Kickboxer

Cannon Film Distributors | Release Date: September 8, 1989

7.1	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Ratings

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Steven1981Mar 18, 2020

Kickboxer, this is an old film from the 80's. Storyline is there is no storyline, similar to Bloodsport but Bloodsport was a superior and better movie in comparison to this so won't talk about any storyline. The acting from Van Damme isKickboxer, this is an old film from the 80's. Storyline is there is no storyline, similar to Bloodsport but Bloodsport was a superior and better movie in comparison to this so won't talk about any storyline. The acting from Van Damme is tacky, cheesy and pathetic and the film fails to deliver any kind of real entertainment. Horrible film.… Expand

2 of 4 users found this helpful22

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clem666Dec 27, 2020

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Oh lord it's bad. However let's begin with the positive. Atmosphere is cool and accurate, landscapes are great, there are two or three angles and scenes that remain inspired. Van Damme gives the best he can and it is hard to blame him for that. Scenario is simple.

Now tackle what's bad and I warmly reccomand you to hang on. Scenario is way too simple and predictable. We saw this schema over and over: the guy who don't know anything getting trained the old way to defeat a new school hardcore rookie making his own rules and laws. The training part is a huge sequence of stereotypes and uninspired exercises. Absolutely unoriginal.

The movie was literally unable to make me worry about the characters. According to the logic of american movies, when you can't control a mad guy you are supposed to shoot him but when the bad guys are able to do so they don't. The plot then loses all its importance, eveything seems shallow and missed. Bad guys were in a good way when they captured Van Damme's relatives but the scenario just flips once again to let the hero win easily. The fact that this movie ends on Van Damme's victory is a huge sign that it has nothing more to do than to show us the final fight. World does not stop after a single win, wake up. Your brother Eric is far from being healed.

Overall acting is really ineffective. I know Van Damme has a lot to do with this fact but the rest of the cast doesn't help. The only decent ones were V. Anderson (playing as Winston Taylor) and sometimes Alexio (Eric the brother). Jokes are not jokes because not even close to funny. This movie is all about exposing Van Damme's impressive body and flexibility.

Romance is digusting. When there is only one significative woman in the hole movie she obviously has to be for the hero. Other women are a whore for Eric and the nurse getting her ass touched by Eric. Did I mention the plot used the heroin's rape to move forward? Was it even useful? Don't think so. But thank you so much for these disgusting and appalling stereotypes and behaviors, Mr. DiSalle, now go get some basic respect lessons. I suppose the ideas of free women were not that strong in 1989 (that I can concede) but the fact that today's people enjoy this movie is far from what I can understand.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

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annbdApr 17, 2018

What a horrible, predictable and absolutely boring movie. It's pathetically bad. During the movie I asked myself: 'Is this an actual film or a stupid joke'. It's so dumb, that it made me angry. In top of the waste-of-time movies. Unbelievable.

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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BroyaxSep 25, 2021

Un nanar qui a, je suppose, une valeur historique puisqu’il s’agit du tout premier film du père Jean-Claude qui était alors tout jeunot à l’époque ! et on a pour tout dire déjà tout l’univers « JCVD » dans ce bidule avec notamment les grandsUn nanar qui a, je suppose, une valeur historique puisqu’il s’agit du tout premier film du père Jean-Claude qui était alors tout jeunot à l’époque ! et on a pour tout dire déjà tout l’univers « JCVD » dans ce bidule avec notamment les grands écarts et les fameux coups de pied retournés.

Et d’ailleurs, je me rends compte d’une chose : s’il tape fort le gars Jean-Claude, il est incapable d’enchaîner plus… d’un mouvement d’affilée. Car après un coup de tatane, il faut couper et lui dire quel prochain coup de pied ou coup de latte donner et c’est comme ça dans tous ses films. C’est le problème avec le Jean-Claude : la mémoire-tampon est très limitée.

Alors, tu te rends compte, si en plus, il doit ‘déclamer’ quelques lignes, c’est pas gagné… Cependant, il est intéressant de constater qu’à cet égard, son jeu a… légèrement progressé selon le film concerné bien sûr (c’est au cas par cas) depuis cette lointaine époque (1989 quand même !), d’autant plus qu’il débutait non pas de zéro mais de bien dessous de zéro.

Quoi qu’il en soit, ce nanar en Thaïlande est bien ridicule de bout en bout… on ‘appréciera’ à sa juste valeur le maître qui entraîne le blaireau par exemple : on se demande si on est (toujours) dans le sketch des Inconnus ou pas (?!)… Le film reste par ailleurs très mollasson, d’une ringardise pitoyable et d’un stupidité de tous les instants, à peine digne d’un téléfilm à la petite semaine. A regarder en accéléré.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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