Film
Movie theaters, reviews and showtimes in New York, plus articles, trailers and more
- Home
- Box Office
- Listings
- Trailers
- Features
Bookmark this page- Edition:
Kickboxer (1989)
Director: Mark DiSalle, David Worth
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Kickboxing is what it says it is: fisticuffs with feet. Kickboxer is an upfront title, too - don't see it for psychological complexity, social comment, acting, plot or humour; go, if you nust, just for kicks. There is a story. Two brothers: Eric (Alexio), all-American asshole, is KB champion stateside; Kurt (Van Damme) is the sensitive type - mother made him take ballet lessons before he learned karate! Big brother goes on an ego-trip to Bangkok 'to kick ass', gets pulped, and ends up paralysed to boot. Given the choice of caring for his bro' or beating the shit out of his opponent, Kurt goes into training with an oriental guru and emerges 'a man'. Further motivated by the knifing of his dog, raping of his girl, and kidnapping of Eric, Kurt is not about to turn the other cheek when he finally gets into the ring. In some movies these events might suggest a dehumanising process; here they are a route to mythification. It's the facistic tale of the making of a man, the 'white warrior', virgin avenger Van Damme. At least he ain't Chuck Norris.Author: TCh
Cast & crew
Director: Mark DiSalle, David Worth
Producer: Mark DiSalle
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Alexio, Dennis Chan, Tong Po, Haskell Anderson, Rochelle Ashana, Steve Lee full cast
Genre(s): Action/Adventure
Duration: 103 mins
Most popular on this site
Features
To the letter
Forty years later, Costa-Gavras's Z still brims with fury.
Mind over matter
David Cronenberg reflects on a most bizarre body: his own corpus of work.
Fool's gold
Can an Oscar win lead to a cursed career? Here are five stories of postaward professional meltdowns.
We are the championed
Terrorists and teens abound in this year's "Film Comment Selects."
A history of violence
Matteo Garrone's kaleidoscopic Gomorrah wallops you with Italy's crime crisis.
True romantic
James Gray exchanges urban amorality for amour in Two Lovers.
Playing in the dark
MoMA salutes pianist Stuart Oderman's 50 years as the one-man sound of silents.
Junk bonds
Cast and crew recall the making of the classic NYC drug drama The Panic in Needle Park.
What do you think?
Post your review now