Bloodsport Movie Review, Trailer, Film Still and Poster

U.S. 1988
Director: Newt Arnold
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bolo Yeung, Leah Ayres, Donald Gibb, Forest Whitaker
Release Date: February 26th 1988
Rating: -
Running Time: 1 hour 32 minutes

The Movie Review

Bloodsport film still 1

Come sit on my lap! No thanks!


Bloodsport
Storyline:
Cast:
Ending:
Overall:

Ahh...back in the old days...I remember, I was so forgiving back then when it came to watching movie. I didn't familiar with the words like camerawork, acting quality, great dialogue or even terms like cult movie or exploitation flick. Watching Bloodsport, there was only one thing in my mind...Tomorrow I will practice this before dawn, while the dark conceals the silly moves... :-) and sealed my opinion with one word only..."Cooooll!". But now, I have my own new opinion.

Bloodsport was released back in the good old campy days of the 80s, precisely in February 1988. And it was Van Damme's one of the most memorable movies for his role as Frank Dux and for his helicopter kick, and which was also his 6th film since his first acting debut in 1983. Bloodsport, however, is actually based on a real life person named Frank W. Dux who was born in Canada in 1956, therefore Bloodsport is also some sort of a biopic of Frank Dux. The controversy behind the real Frank Dux's claim of his records and achievements is not my concern. The bottom line is Bloodsport is a good martial arts movie.

Van Damme is Frank Dux, an american citizen who masters one of Japanese martial arts, Ninjutsu. Frank is teached and guided by a Japanesse imigrant, Senzo Tanaka (Roy Chiao). After the lost of Tanaka's son, Frank becomes the only heir to all of master Tanaka's knowledge of Ninjutsu. Frank has gone through a lot of spartan training, even with his hands and legs tied up, and also with his eyes covered, Frank has to overcome those hardcore training. One day Frank decides to go to Hong Kong to paricipate in the Kumite. Kumite is a martial arts tournament where there are no rules and the contestant could legally kill each other to prevail. Frank does this to honour his ill teacher master Tanaka. He soon finds that one of the contestants is merciless and notorious for having killed his opponent, the undefeated Chong Li (Bolo Yeung).

Frankly, almost everything in Bloodsport is downright awful, in particular from the acting standpoint either from Van Damme or other actors and as well as the dialogue. For the dialogue alone, I would go as far as saying this is the comedy aspect of the movie, since it's easily laughable. Mmm, so bad it's good?

However, it turns out that I'm still quite forgiving for this movie. Since the biggest and the strongest positive point of Bloodsport is its fighting scenes! And this is completely boys' stuff! We have Chinese, Arabian, Japanese, Caucassian, African, Korean and other martial artist from many countries bump ugly in the arena. And of course they're practicing various martial arts, ranging from Karate, Ninjutsu, Tae Kwon Do, Sumo, Muay Thai and even Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do. One by one they got eliminated, and every elimination round, the arena is red with blood, hence the name Bloodsport. And when it comes to the fighting scenes, all actors and even the Hong Kong native extras are instantly spirited, enthusiastic and alive with all their betting money high in the air and their chanting for their favorite fighters, moreover, all this is accompanied by great musical soundtrack especially the one with the chanting "Kumite...kumite...kumite...kumite.." The arena is alive! I'm telling you, boys' stuff it is...

All in all Bloodsport now has achieved the status of cult classic, that even though the movie quality itself is very low, but the fighting scenes have high replay value, especially if you like martial arts or simply want to enjoy the fight!