Gymkata (1985)

User Rating:

3.5/10   

Director:

Robert Clouse

Writers:

Charles Robert Carner (writer)
Dan Tyler Moore (novel)

Release Date:

May 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Tagline:

The skill of gymnastics, the kill of karate.

Plot:

Johnathan Cabot is a champion gymnast. In the tiny, yet savage, country of Parmistan, there is a perfect spot for a "star wars" site...

Plot Keywords:

Gymnastics | Fall From Height | Martial Arts Gymnastics | Ninja | Bow And Arrow

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Kurt Thomas	...	Jonathan Cabot
Tetchie Agbayani	...	Princess Rubali
Richard Norton	...	Zamir
Edward Bell	...	Paley
John Barrett	...	Gomez
Conan Lee	...	Hao
Bob Schott	...	Thorg
Buck Kartalian	...	The Kahn
Eric Lawson	...	Colonel Cabot
Sonny Barnes	...	Western Trainer
Tadashi Yamashita	...	Eastern Trainer
Sharan Lea	...	Connie
Zlatko Pokupec	...	Mackle (as Z. Pokupec)
Slobodan Dimitrijevic	...	Tamerlane (as S. Dimitrijevic)
Ivo Kristof	...	Brockschmidt (as I. Kristof)

Directed by
Robert Clouse

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Charles Robert Carner		writer
Dan Tyler Moore		novel "The Terrible Game"

Produced by
Rebecca Poole	....	associate producer
Fred Weintraub	....	producer

Original Music by
Alfi Kabiljo

Cinematography by
Godfrey A. Godar

Film Editing by
Robert A. Ferretti

Production Design by
Veljko Despotovic

Art Direction by
William Maynard
Nemanja Petrovic

Set Decoration by
Sherree Stivers

Costume Design by
Drago Habazin

Makeup Department
Alison Grant	....	makeup artist (as Allyson Grant)
Lamberto Marini	....	makeup artist
Angelo Mattei	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Richard De Labio	....	production manager (as Richard Delabio)
Boris Gregoric	....	production manager
Dgorjan Tuzija	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Greg Logan	....	second assistant director
Kathy McGunnis	....	second assistant director
Vladimir Spindler	....	first assistant director
Branislav Brana Srdic	....	second assistant director (as Brana Srdic)
Dinko Tucakovic	....	assistant director: Yugoslavia

Art Department
Milorad Kalanj	....	property buyer

Sound Department
Richard Dwan Jr.	....	dialogue editor
Richard Dwan Jr.	....	sound designer
Richard Dwan Jr.	....	sound effects editor
Jay M. Harding	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marvin Kerner	....	sound effects editor
William L. McCaughey	....	sound re-recording mixer (as William McCaughey)
Lee Milliner	....	production sound and sound effects editor: fight sequences
Ray O'Reilly	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Peter Dawson	....	special effects
Terry Glass	....	special effects
Marijan Karoglan	....	pyrotechnician
Mladen Markovic	....	special effects technician
Steve Purcell	....	special effects

Stunts
Petar Buntic	....	stunt coordinator
Petar Buntic	....	stunts
Richard Norton	....	fights choreographer
Daniel Price	....	stunts
Aldo Toncic	....	stunts
Domagoj Vukusic	....	stunts (as T. Vukusic)

Camera and Electrical Department
Malcolm MacIntosh	....	camera operator
Viktor Penezic	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Roger Bondelli	....	additional editor
Mel Friedman	....	additional editor
Ranko Paukovic	....	assistant editor

Transportation Department
Mladen Cernjak	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
John Barrett	....	fight stager
Zrinka Buljan	....	production coordinator
Drago Klincic	....	accountant

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1985) (France) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Vídeo Arte (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:(Banned) (1986) | UK:18 | USA:R | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Yugoslavia

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The film debut of Kurt Thomas, a former Olympic gymnast and his only starring role in his career.

Quotes:

Zamir: [to Jonathan] Death becomes you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Village of the Giants (#6.23)" (1994)

This film deserves (a lot) more credit

The average rating of 2.9 out of 10 for this film is a travesty. Anybody who watches this film and gives it less than 3 out of 10 is a fool who has completely missed the point. Let me explain: The acting...is not great. The plot...could be deeper. The direction and cinematography...second to many. However, all of those things (and probably many more) take a sideline when you watch the film. This is due entirely to the sheer fun of it all. It is not meant to be a serious work of art (at least I hope not), it is meant to be a fast paced, entertaining vehicle for showing off Kurt Thomas's ample gymnastic abilities in the most contrived situations imaginable (spot the high bar (and chalk) between two buildings). And in this capacity, the film really delivers as we follow Thomas (aka Jonathan Cabott) through a life or death race - that some people bizarrely seem to have volunteered for - across some very inhospitable ground with a bunch of well armed, evil looking locals on his tail. Sure, if you're a movie critic who has watched every film ever released since 1896, you'll probably think this is puerile rubbish. That is why I am so pleased not to be a movie critic, because I can sit down and watch a simple film and derive a simple pleasure from it. Simple as that.