The Great Challenge (2004)

Six parkour adepts open a gym in Bangkok. When the new gym starts to attract the area's kids, a local gang feels challenged. Their Eurasian leader Kien attacks the foreigners while they are training on a scaffold.

Director:

Julien Seri

Writers:

Bruno Guiblet (dialogue), Philippe Lyon (scenario & dialogue)

Stars:

Williams Belle, Châu Belle Dinh, Malik Diouf

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Williams Belle	...	Williams
Châu Belle Dinh	...	Kien (as Chau Belle)
Malik Diouf	...	Kenjee
Yann Hnautra	...	Yann
Guylain N'Guba-Boyeke	...	Yaguy (as Guylain)
Charles Perrière	...	Logan
Laurent Piemontesi	...	Léo
Elodie Yung	...	Tsu
Santi Sudaros	...	Kitano
Burt Kwouk	...	Wong
Ian Kay	...	Terry (as Ian Kay)
Charles Jarman	...	Johnny
Gary Stoner	...	Ned
Jason Hunjan	...	Un sportif anglais
Tony Christian	...	Un sportif anglais

Storyline

Six parkour adepts open a gym in Bangkok. When the new gym starts to attract the area's kids, a local gang feels challenged. Their Eurasian leader Kien attacks the foreigners while they are training on a scaffold.

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Plot Keywords:

parkour | yakuza | triads | tattoo | sword | 

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Taglines:

A Mortal Fighter. An Eternal Combat.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for martial arts violence

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site [France]

Country:

UK France Spain

Language:

French Japanese English

Release Date:

23 June 2004 (France)

Also Known As:

The Great Challenge

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,277,901

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dan Films, TF1 Films Production, UGC YM

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991)

User Reviews

It's rather bad.

Now, I may have had my expectations too high because the file read Les Fils du Vent, Yamakasi 2. I liked Yamakasi, even if I don't usually watch sport movies. As sports go, Free Running is pretty cool and the story and acrobatics of Yamakasi were very nice.

This movie lacks the story, the technical prowess and it's set in Bangkok, where just about everyone knows how to jump from buildings (in the movie, of course). To make the French athletes fight in the end and mix Free Running with martial arts seemed to me a very bad idea.

I could have liked this movie, though, if it weren't for the end. It's a mindless brawl where no one has any purpose in what they do. To make things worse, after this scene that seemed to be the end comes another, which practically voids the one before.

So if you are a movie lover or a Free Runner enthusiast, you will not be particularly pleased with this movie. And it has no other qualities.