It was funnier, more commercial, but not necessarily more interesting, I imagined that this would be a Kickboxer sequel, but it's a remake ... nor Van Dame (always beautiful) saves... I liked the little dance at the end in honor of Van Dame... But very weak...
35 Reviews
great action and comeback film
wycherleyp-960-4706582 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
How is it that Hollywood writers and directors are able to make Dave bautista a dominant force yet when Dave had his last wwe run they made him look stupid???? Anyway kickboxer franchise returns as well as the original kickboxer Jean- Claude Van Damme, the story of a American muay Thai champion who against his brothers wishes goes to Thailand to fight their muay Thai champion Tong PO (bautista) during the fight tong PO kills Eric in front of watching brother Kurt. Kurt then vowels to get revenge and ends up at his brothers training master durand (van damme) There is some nice 80s touches with the classic training montage and overall its a good film with some excellent fight scenes. kickboxer vengeance is worth watching yeah its not gonna break any box office records but will still be a success with a great cast and homage to the original. Stay for the post credits as you don't want to miss the treat.
Reimagening
kosmasp16 February 2017
Ah well, once the student now the teacher. And it seems that JCVD is doing the transition with ease. Not so easy is our main actor here. Well unless you're saying he's easy pray for Bautistas character. But Bautista, who has proved to be phenomenal in Guardians of the Galaxy, does not have much to do here, apart from looking mean and fighting from time to time (in such a fashion that he does seem unbeatable).
Then you have Gina C. who is so underused it hurts as much as if she threw a punch in your face. At least then you'd know why you hurt though ... Seriously though, there are many things that are wrong with this movie, but if you came here to see people fight, there's been worse movies. The choreography may not be top notch, but it does fulfill all the requirements. We also get a female police something (she's investigating and stuff) as a love interest, who probably wonders why she took acting lessons ... anyway easy on the eyes and really not challenging (no pun intended), with very predictable turns ... (if IMDb is correct a sequel is supposed to come out in 2017 ... you can't wait either, right?)
Then you have Gina C. who is so underused it hurts as much as if she threw a punch in your face. At least then you'd know why you hurt though ... Seriously though, there are many things that are wrong with this movie, but if you came here to see people fight, there's been worse movies. The choreography may not be top notch, but it does fulfill all the requirements. We also get a female police something (she's investigating and stuff) as a love interest, who probably wonders why she took acting lessons ... anyway easy on the eyes and really not challenging (no pun intended), with very predictable turns ... (if IMDb is correct a sequel is supposed to come out in 2017 ... you can't wait either, right?)
Lol what is this?
matty_mushroom19832 April 2022
Dudes brother volunteers to an underground fight for a lot of money, but he dies (at the beginning).
So his brother seeks vengeance
I mean really?
Action was alright, a bit stylised for my liking and the whole thing was corny but idk good back ground stuff til the action happens.
So his brother seeks vengeance
I mean really?
Action was alright, a bit stylised for my liking and the whole thing was corny but idk good back ground stuff til the action happens.
Revenge story...
Thanos_Alfie11 February 2021
"Kickboxer: Vengeance" is an Action - Crime movie in which we watch a man going to Thailand to challenge a Muay Thai champion who defeated his brother. He wants to take revenge and he will do anything to succeed.
I did not have high expectations from this movie and I was not disappointed by it. It's an entertaining action movie with a very simple plot and nothing more. The direction which was made by John Stockwell, it was average but he succeeded on creating a good atmosphere with some action scenes that were full of suspense. Regarding the interpretations of the cast, both the interpretations of Alain Moussi who played as Kurt Sloane and Jean-Claude Van Damme who played as Master Durand were good and followed the classic relationship between a coach and an athlete. Finally, I have to say that "Kickboxer: Vengeance" is an average action movie that if you are a fan of this kind of movies I am sure that you will love it, otherwise you will feel that you wasted your time.
I did not have high expectations from this movie and I was not disappointed by it. It's an entertaining action movie with a very simple plot and nothing more. The direction which was made by John Stockwell, it was average but he succeeded on creating a good atmosphere with some action scenes that were full of suspense. Regarding the interpretations of the cast, both the interpretations of Alain Moussi who played as Kurt Sloane and Jean-Claude Van Damme who played as Master Durand were good and followed the classic relationship between a coach and an athlete. Finally, I have to say that "Kickboxer: Vengeance" is an average action movie that if you are a fan of this kind of movies I am sure that you will love it, otherwise you will feel that you wasted your time.
The Fight Scenes Are Excellent, The Story Is Not.
Vivekmaru455 November 2016
This is a standalone film meant as a homage to all the loyal fans of Jean Claude Van Damme, who starred in such cult martial art films like Bloodsport(1988), Kickboxer(1989), Lionheart(1990)and The Quest(1996).
The film stars Alain Moussi in his debut role as Kurt Sloane. This Kurt Sloane should not be confused with the one Van Damme played in the 1989 film Kickboxer. The only fact common with these two films is the fact that Kurt's brother was killed by Tong Po. The original Tong Po was played by actor Michel Qissi who is of Moroccan descent. In this new film, prominent W.W.E. wrestler David Michael "Dave" Bautista Jr. takes the character of Tong Po.
Van Damme plays the role of Muay Thai training instructor, the same role which was played by Hong Kong actor Dennis Chan in the 1989 film.
Verdict: the 1989 film had a very good plot. This film has a very simple and straightforward story. The part where Xian Chow trains Kurt in the traditional Muay Thai manner along with all the black humor thrown in, is lacking in this film. Haskell Vaughn Anderson III also played a prominent role in the 1989 film as Winston Taylor, the Vietnam war veteran who helped Kurt. In the new film there is no such character.
Though the fight scenes and fight choreography are top-notch, the fights are a hybrid of Kickboxing, Capoeira, Brazilian Jui-jitsu and mixed martial arts. The pure ancient technique of Muay Thai is lost. You should also know that there is a tradition Muay Thai dance done before a kickboxing fight(as done by Tong Po in the 1989 film when he fought Eric Sloane).
The film has some very soft sex scenes for adult viewers. Gina Joy Carano and Sara Malakul Lane are the only two prominent women in the film. Georges St-Pierre who is a mixed martial art legend makes a brief appearance in the film along with the late actor Darren Majian Shahlavi. This film is credited as being Darren Shahlavi's last starring role. At the end of the film when the end-credits role we see the words: "The producers wish to acknowledge the passing of Darren Shahlavi whose talent and hard work will be missed".
Though this new addition will never equal the original Kickboxer film, you should definitely watch it for the new generation of fight choreography and as a Van Damme fan, to pay homage to him for all the hard work he has done as a fight choreographer himself in his earlier films.
The film stars Alain Moussi in his debut role as Kurt Sloane. This Kurt Sloane should not be confused with the one Van Damme played in the 1989 film Kickboxer. The only fact common with these two films is the fact that Kurt's brother was killed by Tong Po. The original Tong Po was played by actor Michel Qissi who is of Moroccan descent. In this new film, prominent W.W.E. wrestler David Michael "Dave" Bautista Jr. takes the character of Tong Po.
Van Damme plays the role of Muay Thai training instructor, the same role which was played by Hong Kong actor Dennis Chan in the 1989 film.
Verdict: the 1989 film had a very good plot. This film has a very simple and straightforward story. The part where Xian Chow trains Kurt in the traditional Muay Thai manner along with all the black humor thrown in, is lacking in this film. Haskell Vaughn Anderson III also played a prominent role in the 1989 film as Winston Taylor, the Vietnam war veteran who helped Kurt. In the new film there is no such character.
Though the fight scenes and fight choreography are top-notch, the fights are a hybrid of Kickboxing, Capoeira, Brazilian Jui-jitsu and mixed martial arts. The pure ancient technique of Muay Thai is lost. You should also know that there is a tradition Muay Thai dance done before a kickboxing fight(as done by Tong Po in the 1989 film when he fought Eric Sloane).
The film has some very soft sex scenes for adult viewers. Gina Joy Carano and Sara Malakul Lane are the only two prominent women in the film. Georges St-Pierre who is a mixed martial art legend makes a brief appearance in the film along with the late actor Darren Majian Shahlavi. This film is credited as being Darren Shahlavi's last starring role. At the end of the film when the end-credits role we see the words: "The producers wish to acknowledge the passing of Darren Shahlavi whose talent and hard work will be missed".
Though this new addition will never equal the original Kickboxer film, you should definitely watch it for the new generation of fight choreography and as a Van Damme fan, to pay homage to him for all the hard work he has done as a fight choreographer himself in his earlier films.
unnecessary
talllwoood1327 August 2021
Did the people who bought the rights to make and more importantly the people who wrote this movie even see the first movie. It's not exactly a remake but at the same time with the title of the movie you'd expect it to be a sequel as let's face it who seriously watched Kickboxer 2 or any of them without JCVD while JCVD decided he would rather make bombs such as street fighter and Double Team. It really feels like they wanted it to be a remake but it isn't, yes there is a difference of Reboot and Remake but still it's too different and a lot of these modern cliches in movies today that are why a lot of movies from this era won't age well. It's like a direct for TV adaptation at best to the original movie it's like one of those lower budget Hallmark movies where almost everyone is pretty and or handsome. Sure not everyone is going to have seen the first Kickboxer movie from 1989 so they may think this is an original idea but the characters names are not even different. It would be like making a prequel to Rocky Balboa and making Sylvester be Mickey. The whole entire movie everyone will be calling Sly Rocky and not whoever they get to be Rocky.
The fights for the most part are pretty well done, there isn't just one or two. No this is kick boxer there is more than 3 or 4. Yet of course it's one of those YOU CAN DO IT movies so our hero has to lose a majority of the fights. There is a fine line between being Steven Seagal and this. Dave. Bautista.did a pretty good job he doesn't seem out of place but seriously why didn't they give him more of a back story saying he's the Tong Po from the original movies son or .. or .. hear me out, JCVD could have trained his son who has been in a lot of JCVD movies to fight Tong Po's son. That would have been much better than this nonsense. Sort of like what Sly did with Creed. They did a great job making Tong Po be hated.
The movie score is very mid to late 2000s which fits as it's when the movie was made but no iconic theme instead we get some forgetful rap song by I'm going to call the rapper "Biggie Dollar Stores" (not Biggie Smalls). There is no memorable chorus, no beat you'll have stuck in your head. Just someone talking good. Wow. I can listen to the odd hip hop song or two but that was just lazy. Was it one of the directors friends? A big rapper in Thailand who would do it for cheap? The person who scored the movie for the ambient and instrumental parts did a really poor job. It gives it this B movie at best feel.
The "Fighters" who are the brothers look more like underwear models or homosexual lovers than fighters. I didn't take them seriously at all. Tong Po would have destroyed him in a real fight. However I do admire how he goes to Tong Po for revenge first and he gets beaten and then goes to JCVD. Of course the hottest cop is there to help him and speaks English and of course... of course.. has to sleep with him. At least they are about the same age I'll give some credit where it's due.
There are some great shots of Thailand and the locations and choice of colors give the movie a nice look. This movie is like a pretty girl who is dumb if I was to describe it.
In the first scene JCVD seems out of place, tired and doesn't want to be there. I'm surprised he said yes to this movie considering for the longest time he didn't do sequels. This should have happened 20-25 years ago instead of now but instead we got about 7 sequels from that kickboxer series without JCVD. Of course JCVD trains Kurt in a way where a majority is just him punching bags, running up stairs and all himself. The closest to a sparring partner for the first bit of the movie is with his "girlfriend". JCVD won't take his stupid fedora and sunglasses off for a majority of the movie to the point you could take a shot every time he takes them off. It's like he's hiding his wrinkles and iconic forehead bump or is ashamed that he doesn't want to be known or seen that he's in the movie like he's embarrassed like NO DON'T LOOK AT ME. Is it just me or are there certain parts it seems JCVD is overdubbed? This gives me some Tommy Wiseau flower shop in The Room vibes. Especially in that He's just a man quote.
The only time besides the last fight and beating some defenseless cops up in a police station Kurt (the main character) does really well in is when he's fighting against what I jokingly refer to Thai-sis. This movie really reminded me of the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie for how often the hero loses fights.
It takes forever but our hero finally spars with someone with their clothes on. For some reason all the breaking stuff feels like a karate demonstration in some dive mall to get people to sign up where they break half sawn boards and all even a white belt could break. I don't understand the unnecessary scene where Kurt (the hero) is tied to a bed and it's essentially man on man bondage. For the most part i didn't understand why they rained with swords because it would be like training playing basketball to win the Stanley cup or something silly.
Kurt the main character in this movie looks so out of place. He looks too "every man". Too generic like something that comes out of a photo copier. He doesn't have that star look to him. After training which should have been a few months or so instead of what was like a one or two week Thai vacation you'd think he would look stronger and scarier but you can tell this movie they didn't take long to shoot or something. The love scene where you very briefly see "hot cops" boobs did they really have to do some cuts and secondary takes. I'd make some filthy jokes but yeah.
What kills me is the escape from Thai jail part. It's like some spiderman nonsense. Plus beating up all the cops? Yet by now Kurt won maybe 2 or 3 fights how are you confident in your pupil JCVD. Yet some reason he can escape from this place where even a 14 year old would know this is a bad idea. I'm surprised none of the Thai cops shot Kurt or JCVD. Why does he still have his stupid fedora in jail? Don't they remove his stuff? I guess the logic is oh yeah you're ready to fight Tong Po (JCVD signature laugh), you beat a bunch of tiny skinny cops up. Did he send the entire police force to the hospital?
I'll give the movie some credit the gore at the last fight was pretty good. Yet does the movie really need the guy speaking between rounds in the last big fight where it's clearly in Thailand with Thai people and the guy speaking to the crowd between fights speaks English. I guess this is fan service but still. Why the heck are Muay Thai people fighting with swords? This isn't Mortal Kombat. The only thing Kurt looks like he can take more than Tong Po is phallus. Anyone notice how Kurt couldn't even do a proper throw on Tong Po they just cut it. Plus those awful jump kicks. Though the ending was pretty satisfying. That's all I can really say without spoilers.
I do wonder how well the movie would be made if it was re-written and of course they didn't get Dave Bautista to be in it as I'm sure that is where at least 1/4 of the movies budget went. Would I see this again? No.
The fights for the most part are pretty well done, there isn't just one or two. No this is kick boxer there is more than 3 or 4. Yet of course it's one of those YOU CAN DO IT movies so our hero has to lose a majority of the fights. There is a fine line between being Steven Seagal and this. Dave. Bautista.did a pretty good job he doesn't seem out of place but seriously why didn't they give him more of a back story saying he's the Tong Po from the original movies son or .. or .. hear me out, JCVD could have trained his son who has been in a lot of JCVD movies to fight Tong Po's son. That would have been much better than this nonsense. Sort of like what Sly did with Creed. They did a great job making Tong Po be hated.
The movie score is very mid to late 2000s which fits as it's when the movie was made but no iconic theme instead we get some forgetful rap song by I'm going to call the rapper "Biggie Dollar Stores" (not Biggie Smalls). There is no memorable chorus, no beat you'll have stuck in your head. Just someone talking good. Wow. I can listen to the odd hip hop song or two but that was just lazy. Was it one of the directors friends? A big rapper in Thailand who would do it for cheap? The person who scored the movie for the ambient and instrumental parts did a really poor job. It gives it this B movie at best feel.
The "Fighters" who are the brothers look more like underwear models or homosexual lovers than fighters. I didn't take them seriously at all. Tong Po would have destroyed him in a real fight. However I do admire how he goes to Tong Po for revenge first and he gets beaten and then goes to JCVD. Of course the hottest cop is there to help him and speaks English and of course... of course.. has to sleep with him. At least they are about the same age I'll give some credit where it's due.
There are some great shots of Thailand and the locations and choice of colors give the movie a nice look. This movie is like a pretty girl who is dumb if I was to describe it.
In the first scene JCVD seems out of place, tired and doesn't want to be there. I'm surprised he said yes to this movie considering for the longest time he didn't do sequels. This should have happened 20-25 years ago instead of now but instead we got about 7 sequels from that kickboxer series without JCVD. Of course JCVD trains Kurt in a way where a majority is just him punching bags, running up stairs and all himself. The closest to a sparring partner for the first bit of the movie is with his "girlfriend". JCVD won't take his stupid fedora and sunglasses off for a majority of the movie to the point you could take a shot every time he takes them off. It's like he's hiding his wrinkles and iconic forehead bump or is ashamed that he doesn't want to be known or seen that he's in the movie like he's embarrassed like NO DON'T LOOK AT ME. Is it just me or are there certain parts it seems JCVD is overdubbed? This gives me some Tommy Wiseau flower shop in The Room vibes. Especially in that He's just a man quote.
The only time besides the last fight and beating some defenseless cops up in a police station Kurt (the main character) does really well in is when he's fighting against what I jokingly refer to Thai-sis. This movie really reminded me of the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie for how often the hero loses fights.
It takes forever but our hero finally spars with someone with their clothes on. For some reason all the breaking stuff feels like a karate demonstration in some dive mall to get people to sign up where they break half sawn boards and all even a white belt could break. I don't understand the unnecessary scene where Kurt (the hero) is tied to a bed and it's essentially man on man bondage. For the most part i didn't understand why they rained with swords because it would be like training playing basketball to win the Stanley cup or something silly.
Kurt the main character in this movie looks so out of place. He looks too "every man". Too generic like something that comes out of a photo copier. He doesn't have that star look to him. After training which should have been a few months or so instead of what was like a one or two week Thai vacation you'd think he would look stronger and scarier but you can tell this movie they didn't take long to shoot or something. The love scene where you very briefly see "hot cops" boobs did they really have to do some cuts and secondary takes. I'd make some filthy jokes but yeah.
What kills me is the escape from Thai jail part. It's like some spiderman nonsense. Plus beating up all the cops? Yet by now Kurt won maybe 2 or 3 fights how are you confident in your pupil JCVD. Yet some reason he can escape from this place where even a 14 year old would know this is a bad idea. I'm surprised none of the Thai cops shot Kurt or JCVD. Why does he still have his stupid fedora in jail? Don't they remove his stuff? I guess the logic is oh yeah you're ready to fight Tong Po (JCVD signature laugh), you beat a bunch of tiny skinny cops up. Did he send the entire police force to the hospital?
I'll give the movie some credit the gore at the last fight was pretty good. Yet does the movie really need the guy speaking between rounds in the last big fight where it's clearly in Thailand with Thai people and the guy speaking to the crowd between fights speaks English. I guess this is fan service but still. Why the heck are Muay Thai people fighting with swords? This isn't Mortal Kombat. The only thing Kurt looks like he can take more than Tong Po is phallus. Anyone notice how Kurt couldn't even do a proper throw on Tong Po they just cut it. Plus those awful jump kicks. Though the ending was pretty satisfying. That's all I can really say without spoilers.
I do wonder how well the movie would be made if it was re-written and of course they didn't get Dave Bautista to be in it as I'm sure that is where at least 1/4 of the movies budget went. Would I see this again? No.
An honest, powerful but cheesy remake of a 80s classic.
ShaskaRevolver14 July 2016
I went to the world premiere Fantasia festival of Kickboxer remake.
This is coming from a Van damme, 80s movie fan. And its all that matters.
The movie is dumb, cheesy to the core, but sill, fun, with good moments, good old fights and real homage to not only the 80s, but what Van dammme gave us.
Van damme made the movie. He has amazing moments, scenes and fight a lot. Alain Moussi the star is great, he is showing his abilities on screen, GSP, the legendary Georges St-pierre put something far more better than the Winter soldier character with now, real comedy, fighting etc. and all of all three working should be enough to enjoy kickboxer.
Goods is that, its fun, its put many tribute moments to the original movie. It has amazing cinematography (mostly the training scenes in thailand), good old 80s vibe that true fans will enjoy, and not be taken seriously. Mma fans will love the show of many ufc fighters.
Again, if you are younger, or never was in this old era, you won't enjoy it or understand it for what it is...
This is coming from a Van damme, 80s movie fan. And its all that matters.
The movie is dumb, cheesy to the core, but sill, fun, with good moments, good old fights and real homage to not only the 80s, but what Van dammme gave us.
Van damme made the movie. He has amazing moments, scenes and fight a lot. Alain Moussi the star is great, he is showing his abilities on screen, GSP, the legendary Georges St-pierre put something far more better than the Winter soldier character with now, real comedy, fighting etc. and all of all three working should be enough to enjoy kickboxer.
Goods is that, its fun, its put many tribute moments to the original movie. It has amazing cinematography (mostly the training scenes in thailand), good old 80s vibe that true fans will enjoy, and not be taken seriously. Mma fans will love the show of many ufc fighters.
Again, if you are younger, or never was in this old era, you won't enjoy it or understand it for what it is...
Bad review
lucandreoli2 August 2021
Do you like good action movies of 80's and 90's? Do you like Van Damme? OK, so don't watch this terrible movie. The plot, the actors, the music, everything is really bad and out of date compared to the splendors of the real "kickboxer".
Action Packed
nelsonnd2 September 2016
This movie was full of action. I was very emersed in the film, and before I knew it it was over. 90 minutes passed in a flash. As an avid JCVD fan, I have been looking forward to the release of this movie for months now. It was everything I hoped it would be, and more. Although JCVD has a smaller role in this film, I thought it was a cool idea to make him master Durand. His fight scenes put me in a place of nostalgia, as I flashed back to the original film. Werdum, Valasquez, St. Pierre and Bautista also had some great scenes. Their acting was average, but let's be real, they are world class athletes, not actors. It was nice to see a new face with Alain Moussi playing Kurt Sloan. He is very fit, and extremely Athletic. This film is your typical 2015 martial arts action film, and a must see! You can thank me later.
Best JCVD film in years!
A_Different_Drummer2 September 2016
... and unfortunately a hard film to review.
The paradox is that the film succeeds where it doesn't want to -- and doesn't succeed where it wants to.
For example, as an out-of-the-box version or re-imagining of KICKBOXER, it does not quite make it.
The problem is not the direction, or cinematography (gorgeous), or even the script.
The problem is the casting of the main character.
At no point in this movie does Alain Moussi ever actually give the impression that he is strong enough or fast enough or skilled enough to take out the bad guy.
Think about it. Imagine the Rocky films if Stallone has been unable to "sell" his potential to be a winner???
That was the bad news. The good news is that it was a delight to see JCVD back in front of the camera, playing a super-cool "trainer" and showing off perhaps the world's most dangerous 55 year old.
The difference between a true star and a wannabee is that JCVD not only steals his scenes, but actually gives the impression that HE could win a fight with the dreaded Tong Po, age or no age.
Other than that, the film is fun but forgettable.
Gina Carano is also oddly cast as a promoter who throws tantrums but never a punch.
George St. Pierre sort of haunts the film as an odd character we never really get to know. (If nothing else, these sorts of excursions give GSP a reason to learn English, and get paid for it.)
The love interest is played by an actress named T.J Storm who (I am guessing here) took the part for less money on the condition that the name of her on-screen character is also .... "Storm." A strange kind of advertising for future roles? Also very easy on the eyes, I hasten to add.
This film is no Warrior or Forbidden Kingdom. It is not going into the annals of MMA film history.
But overall not too bad.
The paradox is that the film succeeds where it doesn't want to -- and doesn't succeed where it wants to.
For example, as an out-of-the-box version or re-imagining of KICKBOXER, it does not quite make it.
The problem is not the direction, or cinematography (gorgeous), or even the script.
The problem is the casting of the main character.
At no point in this movie does Alain Moussi ever actually give the impression that he is strong enough or fast enough or skilled enough to take out the bad guy.
Think about it. Imagine the Rocky films if Stallone has been unable to "sell" his potential to be a winner???
That was the bad news. The good news is that it was a delight to see JCVD back in front of the camera, playing a super-cool "trainer" and showing off perhaps the world's most dangerous 55 year old.
The difference between a true star and a wannabee is that JCVD not only steals his scenes, but actually gives the impression that HE could win a fight with the dreaded Tong Po, age or no age.
Other than that, the film is fun but forgettable.
Gina Carano is also oddly cast as a promoter who throws tantrums but never a punch.
George St. Pierre sort of haunts the film as an odd character we never really get to know. (If nothing else, these sorts of excursions give GSP a reason to learn English, and get paid for it.)
The love interest is played by an actress named T.J Storm who (I am guessing here) took the part for less money on the condition that the name of her on-screen character is also .... "Storm." A strange kind of advertising for future roles? Also very easy on the eyes, I hasten to add.
This film is no Warrior or Forbidden Kingdom. It is not going into the annals of MMA film history.
But overall not too bad.
Best elephant cut out haha
mademoiselle_hayley26 November 2021
It's like Kickboxer, but done in a modern style with Chokehold (2019)-style flat line deliveries
tarbosh220008 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Kurt (Moussi) and Eric (Shahlavi) Sloane are Kick-Fighting brothers from Venice, CA. When Eric gets an invitation to go fight the infamous Tong Po (Bautista), the audience screams, "No, Eric! Don't do it!" But, of course, Eric flies to Thailand and ends up facing off against Mr. Po to tragic results. Naturally, Kurt follows because he wants KICKBOXER VENGEANCE. While in Thailand, he trains (and trains and trains and trains) with Master Durand (Van Damme), a mysterious Muay Thai master, as his name indicates. Of course, the Bangkok police are on to the illegal Punchfighting matches, and somehow Marcia (Carano) is involved in all this. Will Kurt Sloane avenge his brother by finally vanquishing Tong Po in the ring once and for all?
All of the above might seem a bit familiar to anyone who has seen the original Kickboxer (1989), which, presumably, is anyone reading this. Evidently, this takes place in a different Kickboxer universe than the first one, because Van Damme plays Durand, and Moussi plays Kurt Sloane. While director Stockwell does a good job with the technical aspects - the film is shot well, lit well, etc. - there really aren't too many surprises in store here, and the character development leaves a lot to be desired. That means that audience attention begins to flag around the halfway mark. It all feels like a slickly-done, but "Why?" run-through of classic Kickboxer moments.
As for our main hero, was he Joe Flanagan? Matthew Reese? John Krasinski? It's hard to tell. He seems to do well throughout all the extensive training sequences, but Van Damme looks like he was in shape too. He should have fought Tong Po. Or, if Po is as good as everyone keeps saying, how about a 2-on-1 fight with Durand, Sloane, and Tong Po? That would have been something new. But, no, the film doesn't do any twists or anything like that.
Dave Bautista, or David Bautista, as he's credited here, has very silly hair. Somehow trying to put classic Tong Po hair on his head just doesn't quite look the same. T. J. Storm is here, playing a guy named Storm, which was nice to see. Gina Carano is also on board, but she does no Martial Arts. Fans may be disappointed by that. She and director Stockwell worked together on In The Blood (2014), so maybe she had fun doing that and wanted to do a small role here. Who knows? But her not fighting was a missed opportunity.
The marketplace fight, the barfight, and the fact that one of Kurt's training exercises is to pull Durand around on a rickshaw are movie highlights. But truly the best was saved for last, because at the beginning of the end credits, we get a split screen with a clip of Van Damme doing his classic dance from the original Kickboxer on the right, and Alain Moussi imitating his moves on the left. That was probably the best part of the whole movie. Rather than save it for the end, they should have had Kurt Sloane find himself at a roadside diner in the middle of the film, where he then starts dancing. That might have improved things a bit.
In the end, if you always wanted to see Kickboxer, but really needed to see it done in a modern style with Chokehold (2019)-style flat line deliveries, this is really the movie for you. And where is Sasha Mitchell in all this?
All of the above might seem a bit familiar to anyone who has seen the original Kickboxer (1989), which, presumably, is anyone reading this. Evidently, this takes place in a different Kickboxer universe than the first one, because Van Damme plays Durand, and Moussi plays Kurt Sloane. While director Stockwell does a good job with the technical aspects - the film is shot well, lit well, etc. - there really aren't too many surprises in store here, and the character development leaves a lot to be desired. That means that audience attention begins to flag around the halfway mark. It all feels like a slickly-done, but "Why?" run-through of classic Kickboxer moments.
As for our main hero, was he Joe Flanagan? Matthew Reese? John Krasinski? It's hard to tell. He seems to do well throughout all the extensive training sequences, but Van Damme looks like he was in shape too. He should have fought Tong Po. Or, if Po is as good as everyone keeps saying, how about a 2-on-1 fight with Durand, Sloane, and Tong Po? That would have been something new. But, no, the film doesn't do any twists or anything like that.
Dave Bautista, or David Bautista, as he's credited here, has very silly hair. Somehow trying to put classic Tong Po hair on his head just doesn't quite look the same. T. J. Storm is here, playing a guy named Storm, which was nice to see. Gina Carano is also on board, but she does no Martial Arts. Fans may be disappointed by that. She and director Stockwell worked together on In The Blood (2014), so maybe she had fun doing that and wanted to do a small role here. Who knows? But her not fighting was a missed opportunity.
The marketplace fight, the barfight, and the fact that one of Kurt's training exercises is to pull Durand around on a rickshaw are movie highlights. But truly the best was saved for last, because at the beginning of the end credits, we get a split screen with a clip of Van Damme doing his classic dance from the original Kickboxer on the right, and Alain Moussi imitating his moves on the left. That was probably the best part of the whole movie. Rather than save it for the end, they should have had Kurt Sloane find himself at a roadside diner in the middle of the film, where he then starts dancing. That might have improved things a bit.
In the end, if you always wanted to see Kickboxer, but really needed to see it done in a modern style with Chokehold (2019)-style flat line deliveries, this is really the movie for you. And where is Sasha Mitchell in all this?
Bad movie, but watchable for the right reasons
CountJonnie25 January 2018
The movie is pretty bad. The story, acting, (lack of) development, etc. But this is the kind of "you get what you pay for" bad. You watch this movie probably because you grew up with Van Damme's first movies, and remember Tong Po as one of the first movie antagonists that actually gave you nightmares.
None of that charm is here. Van Damme is without inspiration and makes you wonder why people ever thought he was a dominant or flashy fighter. The charm is in the new Kurt Sloan, played by Alain Moussi. Not that he is a good actor, but he has a boyish charm, combined with true martial arts skills. The actual surprise however came in 2 forms. (1) Tong Po played by Bautista. That guy is for real, nuff said. And (2) the many cameos by todays real fighters who can be recognized if you're a fan of Glory Kickboxing and UFC.
Watch this movie like you would watch a remake of Mortal Kombat, or a remake of the Turtles. Therefor this is an acceptable remake of the original Kickboxer with a few nice worthy moments. Just don't expect anything from Van Damme, because those one or two slow kicks aren't worth staying awake for.
None of that charm is here. Van Damme is without inspiration and makes you wonder why people ever thought he was a dominant or flashy fighter. The charm is in the new Kurt Sloan, played by Alain Moussi. Not that he is a good actor, but he has a boyish charm, combined with true martial arts skills. The actual surprise however came in 2 forms. (1) Tong Po played by Bautista. That guy is for real, nuff said. And (2) the many cameos by todays real fighters who can be recognized if you're a fan of Glory Kickboxing and UFC.
Watch this movie like you would watch a remake of Mortal Kombat, or a remake of the Turtles. Therefor this is an acceptable remake of the original Kickboxer with a few nice worthy moments. Just don't expect anything from Van Damme, because those one or two slow kicks aren't worth staying awake for.
This made me appreciate the old one more
joost-de-haan20 July 2021
The story is thin, but they've made it work poorly in this movie, making the short film feel long. Flashbacks in a fairly uneventful 90 minutes: why.
The slow motions and multiple camera angles instant replays do more bad than good for the fights.
The fake elephant bits were hilariously bad.
At least JCVD seems to be having some fun, and Bautista is cool, but I'm not invested in the main character at all.
The credits are the best thing about this movie.
The slow motions and multiple camera angles instant replays do more bad than good for the fights.
The fake elephant bits were hilariously bad.
At least JCVD seems to be having some fun, and Bautista is cool, but I'm not invested in the main character at all.
The credits are the best thing about this movie.
Adequate Martial Arts Slugfest
stevendbeard3 September 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I saw "Kickboxer:Vengeance" starring, Jean-Claude Van Damme-The Expendables 2, The Universal Soldier movies; David Bautista-Spectre, Riddick; Gina Carano-Deadpool, Haywire and Alain Moussi-a stuntman that was in Pompeii, White House Down.
This is a reboot of the Kickboxer franchise-there is another movie already set for 2017. The original 1989 Kickboxer movie starred Jean- Claude as Kurt Sloane. There have been several sequels-about 5, I think, but don't quote me on it-but Jean-Claude did not appear in any of them. In this reboot, Alain plays Kurt Sloane and Jean-Claude plays his trainer. David plays the villain, an unbeatable Muay Thai fighter that has set up shop in Thailand. Alain has an older brother that is offered $200,000 to fight David in an illegal fight. Gina is the fight promoter and surprisingly, she does not have any fight scenes in the whole movie- I kept waiting for her to cut loose on someone but it did not happen. Anyway, Alain's brother dies in the fight and Alain decides to extract some vengeance on David by training with Jean-Claude and then facing David in the arena. I know, the plot is not too original but the movie is an adequate martial arts slugfest. If you are a fan of the 80's & 90's martial arts movies-the ones of Jean-Claude & Steven Segal-you should enjoy this one but be quick if you are going to see it in theaters. In my area, it is only showing at one theater and it only has one showing per day! It's rated "R" for violence and sexual content-including nudity-and has a running time of 1 hour & 30 minutes. I enjoyed it enough that I would buy it on DVD.
This is a reboot of the Kickboxer franchise-there is another movie already set for 2017. The original 1989 Kickboxer movie starred Jean- Claude as Kurt Sloane. There have been several sequels-about 5, I think, but don't quote me on it-but Jean-Claude did not appear in any of them. In this reboot, Alain plays Kurt Sloane and Jean-Claude plays his trainer. David plays the villain, an unbeatable Muay Thai fighter that has set up shop in Thailand. Alain has an older brother that is offered $200,000 to fight David in an illegal fight. Gina is the fight promoter and surprisingly, she does not have any fight scenes in the whole movie- I kept waiting for her to cut loose on someone but it did not happen. Anyway, Alain's brother dies in the fight and Alain decides to extract some vengeance on David by training with Jean-Claude and then facing David in the arena. I know, the plot is not too original but the movie is an adequate martial arts slugfest. If you are a fan of the 80's & 90's martial arts movies-the ones of Jean-Claude & Steven Segal-you should enjoy this one but be quick if you are going to see it in theaters. In my area, it is only showing at one theater and it only has one showing per day! It's rated "R" for violence and sexual content-including nudity-and has a running time of 1 hour & 30 minutes. I enjoyed it enough that I would buy it on DVD.
Oh the 90s,,, where did you go?
reddiemurf816 November 2022
This movie is a remake of the 1990 film titled: Kickboxer (starring the muscles from Brussels, Jean-Claude Van Damme). Which I, and many youngins like myself saw way too many times and then wanted to mimic. So, we all went and learned some form of martial arts
(I learned Taekwondo).
Fast forward 25+ yrs, and it's time for a remake,, yay,,,
This storyline follows similar to the original in that Kurt and his older brother Eric Sloane are both kickboxers. Eric is a champion, and Kurt trains with him in his shadow.
Eric gets an offer to fight a Thai champion in this movie as well, however,, he is killed in the fight rather than being disabled as he was in the original.
Kurt vows revenge, and goes to Thailand to train with Eric's trainer. Eventually he fights the Thai champion (Tong Po).
Aside from cool fight scenes, we also see MMA stars George St-Pierre and Cain Velasquez make appearances in the film.
JCVD brings much needed star power as both Kurt and Eric's trainer, Durand.
This movie was also a good vehicle to give Batista and Gina Carano starring roles as they both began their acting careers after retiring from their sports fields (pro wrestling and MMA). Batista has gone on to become the lovable Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, and Gina Carano has found success in several roles.
Would I say this is a good remake? No.
Is it a good movie? Not really.
Is it enjoyable enough if you want to turn off your brainand watch an action flick? Yeah. Absolutely. Both this one and it's sequel are in the same boat in the category. I'd just say they're both no more than a 5.5 rating imo. Not good,, but enjoyable enough if you're in the mood to watch.
Fast forward 25+ yrs, and it's time for a remake,, yay,,,
This storyline follows similar to the original in that Kurt and his older brother Eric Sloane are both kickboxers. Eric is a champion, and Kurt trains with him in his shadow.
Eric gets an offer to fight a Thai champion in this movie as well, however,, he is killed in the fight rather than being disabled as he was in the original.
Kurt vows revenge, and goes to Thailand to train with Eric's trainer. Eventually he fights the Thai champion (Tong Po).
Aside from cool fight scenes, we also see MMA stars George St-Pierre and Cain Velasquez make appearances in the film.
JCVD brings much needed star power as both Kurt and Eric's trainer, Durand.
This movie was also a good vehicle to give Batista and Gina Carano starring roles as they both began their acting careers after retiring from their sports fields (pro wrestling and MMA). Batista has gone on to become the lovable Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy, and Gina Carano has found success in several roles.
Would I say this is a good remake? No.
Is it a good movie? Not really.
Is it enjoyable enough if you want to turn off your brainand watch an action flick? Yeah. Absolutely. Both this one and it's sequel are in the same boat in the category. I'd just say they're both no more than a 5.5 rating imo. Not good,, but enjoyable enough if you're in the mood to watch.
I kind of like how campy it is.
Hellmant2 December 2016
'KICKBOXER: VENGEANCE': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
A reboot/remake to the 1989 cult classic martial arts flick, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme returns to play the central character's mentor, while stuntman (turned martial arts actor) Alain Moussi stars in the film, as Kurt Sloane (the role that Van Damme played in the original movie). The story is once again about kick boxer Kurt Sloane wanting revenge for his brother's brutal beating, at the hands of a lethal Muay Thai champion. The film also costars WWE star (turned actor) Dave Bautista, Gina Carano (a former MMA star, turned actress), Georges St-Pierre (a former MMA star, turned actor), Sara Malakul Lane (a Thai model, turned actress) and the late Darren Shahlavi (a former stuntman, turned late martial arts actor). It was directed by actor, turned director, John Stockwell; who's directed such other B-movie cult classics as 'BLUE CRUSH', 'INTO THE BLUE' and 'IN THE BLOOD' (also starring Carano). The script was written by Dimitri Logothetis (who also co-wrote and directed the 2014 martial arts flick 'WINGS OF THE DRAGON'; also starring Moussi), and first time screenwriter Jim McGrath. The film received a direct to Video on Demand (and select indie theaters) release, and it's received mixed reviews from fans. Although it's extremely cheesy, I enjoyed it.
After winning the World Karate Championship, Eric Sloane (Shahlavi) accepts a generously paid offer to travel to Thailand; and compete in an underground fight there. Eric's brother Kurt (Moussi) is extremely worried about the fight, and he attempts to talk his brother out of it. After Eric doesn't listen to him, Kurt travels to Thailand to watch the fight; and he arrives just in time to see his brother brutally murdered (in the fight) by his merciless opponent Tong Po (Bautista). Kurt then wants revenge, and he asks his brother's mentor there, Master Durand (Van Damme), to train him. Durand reluctantly agrees.
The movie is pretty amateurish and cheesy; I'm actually amazed it was funded with a $17 million budget. Stockwell has made much better looking films than this, and so have several of the actors (Van Damme, Bautista, Carano, etc.). Still it is a great homage to the very cheesy, and extremely amateurish, original (which I'm a big fan of); and it's great that they got Van Damme to finally come back to the series (which has spawned multiple other sequels before this). I kind of wish it would have been more professionally made, but I also kind of like how campy it is. I enjoyed it.
Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GhHTPB4y30
A reboot/remake to the 1989 cult classic martial arts flick, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Van Damme returns to play the central character's mentor, while stuntman (turned martial arts actor) Alain Moussi stars in the film, as Kurt Sloane (the role that Van Damme played in the original movie). The story is once again about kick boxer Kurt Sloane wanting revenge for his brother's brutal beating, at the hands of a lethal Muay Thai champion. The film also costars WWE star (turned actor) Dave Bautista, Gina Carano (a former MMA star, turned actress), Georges St-Pierre (a former MMA star, turned actor), Sara Malakul Lane (a Thai model, turned actress) and the late Darren Shahlavi (a former stuntman, turned late martial arts actor). It was directed by actor, turned director, John Stockwell; who's directed such other B-movie cult classics as 'BLUE CRUSH', 'INTO THE BLUE' and 'IN THE BLOOD' (also starring Carano). The script was written by Dimitri Logothetis (who also co-wrote and directed the 2014 martial arts flick 'WINGS OF THE DRAGON'; also starring Moussi), and first time screenwriter Jim McGrath. The film received a direct to Video on Demand (and select indie theaters) release, and it's received mixed reviews from fans. Although it's extremely cheesy, I enjoyed it.
After winning the World Karate Championship, Eric Sloane (Shahlavi) accepts a generously paid offer to travel to Thailand; and compete in an underground fight there. Eric's brother Kurt (Moussi) is extremely worried about the fight, and he attempts to talk his brother out of it. After Eric doesn't listen to him, Kurt travels to Thailand to watch the fight; and he arrives just in time to see his brother brutally murdered (in the fight) by his merciless opponent Tong Po (Bautista). Kurt then wants revenge, and he asks his brother's mentor there, Master Durand (Van Damme), to train him. Durand reluctantly agrees.
The movie is pretty amateurish and cheesy; I'm actually amazed it was funded with a $17 million budget. Stockwell has made much better looking films than this, and so have several of the actors (Van Damme, Bautista, Carano, etc.). Still it is a great homage to the very cheesy, and extremely amateurish, original (which I'm a big fan of); and it's great that they got Van Damme to finally come back to the series (which has spawned multiple other sequels before this). I kind of wish it would have been more professionally made, but I also kind of like how campy it is. I enjoyed it.
Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GhHTPB4y30
A refreshing delight of a disappearing Genre
danielsiouffi25 May 2018
WHILE THE MOVIE MIGHT NOT GIVE AS MUCH AS AN IMPACT AS THE ORIGINAL, I FOUND MYSELF WATCHING THIS NEW VERSION IN DELIGHT. Alain Moussi shows his talent and lives up to his Martial prowess. JCVD playing the new mentor is also a delight, although doesn't give the same feel as the original's local Master. I agree to this change because it has already been done. Dave Bautista plays Tong Po and offers a new and physically tougher version of a once feared enemy fighter.
All in all this movie is a refreshing view to a genre that is slowly disappearing from the world of Cinema.
But I will always welcome this Genre back as it shows the viewers the importance of training, improving, working and learning. All these which is sorely lacking in todays Movies.
"You wake up at 5, no coffee breaks"
ExpendableMan14 December 2020
The original 'Kickboxer' is a minor classic of 80s martial arts cinema, but truth be told it has aged. It helped cement Jean-Claude Van Damme as a star and did kickstart a mini DTV franchise, but watch it now and there's surprisingly little fighting. The emphasis is mainly on the gruelling training sequences and the physical abilities of the lead, but it does come across a bit like it was riding the coat tails of 'Rocky' and other bigger, better films.
Flash forward to 2016 and we get this, the remake-slash-reboot. And while the word "remake" is anathema to some movie goers, 'Kickboxer: Vengeance' is pretty good. It won't usurp the original's classic status and again, it's not as good as other similar films (hello 'Warrior'). It is however a solid ninety minute MMA actioner, with loads more fighting than its parent. It's flawed and there are wrinkles that could have been ironed out, but for the most part 'Kickboxer: Vengeance' does a really decent job at updating the series.
The film tells the story of Kurt Sloane (Alain Moussi, 'V-Wars,' 'Jiu-Jitsu'), younger brother of celebrated fighter Eric Sloane (Darren Shahlavi, 'Ip Man 2,' 'Mortal Kombat Legacy'). When Eric is killed in an underground fight in Thailand, he sets off on a mission of revenge against Eric's killer, the towering Tong-Po (Dave Bautista, 'Guardians Of The Galaxy,' 'Spectre'). Faced with threats from Tong-Po's cult-like following and clearly no match for the giant, Kurt turns to Eric's trainer Durand to help get him in shape, leading to a hefty amount of fisticuffs and tremendous physical pain.
And it's one the films biggest strengths that Durand is played by none other than JCVD himself. Van Damme has quietly been building a reputation as an underrated actor this past decade, from his sarcastic villain of 'The Expendables 2' to the mysterious, Colonel Kurtz figure of the last 'Universal Soldier' movie, but here he really steals the show. He's clearly having a lot of fun playing a wise old bad ass; you wind up believing that he'd be the type of mentor to get kids to throw coconuts at his student for fun, or throw them into a surprise bar fight to test their skills. Additionally, despite being in his fifties, Van Damme can still throw down. He gets in several brawls of his own during the run time and looks like he could take on Tong-Po himself.
Alain Moussi meanwhile is likeable enough as the lead, but he's here for one thing and one thing only; spinning through the air and kicking people in the head. He gets in several impressive scraps but the film saves the best to last. His climactic three-round fight with Tong-Po is to put it mildly, awesome. Surrounded by a baying, blood-thirsty crowd, the two engage in a violent and extremely painful looking fight. Claret flies, glass gets taped to their hands and swords come into play for an epic scrap that lasts for ages and could only be more macho if a Predator turned up. The choreography is top notch and by the end, both guys look like they've been dragged through hell.
Like I said though, there are problems. The storytelling relies on an extended flashback, but it's not obvious where it ends and this is a little disorientating. Gina Carano's casting as an unscrupulous fight promoter is odd too. She's perfectly capable of handling the role, but seeing a highly regarded pro-fighter in a movie like this and doing no fighting is jarring, plus it hints that George St. Pierres' role as a booze-loving, penniless fighter will be a significant secondary character, but he doesn't really do much. Either it wasn't fully thought out or half his scenes wound up on the cutting room floor.
Not perfect then, but as it clocks in at a brisk ninety minutes and features one utterly jaw-dropping smackdown as a finale, 'Kickboxer: Vengeance' is definitely worth a watch. The plot is cliched, but the lead is a nice lad, the villain is an intimidating monster and Van Damme is having a whale of a time. This remake works.
Flash forward to 2016 and we get this, the remake-slash-reboot. And while the word "remake" is anathema to some movie goers, 'Kickboxer: Vengeance' is pretty good. It won't usurp the original's classic status and again, it's not as good as other similar films (hello 'Warrior'). It is however a solid ninety minute MMA actioner, with loads more fighting than its parent. It's flawed and there are wrinkles that could have been ironed out, but for the most part 'Kickboxer: Vengeance' does a really decent job at updating the series.
The film tells the story of Kurt Sloane (Alain Moussi, 'V-Wars,' 'Jiu-Jitsu'), younger brother of celebrated fighter Eric Sloane (Darren Shahlavi, 'Ip Man 2,' 'Mortal Kombat Legacy'). When Eric is killed in an underground fight in Thailand, he sets off on a mission of revenge against Eric's killer, the towering Tong-Po (Dave Bautista, 'Guardians Of The Galaxy,' 'Spectre'). Faced with threats from Tong-Po's cult-like following and clearly no match for the giant, Kurt turns to Eric's trainer Durand to help get him in shape, leading to a hefty amount of fisticuffs and tremendous physical pain.
And it's one the films biggest strengths that Durand is played by none other than JCVD himself. Van Damme has quietly been building a reputation as an underrated actor this past decade, from his sarcastic villain of 'The Expendables 2' to the mysterious, Colonel Kurtz figure of the last 'Universal Soldier' movie, but here he really steals the show. He's clearly having a lot of fun playing a wise old bad ass; you wind up believing that he'd be the type of mentor to get kids to throw coconuts at his student for fun, or throw them into a surprise bar fight to test their skills. Additionally, despite being in his fifties, Van Damme can still throw down. He gets in several brawls of his own during the run time and looks like he could take on Tong-Po himself.
Alain Moussi meanwhile is likeable enough as the lead, but he's here for one thing and one thing only; spinning through the air and kicking people in the head. He gets in several impressive scraps but the film saves the best to last. His climactic three-round fight with Tong-Po is to put it mildly, awesome. Surrounded by a baying, blood-thirsty crowd, the two engage in a violent and extremely painful looking fight. Claret flies, glass gets taped to their hands and swords come into play for an epic scrap that lasts for ages and could only be more macho if a Predator turned up. The choreography is top notch and by the end, both guys look like they've been dragged through hell.
Like I said though, there are problems. The storytelling relies on an extended flashback, but it's not obvious where it ends and this is a little disorientating. Gina Carano's casting as an unscrupulous fight promoter is odd too. She's perfectly capable of handling the role, but seeing a highly regarded pro-fighter in a movie like this and doing no fighting is jarring, plus it hints that George St. Pierres' role as a booze-loving, penniless fighter will be a significant secondary character, but he doesn't really do much. Either it wasn't fully thought out or half his scenes wound up on the cutting room floor.
Not perfect then, but as it clocks in at a brisk ninety minutes and features one utterly jaw-dropping smackdown as a finale, 'Kickboxer: Vengeance' is definitely worth a watch. The plot is cliched, but the lead is a nice lad, the villain is an intimidating monster and Van Damme is having a whale of a time. This remake works.
David Versus Goliath with JCVD
zardoz-138 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Director John Stockwell, who helmed the South American horror chiller "Turistas" (2006) and pulpy police procedural "Countdown" (2016), has done a competent job at orchestrating the action in the exotic but derivative David versus Goliath, straight-to-video, sequel "Kickboxer: Vengeance," with Alain Moussi, Dave Bautista, and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Indeed, this muscular martial arts melodrama lives up to its tell-all-title because it concerns revenge. Incredibly, its sixteen executive producers have done a commendable job of paying tribute to the 1989 original that Mark DiSalle & David Worth co-directed from a script by Glenn A. Bruce based on a story by Jean-Claude Van Damme and DiSalle. Two actors from the first "Kickboxer" show up for the shenanigans, but they don't reprise their vintage roles. Veteran martial arts thespian Jean-Claude Van Damme has a supporting role, but you get to see more than enough of the Muscles from Brussels as he trains the inexperienced hero and indulges in a little kickboxing himself. The main villain Tong Po in the Van Dame saga, Michel Qissi appears briefly but memorably as an anonymous prisoner in a jail cell adjacent to the one occupied by Van Damme and Alain Moussi as the new Kurt Sloane. Meantime, a laconic Dave Bautista of "Spectre" is appropriately cast as the pitiless Tong Po, and he gets on the wrong side of heroic Alain Moussi when he kills his brother at an illegal, underground fight in Bangkok. Moussi's Kurt Sloane watches incredulously as his older brother perishes in Tong Po's malevolent clutches, and the memory of Eric's tragic demise haunts him. In a sense, "Kickboxer: Vengeance" amounts to the equivalent of the championship boxing film "Creed" where Rocky Balboa trained a talented pugilist. Van Damme trains Alain Moussi to do what he did back in 1989 in "Kickboxer."
"Kickboxer: Vengeance" unfolds with Kurt hammering his fist on the door of Tong Po's martial arts compound in Thailand. He hopes that he can persuade Po to teach him. After he watches Kurt's skill in two scraps with his students, Po allows him to join his students. Later, under cover of darkness, Kurt sneaks inside Po's house and thrusts an automatic pistol into Po's face. Po has no way to defend himself under the circumstances. Unfortunately, Kurt cannot summon the nerve to squeeze the trigger and dispatch this evil dastard in cold blood at point blank range. Po disarms Kurt with ease and treats him like a punching bag. He leaves Kurt in an unconscious pile for the local authorities to haul off to jail. Primarily, our protagonist spends the reminder of the lean, mean 80 minutes of "Kickboxer: Vengeance" preparing for a face-off with Tong Po under the same conditions that surrounded his brother's bout. At this point, Stockwell flashes the narrative back to three months earlier in Venice, California, when things looked rosier for the brothers Sloane. Not a fan of these brief wrinkles in the chronology, I can understand why Stockwell and company wanted to exploit a different time frame and setting to heighten the heroics. Stuntman-turned-actor Alain Moussi is likable as Kurt Sloane, a role that elevated Jean-Claude Van Damme to international fame and stardom. MMA star Gina Carano of "In the Blood" appears in a cameo as the deceptive siren Marcia and convinces Kurt's older brother Eric (Darren Shahlavi of "Watchmen") to come to Thailand and compete with the undefeated Master of Muay Thai—Tong Po. She hands Eric an envelope stuffed with $200-thousand dollars in cash for simply showing up. Eric is so swollen by his own success as the newly christened Global Karate Champ that he believes he can topple the invincible Po. Later, we learn that Marcia has been in cahoots with Po. Kurt advises Eric to reject Marcia's appetizing offer. Kurt isn't any too happy with Marcia after he watches his poor brother perish in the ring. He reserves some of his rage for Erik's trainer, Master Durand (Jean-Claude Van Damme of "Kickboxer"), but Durand shows Kurt how erroneous he is about him. This occurs after Po's henchmen fail to kill Kurt and a female Bangkok detective investigating Po's illegal fights. Jean-Claude Van Damme probably delivers one of his better performances simply by donning a fedora and wearing sunglasses. Reluctantly, Durand trains Kurt so that the latter can survive with Po in the arena and avenge his brother. The training sequences are just what you'd expect from this atmospheric athletic outing. Mind you, the close-quarters Muay Thai combat isn't as acrobatic as the gymnastic gyrations that Tony Jaa staged in his "Ong-Bak" trilogy. A showdown between Kurt and several of Po's henchmen on a city street atop elephants seems suspiciously phony. Stockwell looks like he used fake elephants so the actors to could fight in the closer shots. The climactic clash between Po and Kurt generates one strong memorable moment. Had the remainder of this yarn been as imaginative, "Kickboxer: Vengeance" would have been significantly better. When hero and villain clash during the climactic double-sword fight, a sword winds up impaled in the chain-link fence between them. Stockwell milks this scene for every shred of suspense. Of course, we know who will bite it, but the struggle looks challenging.
"Kickboxer: Vengeance" lacks the brutality of "Turistas." The martial arts choreography is serviceable without being scintillating. This solid, swiftly-paced 90-minute opus qualifies as standard-issue stuff, enlivened by several professional fighters and exotic locales. The training scenes are suitably energetic and sometimes amusing. Watching JCVD smashing airborne coconuts with his elbows is funny. Jean Claude still looks in superb shape. Finally, we--or maybe just I--know now how Van Damme perfected his singular butt-split. Moussi teeters on two floating bamboo platforms and clings to a rope strung across a small pool. Bautista registers as a formidable villain, and his body art is impressive. Nobody in the cast looks out of place. Far from objectionable, the rugged but predictable "Kickboxer: Vengeance" shouldn't affront aficionados of the original "Kickboxer."
"Kickboxer: Vengeance" unfolds with Kurt hammering his fist on the door of Tong Po's martial arts compound in Thailand. He hopes that he can persuade Po to teach him. After he watches Kurt's skill in two scraps with his students, Po allows him to join his students. Later, under cover of darkness, Kurt sneaks inside Po's house and thrusts an automatic pistol into Po's face. Po has no way to defend himself under the circumstances. Unfortunately, Kurt cannot summon the nerve to squeeze the trigger and dispatch this evil dastard in cold blood at point blank range. Po disarms Kurt with ease and treats him like a punching bag. He leaves Kurt in an unconscious pile for the local authorities to haul off to jail. Primarily, our protagonist spends the reminder of the lean, mean 80 minutes of "Kickboxer: Vengeance" preparing for a face-off with Tong Po under the same conditions that surrounded his brother's bout. At this point, Stockwell flashes the narrative back to three months earlier in Venice, California, when things looked rosier for the brothers Sloane. Not a fan of these brief wrinkles in the chronology, I can understand why Stockwell and company wanted to exploit a different time frame and setting to heighten the heroics. Stuntman-turned-actor Alain Moussi is likable as Kurt Sloane, a role that elevated Jean-Claude Van Damme to international fame and stardom. MMA star Gina Carano of "In the Blood" appears in a cameo as the deceptive siren Marcia and convinces Kurt's older brother Eric (Darren Shahlavi of "Watchmen") to come to Thailand and compete with the undefeated Master of Muay Thai—Tong Po. She hands Eric an envelope stuffed with $200-thousand dollars in cash for simply showing up. Eric is so swollen by his own success as the newly christened Global Karate Champ that he believes he can topple the invincible Po. Later, we learn that Marcia has been in cahoots with Po. Kurt advises Eric to reject Marcia's appetizing offer. Kurt isn't any too happy with Marcia after he watches his poor brother perish in the ring. He reserves some of his rage for Erik's trainer, Master Durand (Jean-Claude Van Damme of "Kickboxer"), but Durand shows Kurt how erroneous he is about him. This occurs after Po's henchmen fail to kill Kurt and a female Bangkok detective investigating Po's illegal fights. Jean-Claude Van Damme probably delivers one of his better performances simply by donning a fedora and wearing sunglasses. Reluctantly, Durand trains Kurt so that the latter can survive with Po in the arena and avenge his brother. The training sequences are just what you'd expect from this atmospheric athletic outing. Mind you, the close-quarters Muay Thai combat isn't as acrobatic as the gymnastic gyrations that Tony Jaa staged in his "Ong-Bak" trilogy. A showdown between Kurt and several of Po's henchmen on a city street atop elephants seems suspiciously phony. Stockwell looks like he used fake elephants so the actors to could fight in the closer shots. The climactic clash between Po and Kurt generates one strong memorable moment. Had the remainder of this yarn been as imaginative, "Kickboxer: Vengeance" would have been significantly better. When hero and villain clash during the climactic double-sword fight, a sword winds up impaled in the chain-link fence between them. Stockwell milks this scene for every shred of suspense. Of course, we know who will bite it, but the struggle looks challenging.
"Kickboxer: Vengeance" lacks the brutality of "Turistas." The martial arts choreography is serviceable without being scintillating. This solid, swiftly-paced 90-minute opus qualifies as standard-issue stuff, enlivened by several professional fighters and exotic locales. The training scenes are suitably energetic and sometimes amusing. Watching JCVD smashing airborne coconuts with his elbows is funny. Jean Claude still looks in superb shape. Finally, we--or maybe just I--know now how Van Damme perfected his singular butt-split. Moussi teeters on two floating bamboo platforms and clings to a rope strung across a small pool. Bautista registers as a formidable villain, and his body art is impressive. Nobody in the cast looks out of place. Far from objectionable, the rugged but predictable "Kickboxer: Vengeance" shouldn't affront aficionados of the original "Kickboxer."
It's Kickboxer
jgrnturtle25 May 2018
Its Kickboxer what did you come into this movie thinking? The first one was cheesy what did you expect from this one? This movie is all you remember the original being, pure awesomeness entertainment with some great action who cares about dialogue plot twist and all that other crap people write in reviews to sound like they know something.
Beautiful Fights
cordelialeite13 August 2020
Beautifully choreographed fights, scenery and locations. Alain Moussi was a great choice. Not using real elephants raises many points! I didn't think it was cheesy, it is way better having characters with other layers, with feelings (like real people) than those ridiculous stereotyped cardboard characters that aren't able to act like human beings.
Some people think that an action movie to be good it has to be filled with emotionally dull and unavailable people. Well, I don't.
Now, while I understand this is a work of fiction, it won't do harm noting that a good master doesn't have to be abusive or aggressive to be good and to improve and train in real life is required far more persistence and patience than in the story. This production (like many others in the genre) shows a man disrespecting his body limits and time, trying to accomplish too much in little time...Be warned, it works in fiction, but outside from it, one will only end up frustrated and seriously hurt.
Work together with your body step by step, don't rush things too much, patience and persistence will serve you more than desperation to be "like the other guy".
WAY more entertaining than the original. Don't understand the hate.
Eiriksterminator4 September 2016
Though I think Van Damme is all right (and he can definitely kick some serious ass), and I think he was cool in this movie, I watched the original, and I found it boring. It had better and more drama, plot, and maybe acting than this new one, but it had little actual fighting, and what was there was really lame. This one has real, great action and fighting, and lots of it. I loved it. All these people who say this movie is so bad, yet like the old one...I can only assume they're either completely blind when it comes to martial arts (this one guy saying the choreography looks like something kids made on YouTube, lol, are you serious? Get your eyes checked dude), or they're not watching this movie for the fighting or action at all, in which case...I have to ask why they're even watching the movie to begin with...You watch a movie like this for the fighting, why else would you watch it?
Anyway, the story is simple, which is fine, but the directing is a little erratic, and there is little character development, which the old one did better. Had those been better, and the acting a bit more on point, I would have given a higher score. I can do without all the drama from the old one though, which wasn't really a thing here. But the fights and the action direction in any case is great, and provides lots of entertainment. Having people like Batista who are real fighters in real life doesn't hurt. The beautiful cinematography is also worth a note. Thailand is a beautiful place, and some of the shots show that well. The music was fine. If like me you like martial arts movies, go watch this, I think you will enjoy it a lot. If you're not in it for the action, then don't watch it, as there is honestly nothing here for you.
Anyway, the story is simple, which is fine, but the directing is a little erratic, and there is little character development, which the old one did better. Had those been better, and the acting a bit more on point, I would have given a higher score. I can do without all the drama from the old one though, which wasn't really a thing here. But the fights and the action direction in any case is great, and provides lots of entertainment. Having people like Batista who are real fighters in real life doesn't hurt. The beautiful cinematography is also worth a note. Thailand is a beautiful place, and some of the shots show that well. The music was fine. If like me you like martial arts movies, go watch this, I think you will enjoy it a lot. If you're not in it for the action, then don't watch it, as there is honestly nothing here for you.
As remakes go, this does it right!
crushinrussian-5224823 June 2023
This is one of those films that has a simple goal to achieve, and does. There are enough plot changes from the original to keep the story fresh. There are a number of well known martials arts performers alongside ACTUAL MMA fighters to give the film a bit of street cred.
The fight scenes are solid. Cinematography was appropriate, with minimal editing mid-fight. The sunburnt color of the film is appropriate for the Thai setting. Also: props to the fight choreographers for including more actual Muay Thai techniques than in the original!
The actors all hit their marks as far as characters. Alain Moussi seems to be an issue for many of the reviewers. What I saw was a strong screen presence and what looked to be actual martial arts training. Dave Bautista was perfectly cast a Tong Po. The biggest miss for me was Van Damme's voice editing. This had to have been a post-production error.
Give it a watch and avoid the haters. No it will not win any awards but it is a concerted effort by a group of people who cared about the original. The final product is quite enjoyable!
The fight scenes are solid. Cinematography was appropriate, with minimal editing mid-fight. The sunburnt color of the film is appropriate for the Thai setting. Also: props to the fight choreographers for including more actual Muay Thai techniques than in the original!
The actors all hit their marks as far as characters. Alain Moussi seems to be an issue for many of the reviewers. What I saw was a strong screen presence and what looked to be actual martial arts training. Dave Bautista was perfectly cast a Tong Po. The biggest miss for me was Van Damme's voice editing. This had to have been a post-production error.
Give it a watch and avoid the haters. No it will not win any awards but it is a concerted effort by a group of people who cared about the original. The final product is quite enjoyable!
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