Kickboxer (1989)

Directors:

Mark DiSalle
David Worth

Writers:

Mark DiSalle (story) &
Jean-Claude Van Damme (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 September 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sport

Tagline:

An Ancient Sport Becomes A Deadly Game. [US Movie Poster]

Plot:

Kurt Sloan is the corner-man for his brother, U.S. kickboxing champion Eric Sloan. When Kurt witnesses...

Plot Keywords:

Kickboxing | Revenge | Wheel Chair Bound | Brother Brother Relationship | One Word Title

Cast

Jean-Claude Van Damme	...	Kurt Sloane (as Jean Claude Van Damme)
Dennis Alexio	...	Eric Sloane
Dennis Chan	...	Xian Chow
Michel Qissi	...	Tong Po (as Tong Po)
Haskell V. Anderson III	...	Winston Taylor (as Haskell Anderson)
Rochelle Ashana	...	Mylee
Ka Ting Lee	...	Freddy Li (as Steve Lee)
Richard Foo	...	Tao Liu
Ricky Liu	...	Big Thai Man
Ho Ying Sin	...	Huge Village Man #1 (as Sin Ho Ying)
Tony Chan	...	Huge Village Man #2
Brad Kerner	...	U.S. Announcer
Dean Harrington	...	U.S. Announcer
Mark DiSalle	...	U.S. Reporter
Richard Santoro	...	U.S. Reporter
Louis Roth	...	U.S. Reporter
Nickolas James	...	U.S. Reporter
John Ladalski	...	U.S. Referee
Mathew Cheung	...	Surgeon
Ali Tang	...	Nurse
Kalee Wan	...	Nurse
Amanda Chan	...	Nurse
Phoebe Chow	...	Nurse
Yuk-Mui Yeung	...	Nurse (as Strawberry Yeung)
Irene Choi	...	Nurse
Wong Wing Shun	...	Lo
Sammy Cheung	...	Doctor
Andy Lee	...	Doctor
Yung Chi Chung	...	Doctor
Joann Wong	...	Tao Liu's Wife
Michael Lee	...	Old Man in Village
Africa Chu	...	Messenger
Robert Mak	...	Freddy Li's Guard
Wang Tak Keung	...	Freddy Li's Guard
Kong Long	...	Freddy Li's Guard
Lee Hung	...	Freddy Li's Guard
Bruce Law	...	Freddy Li's Guard
Leung Hoi Lun	...	Freddy Li's Guard
Wah Cheung	...	Freddy Li's Guard (as Cheung Wah)
Tsang Sing Kwong	...	Freddy Li's Guard
Ho Kai Yue	...	Freddy Li's Guard
Zennie Reynolds	...	U.S. Fighter
Montri Vongbutr	...	Ancient Warrior #1
Amnart Komolthorn	...	Ancient Warrior #2
Pairat Lavilard	...	Gym Owner
Kanthima Vutti	...	Eric's Girl
Ithikrai Maitriwong	...	Thai Club Fighter
Yai Sae-Ear	...	Thai Club Fighter
Saifar	...	Thai Club Fighter
Tubin	...	Thai Club Fighter
Payakdum	...	Thai Club Fighter
Praiwan Jr.	...	Thai Club Fighter
Pichitchai Shuamongkol	...	Thai Club Fighter
Chanont Sri-Anont	...	Thai Club Fighter
Ong Soo Han	...	Tong Po Opponent
Priwan Sriharajmontri	...	Fighter vs. Kurt
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Keith E. Lane	...	Press photographer (uncredited)
Chia Yung Liu	...	Freddy Li's Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Mark DiSalle
David Worth

Writing credits
Mark DiSalle		(story) &
Jean-Claude Van Damme		(story) (as Jean Claude Van Damme)
Glenn Bruce		(screenplay)

Produced by
Mark DiSalle	....	producer
Charles Wang	....	associate producer: Far East

Original Music by
Paul Hertzog

Cinematography by
Jon Kranhouse		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Wayne Wahrman

Casting by
Madalena Chan
Teddy Chen
Wong Siu Lung

Production Design by
Shay Austin

Art Direction by
Sita Yeung

Makeup Department
Tommy Chan	....	makeup artist
Earl Ellis	....	makeup artist
Mable Fung	....	makeup artist
Donny Ng	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Judy Chan	....	production manager
George Schortz	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jackson Ip	....	third assistant director
Neil MacDonald	....	second assistant director
Ken Siu	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Peter Chu Chi Hung	....	property master
Lee Kam Yan	....	construction coordinator

Sound Department
Kenneth R. Burton	....	foley mixer
Andy D'Addario	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lee Dragu	....	sound effects editor
James Dean Fisher	....	foley artist
Gibson Fung	....	boom operator
Jeffrey J. Haboush	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tim Song Jones	....	sound transferer
John Lawson	....	stereo sound consultant
Mike Le Mare	....	supervising sound editor
Nancy Parker	....	foley artist
Grant Roberts	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Tuffy Lau	....	special effects

Stunts
John Cheung	....	stunt coordinator
Jon H. Epstein	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Jimmy Chan	....	camera operator
Tsang Chun Fai	....	gaffer
Peter Gum	....	still photographer
Stanley Hung	....	camera operator
Raymond Lam	....	Steadicam operator
Johnny Tsang	....	best boy

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ella Yu	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
James A. Brewer	....	assistant editor
Kaye Coats	....	negative cutter
Mato	....	color timer

Music Department
David Chackler	....	music supervisor
Cliff Kohlweck	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Simon Ha	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Teresita S. Crisostomo	....	script supervisor
Jack W. Haddox	....	production executive
Jacqueline Ho	....	production coordinator
Micky Kwong	....	location manager
Nonette Tsang	....	script supervisor
Jean-Claude Van Damme	....	fight scenes choreographer (as Jean Claude Van Damme)
Jean-Claude Van Damme	....	fight scenes director (as Jean Claude Van Damme)
Rik Walters	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Kings Road Entertainment (presents)

Distributors

• Ascot Filmverleih (1989) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Entertainment Film Distributors (1989) (UK) (theatrical)
• Cannon Film Distributors (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• Filmayer International (1990) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Palace Films (19??) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (Korea) (DVD)
• Altomedia. Co. Ltd. (Korea) (VHS)
• Arcade Movie Company (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Bridge Entertainment Group (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Filmayer Vídeo (1990) (Spain) (VHS)
• Flashback Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Manga Films (2007) (Spain) (DVD)
• Palace Home Video (Australia) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Perseverance Records  soundtrack
• Sound Affair Ltd.  music recorded at
• Westheimer Company  titles and opticals

Runtime:

105 min | Germany:94 min | Spain:93 min | Spain:97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-18 | Australia:M (cut) | Australia:R | Netherlands:16 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Thailand

Company:

Kings Road Entertainment

Trivia:

Tong Po is mistakenly billed as playing himself (on the film's credits). In fact Michel Qissi played the villainous Thai for this film and its sequel Kickboxer 2: The Road Back (1991). Kamel Krifa played the character in the 4th. Qissi can also be seen in two other Van Damme movies, Bloodsport (1988) and Lionheart (1990). In Bloodsport Qissi is the fighter that gets his leg broken by Chong Li. In Lionheart (AWOL) Qissi plays Moustafe who alongside another legionnaire is trying to bring Lyon from America back to Africa.

Goofs:

Continuity: Towards the end of the second round, there is one sequence where Tong Po punches Kurt in the stomach 4 times, punches him in the face 3 times, punches him in the face 13 times rapidly, punches him in the stomach 9 times rapidly, and then does this double-fist type of move on his face. Tong Po's hands are covered in broken glass. In all probability, Kurt's face and stomach would resemble raw hamburger meat at this point, but he only has one major cut on his face and one on his stomach, both of which occurred earlier in the fight.

Quotes:

Kurt Sloane: [Kurt is exhausted and in pain from kicking a Palm Tree] That's it... that's enough...
Xian Chow: [sternly] Take your bag and leave my house...
Kurt Sloane: [confused] What? What's going on...?
Xian Chow: [motions for Mylee to stay back and not get involved] You don't want training...
Kurt Sloane: [sarcastically] What... you want me to break my leg...?
Xian Chow: [making Kurt remeber his brothers vicious fight with Tong Po] Your brother remember...?
Kurt Sloane: [has flashbacks to Tong Po breaking Erics Back] Oh... you mean like this... huh... huh
Xian Chow: [breaks down palm tree with a rage of kicks, Xian walks away smiling at Kurts determination, Kurt colapses on the floor leg bleeding with Mylee trying to help]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008)

Soundtrack:

Fight for Love

Jean-Claude Van Damme goes Muay Thai-style!

Nah, you're not interested in "Kickboxer," the Jean-Claude Van Damme martial arts movie set in the exotic and mysterious Thailand and focuses in on the brutal sport of Muay Thai, are you? You're not going to miss Van Damme's hammy acting, his trademark splits, or his harsh (although according to some sources, inaccurate) training and portrayal in and of the Thai sport of Muay Thai, are you?

Of course you do. The Muscles From Brussels goes Thai in this 1989 adventure, with the Belgian actor exploring the martial arts fundamentals of Muay Thai, the national sport of Thailand, which has gained wider recognition in the West because it's the de facto fighting style for mixed martial arts and Thai-native newcomer Tony Jaa seeks to promote his tiny country's greatest commodity for a worldwide audience. But this is a Van Damme movie, first and foremost. True he's no great actor, but there's something about his work here that makes me want to watch "Kickboxer" again and again.

First things first, what is Muay Thai? As already stated, it's the national sport of Thailand, where the fighter will condition his body so that his arms and legs become weapons capable of delivering blows, kicks in particular, that are three times as powerful as that of any ordinary martial artist. He'll also use his feet, fists, shins, and elbows too. If one wants to go all out, two guys will get in a ring and have themselves a rope-fist fight, where the fighters' wrists are bound in rope and covered with broken glass. Isn't that mean and nasty?

To begin "Kickboxer," Van Damme is Kurt Sloane, brother of Eric (Dennis Alexio), the top kickboxer in the United States. Tiring of the generic competition of his native soil, he travels with brother Kurt to Bangkok, where he hopes to dethrone the current champ Tong Po (Michel Qissi), who has a reputation for fighting dirty. Kurt first sees this towering mountain of flesh and muscle kicking the hell out of a support beam in the locker room; that's the first clue to Kurt that Eric shouldn't get in the ring, but he's not listening.

And Eric fights anyway, against baby brother's warnings.

To make long stories short, Eric takes quite a beating in the ring but a series of illegal blows delivered after Kurt throws in the towel cripple Eric for life. So what went wrong? According to some sources, American Kickboxing is a watered-down form of Muay Thai, so it's no wonder Tong Po got the upper hand so quickly on Eric, who despite his excellent training and peak physical condition, only landed a few lucky punches on the towering fighter. Apparently, Muay Thai is strictly for street fighting, not something for refined martial artists like Kurt and Eric.

To teach Tong Po a lesson in humility, Kurt contacts American Winston Taylor (Haskell V. Anderson III) to seek out a venerated Thai master, Xian Chow (Dennis Chan), to learn the art of Muay Thai, and so the training begins. Kurt first puts aside his already-planted Karate training and strengthens his body, kicks tree stumps until the scar tissue prevents any kind of feeling aside from invincibility, learns a little about Asian spirituality, and even flirts with Chow's niece Mylee (Rochelle Ashana). What it all culminates in, of course, is a no-holds-barred "Rocky IV"-style showdown using the ancient rope-fists between Kurt and Tong Po.

As someone who knows next to nothing about Muay Thai (in fact, much of what I know comes from Wikipedia and the special features section of the "Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior" DVD), I found "Kickboxer" to still be quite entertaining. It's brutal stuff, really, so it's no wonder Muay Thai is gaining such greater notoriety in the United States. As Kurt Sloane, Van Damme is good (despite his acting limitations in showing emotions), his performance notwithstanding, and none of the other performers are really worth speaking of either, but Tong Po is a nasty villain and his one speaking line "You bleed like Mylee; Mylee good f**k" sends chills down the spine.

The fights are another thing and are what this feature co-directed by Mark DiSalle and David Worth seems to specialize in. The fights are spectacular (as with any martial arts movie that features Van Damme doing his trademark splits and 360-degree flying spin-kick), which does include one sequence where Kurt gets drunk, starts dancing, and takes on the patrons at a bar.

This "Kickboxer" - it's a kick, just don't let it "kick" you in the head too much with its lackadaisical script and lame-brain plotting.

7/10