Bloodsport (1988)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Newt Arnold

Writers:

Christopher Cosby (screenplay)
Mel Friedman (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 February 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Biography | Sport

Tagline:

The secret contest where the world's greatest warriors fight in a battle to the death.

Plot:

Frank Dux has spent most his life being trained by Tanaka to participate in the Kumite, the ultimate martial arts tournament...

Plot Keywords:

Martial Arts | Tournament | Martial Arts Tournament | Death | Fight

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jean-Claude Van Damme	...	Frank Dux (as Jean Claude Van Damme)
Donald Gibb	...	Ray Jackson
Leah Ayres	...	Janice Kent
Norman Burton	...	Helmer
Forest Whitaker	...	Rawlins
Roy Chiao	...	Tanaka
Philip Chan	...	Inspector Chen
Pierre Rafini	...	Young Frank
Bolo Yeung	...	Chong Li
Ken Siu	...	Victor Lin (as Kenneth Siu)
Kimo Lai Kwok Ki	...	Hiro
Bernard Mariano	...	Sadiq Hossein
Bill Yuen Ping Kuen	...	Oshima
Lily Leung	...	Mrs. Tanaka
Joshua Schroder	...	Chuck / Older Boy

Runtime:

92 min | Finland:71 min (video release) (1991) | Finland:89 min (DVD release) (2006)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (TVC)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (heavily cut) (1991) | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (2006) | Canada:14A | South Korea:12 | Australia:R | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:18 | Poland:18 | Singapore:NC-16 | Spain:18 | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2003) | UK:18 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1989) | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Cannon International

Trivia:

Even after it was filmed, the movie was almost never released, but Jean-Claude Van Damme helped edit the film so that it could be.

Goofs:

Continuity: Right after the shot of the sumo fighter falling to the mat after being defeated by Dux, there is a cut to Ray and Lin cheering him on. However, the sumo fighter is seen still sitting behind the two of them in the upper right corner.

Quotes:

[Jackson is getting ready to fight Chong Li]
Frank Dux: Go for the gut. He's soft there.
Ray Jackson: What the hell are you talking about?
Frank Dux: Chong Li's weak in the gut. That's how Parades surprised him.
Victor: [nods curtly with a look of grim encouragement]
Frank Dux: Hey. You listening to me? Go for the stomach. And stay away from his right leg.
Ray Jackson: Will you stop worrying, Frankie? I've got it under control. You sound like my mother. Man alive.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "A Touch of Frost: Unknown Soldiers (#4.2)" (1996)

Soundtrack:

FIGHT TO SURVIVE

High kicking martial arts action

In his film starring debut, Jean-Claude Van Damme portrays a martial arts expert who decides to compete in the Kumite, a no holds barred martial arts competition in Hong Kong. This film has plenty of the well staged fight scenes and martial arts sequences that would be evident in Van Damme's later films. A fair entry in the genre.