Bloodsport Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1988

Bloodsport was one of Jean-Claude Van Damme's earliest films where he had the ample opportunity to showcase his martial arts skills and uncanny agility by playing Frank Dux, a U.S. soldier that heads to Hong Kong to partake in the kumite, a secret martial arts competition where the world's greatest fighters gather every five years and battle it out until only one is left standing.

Frank Dux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a soldier in the U.S. Army that sneaks away from his military base to travel to Hong Kong where he plans to enter the kumite, a secret martial arts competition steeped in tradition and testosterone. Every five years the world's deadliest fighters are invited to partake in this full-contact competition, where victory is achieved by one of two methods: knocking your opponent unconscious or making him scream the equivalent of "uncle!" Once in a while a fighter will even choose the unspoken third option: killing your opponent (though all "accidentally" I assure you!).

Hot on Dux's trail are agents Helmer (Norman Burton) and Rawlins (Forest Whitaker), who are both determined to locate Dux and take him back to the U.S. After all, "Uncle Sam has invested too much into you to allow you to get hurt."

Along the way he meets Ray Jackson (Donald Gibb), a bear of a man that is also representing the United States. Although Jackson is crass and wild whereas Dux is subdued and disciplined, the two strike up a deep friendship and watch each other's backs during the violent competition. Dux also crosses paths with Janice Kent (Leah Ayres), a beautiful reporter that wants to sneak into the mysterious competition so she can write a story on it.

The rest of Bloodsport sees sweaty and bloody men of all nationalities and fighting styles battling it out, though Chong Li (Bolo Yeung) is Dux's greatest adversary. Chong Li is the undefeated reigning kumite champ and an unstoppable maelstrom of destruction that has killed multiple opponents without any remorse.

This film is a perfect representation of a guilty pleasure; it's low budget (without really appearing so), extremely violent and yet undeniably compelling. Bloodsport is one of those films that a viewer will either love or hate – a term that is clichéd and often misapplied, but fits the shoe perfectly in this case.

The fight scenes are mesmerizing and feature a sizeable assortment of martial arts styles on display, ranging from orthodox karate fighters and kickboxers to wild street fighters and even a fellow that scampers around the floor like a monkey. What makes Bloodsport even more intriguing is that it was based on the true story of Frank Dux, a man that fought 329 matches from 1975 to 1980 and retired as the undefeated World Heavy Weight Full Contact Kumite Champion. In addition he holds the following world records:

So as wild and farfetched as Bloodsport appears at times, at least the source of its inspiration was equally so.

Not all is perfect about this film, of course. The acting, although acceptable enough overall, dives into the realms of mind-numbingly bad from time to time – particularly during flashback scenes where a young Frank is training with his deceased partner. Whoever chose the two kids for those flashback scenes needs to be smacked… hard… because they bring a new definition to the terms stilted, lifeless and repugnant. Hell, they make the Olsen twins' performances on the 80's sitcom Full House look like Marlon Brando quality work! Not surprisingly, they never acted again… thank goodness!

There are a couple technical gaffs to be found throughout the film; such as one where Frank Dux unleashes a series of missed kicks at the deadly Chong Li. Despite the fact that he missed his target each time and is getting the tar kicked out of him, Janice giggles like an idiot and cheers wildly as if Frank actually connected with his kicks or knocked his opponent out. Perhaps that scene was spliced into the film at the wrong time?

Here's a shocking trivia bit: Bolo Yeung was 50-years old when he made this movie! Take a look at the picture of him to the right holding a black bandana if you don't understand what is so amazing about this tidbit. The man was built like a brick house and could kick my ass ten times over without even breaking a sweat, yet he was old enough to be a grandfather! Perhaps there is something about Oriental living that's healthier for the body after all.

Despite its flaws, Bloodsport is an extremely cool martial arts film that has enough charisma to make it rise above its standard martial arts B-movie peers.

Movie rating: 8 stars

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Movie Sitemap
Ray Jackson & Frank Dux

Bloodsport

Bolo Yeung as Chong Li

Jean-Claude Van Damme

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