A cop goes undercover in Thailand to avenge his brother's death in this martial arts film.
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Title: The King of the Kickboxers (1990)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Loren Avedon | ... | Jake Donahue | |
| Richard Jaeckel | ... | Captain O'Day | |
| Don Stroud | ... | Anderson | |
| Billy Blanks | ... | Khan | |
| Sherrie Rose | ... | Molly | |
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William Long Jr. | ... | Big Boss (as William Long) |
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David Michael Sterling | ... | Mr. McKinney |
| Keith Cooke | ... | Prang | |
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Ong Soo Han | ... | Thasi (as Ong) |
| Jerry Trimble | ... | Drug Dealer | |
| Bruce Fontaine | ... | Dan Handel (as Bruce Richard Fontaine) | |
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Patrick Shuck | ... | Young Jake |
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John Kay | ... | Mr. Director |
| Michael Depasquale Jr. | ... | Sean Donahue | |
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Dean Harrington | ... | Radioman |
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
Kahn is a heavy weight kick-box champion, who often kills his opponents in front of the running camera, to sell it on video tape. Jake had to witness once how his brother was killed by him, and now has come for revenge. But first he has to improve his fighting skills; he asks Phang, the only person in the whole world who ever had Khan down on his back, to train him until he is a match for him. Written by Tom Zoerner <Tom.Zoerner@informatik.uni-erlangen.de>
Plot Keywords:
year 1981 | bangkok thailand | polaroid photo | auto rickshaw | roundhouse kick |Taglines:
In the Ring of Death, only one man can become king!Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated R for strong violence, and for language and sensuality | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Prang: What are you doing back here in Thailand?
Jake Donahue: [referring to Khan] You can help me. Teach me how to stop him.
Prang: [remembers his defeat at Khan's hands and is doubtful that he can help] What I have to offer, might not be enough.
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
Billy Blanks' portrayal of Khan in this film has officially been mentioned (by former Capcom R&D member James Goddard) as the inspiration for the Street Fighter character Dee Jay, who made his first appearance in Super Street Fighter II. See more »Goofs
At the end of the snuff movie shoot in the garage the actor being hoisted up on the meat hook changes from the bearded, brown haired actor to a dark haired clean shaven Chinese stuntman. See more »Quotes
[from trailer]Prang: What are you doing back here in Thailand?
Jake Donahue: [referring to Khan] You can help me. Teach me how to stop him.
Prang: [remembers his defeat at Khan's hands and is doubtful that he can help] What I have to offer, might not be enough.
See more »
It's an absolute shame that a movie this awesome isn't even available in print anymore, considering all of the other crap that is being re-released on DVD. It's also a shame that this movie, along with all of its contributors, have never received any notice (with the exception of Billy Blanks). And I'm being serious. Sure this is a b-movie, but how can anyone who's seen it overlook how much fun it is to watch? _The King of the Kickboxers_ is incredibly entertaining, and that's the whole point of any movie, with or without a compelling plot and acting.
Everything about this movie is awesome. The dialogue is corny and the acting is campy, but how can you complain? This just gives you something to laugh at. Most mainstream viewers will cringe at the poor acting and turn away from this movie, not even realizing that it can be funny.
Those people will then miss out on the incredible fighting scenes, which are quite frequent. There isn't a single movie out there with moves as cool as the ones here. You'd never expect to see stuff like this anywhere other than in your imagination, but somehow, the fighters managed to throw attacks at lighting speeds and launched multiple kicks in mid-air without landing (not even Michael Jordan gets this much hangtime)! All the scenes are fast-paced and beautifully coordinated, with camera angles that really get you into the action.
Even the limited music is excellent. It is not only pleasing to listen to, but effectively helps to set the mood of the scenes. It can give you a creepy feeling at times, and is best used in the final fight scene where the drum beat kicks in to get you into the mood of the action and later as it shifts to a triumphant tone, you can't help but cheer for the good guy as he makes his comeback victory.
And finally, the plot is perfect for this type of film--simple and limited. Most of the movie is dedicated to the action scenes, while plot developments painlessly interrupt to help support the characters so you can develop feelings about them. The whole movie had the feel of a video game. The protagonist battles through his enemies and works his way up to reach who is ultimately the bad guy and defeats him. The bad guy even has his own finishing move (an awesome one at that) that the good guy must look out for. This is all just like a video game; another reason why I love this movie!
This is by far the best fighting movie ever, and I've seen quite a few of them. And after serious consideration, I've concluded that this is one of the best movies ever made in any genre. Do whatever you can to see this movie. And if you've already seen this movie but hated it, do me and yourself a favor and watch it again, this time with my review in mind.