The Quest (1996)

Chris embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery that spans the globe. Kidnapped and enslaved by gun smugglers, sold by pirates and thrust into the murky underworld of gambling and kickboxing,... See full summary »

Director:

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Writers:

Frank Dux (story), Jean-Claude Van Damme (story),

Stars:

Jean-Claude Van Damme, Roger Moore, James Remar

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean-Claude Van Damme	...	Christopher Dubois
Roger Moore	...	Lord Edgar Dobbs
James Remar	...	Maxie Devine
Janet Gunn	...	Carrie Newton
Jack McGee	...	Harry Smythe
Aki Aleong	...	Khao
Abdel Qissi	...	Khan (Mongolian Fighter)
Louis Mandylor	...	Riggi
Chang Ching Peng Chaplin	...	Master Tchi
Ryan Cutrona	...	Officer O'Keefe
Shane Meier	...	Red
Matt Lyon	...	Billy
Jen Sung	...	Phang (Siamese Fighter) (as Jen Sung Outerbridge)
Peter Wong	...	Chinese Fighter
Kitao Koji	...	Sumo Wrestler

Storyline

Chris embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery that spans the globe. Kidnapped and enslaved by gun smugglers, sold by pirates and thrust into the murky underworld of gambling and kickboxing, Chris' journey takes him to forbidding Muay Thai Island where deadly martial arts are taught, the colonial splendor of British East Asia, the dank back alleys of Bangkok, desolate deserts once trod by the warriors of Genghis Khan and finally, the ancient Lost City. There he must face the ultimate test of his manhood in the fabled Ghang-gheng, the ancient winner-take-all competition in which the deadliest fighters from around the world employ the most spectacular feats of martial arts skills ever displayed in order to win the prized Golden Dragon. But fighting prowess alone will not be enough for Chris to triumph over such daunting foes. He must reach deep inside and access all of the determination, strength of character and sense of selfless honor within in order to triumph over this final obstacle...

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Plot Keywords:

martial arts | island | kickboxing | muay thai | punched in the face | 

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Taglines:

A lost city, A man of destiny, A test of honor...

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for adventure violence and martial arts fights

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 April 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

A kalandor

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

ITL 802,553,000 (Italy) (15 November 1996)

Company Credits

Production Co:

MDP Worldwide, Selima Films AVV, Signature Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

DTS DTS-Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Van Damme's final fight against Kahn (Abdel Qissi) is the second time he's fought the same actor in the final fight in two unrelated movies. The first time was the movie A.W.O.L.: Absent Without Leave. The other actor he fought twice in a final fight was Bolo Yeung.

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Goofs

The fighter from Spain has the Albanian flag embodied in his belt. (The actor Pete Malota which plays the Spanish fighter is of Albanian origin.)

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Quotes

Khao: [to Chris after he failed to protect himself from an unexpected attack] Be ready at all times. You'll learn that or you'll never become a Myah Thai fighter.

User Reviews

Van Damme's effort as a director is a good surprise!

This film is Van Damme's first effort as director, and he is surprisingly good in his task!The Quest is, of course, a simple action film, but it has a lot of good intentions and the story, written by Van Damme, is good-hearted. The star plays Chris Dubois, a man who is saved by a group of mercenaries led by a smooth and charming thief (Roger Moore, who brings a little bit of comedy and softness to the story), and this guy takes Chris to the Lost City to fight in a highly dangerous tournament. The winner takes home a beautiful, enormous golden dragon. This isn't the best film of Van Damme's career, his best phase was with the Chinese directors (Hard Target, The Colony), but The Quest isn't a good film for those who want to see explosions, Van Damme blowing people's heads off and those kinds of thing. This is an adventure, the type of film that, if we were now ten years old, would love!you don't have violence, shootings and explosions, if you want to watch something like that rent Hellbound Hellraiser 2, this is a Raiders-of-the-Lost-Ark kind of film. If you want to give the movie a shot, try to forget your grown-up side and watch it as if you were ten years old again. Then you will love it!it's a simple, entertaining and very good movie!