboxer and Bloodsport, as well as the scores for Breathing Fire and My Chauffeur...
and is considered a cult classic by many.
The full score was remastered and released in 2006 by Perseverance Records in limited quantity.
The tracklisting is as follows on the 2006 full score CD.
- To the Hospital / We'll See (01:15)
- Groceries (01:47)
- Very Stupid (00:45)
- Tai Chi (02:55)
- First Kiss (00:53)
- Stone City (02:34)
- Second Stone (00:53)
- Hospital (02:21)
- Palm Tree (00:30)
- Advanced Training (01:49)
- Ancient Voices (02:08)
- Mylee Is the Way (01:32)
- Warriors (00:45)
- Buddha's Eagle (01:01)
- Kidnap (01:01)
- You've Done It Before (01:45)
- Downstairs (00:54)
- Round One (02:12)
- Round Two (01:36)
- The Hook (01:32)
- Round Three (01:32)
- The Eagle Lands (04:02)
The 2006 official score release does not include a previously released version of the score track titled "Buddha's Eagle" which was released on the "Best of Van Damme Volume 2 Compilation" CD. The reason why it was left off the official score CD release is unknown.
Location
As a backdrop for some of the training scenes, Kurt (Van Damme) trains near the temples in Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wat Ratchaburana, part of the ruins of Ayutthaya cityAyutthaya (city)
Ayutthaya city is the capital of Ayutthaya province in Thailand. Located in the valley of the Chao Phraya River. The city was founded in 1350 by King U Thong, who went there to escape a smallpox outbreak in Lop Buri and proclaimed it the capital of his kingdom, often referred to as the Ayutthaya...
in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
.
Reception
Reception for the film was mixed. but received a CultCult film
A cult film, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a highly devoted but specific group of fans. Often, cult movies have failed to achieve fame outside the small fanbases; however, there have been exceptions that have managed to gain fame among mainstream audiences...
status. It currently maintains no status on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. In Zachary Oberzan
Zachary Oberzan
Zachary Oberzan is a filmmaker, theater director, actor, and singer/songwriter known for his experimental work involving video....
's 2010 theatre performance "Your brother, Remember?", re-enactments of 'Kickboxer' and other violent cult movies form an integral part of the play.