Kickboxer (1989)

In this episode of the All 80s Movies podcast, Bill Bant and Jason Masek discuss the 1989 action movie 'Kickboxer'. 'Kickboxer' is a 1989 martial arts film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. The film follows Kurt Sloan, a martial artist seeking revenge on the brutal fighter Tong Po, who paralyzed his brother. The movie features intense fight scenes and showcases Van Damme's impressive martial arts skills. However, it is criticized for its clunky exposition, basic story, and poor treatment of female characters. The hosts share their earliest memories of the film and their overall thoughts on it. They also highlight their favorite scenes and moments, including the training montages and the bar dance fight sequence. The hosts discuss the similarities between 'Kickboxer' and 'Bloodsport', and suggest alternative storylines that could have made the movie more compelling. Overall, they acknowledge that while 'Kickboxer' may not hold up as well now, it still has its entertaining moments and nostalgic charm. They also mention the beautiful cinematography in some scenes and highlight some continuity issues and complaints about the writing and acting. They discuss the character of Eric and his negative attitude, as well as the unnecessary and dark plot point of Tong Po raping Mylee. The hosts conclude by spotlighting Haskell V Anderson III, who played Winston Taylor in the film. Kickboxer was a moderate success at the box office, grossing $14.7 million domestically. Overall, the film receives mixed reviews, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 36% and an IMDb rating of 6.4.