1988 Directed by Newt Arnold
U.S. soldier Frank Dux has come to Hong Kong to be accepted into the Kumite, a highly secret and extremely violent martial arts competition. While trying to gain access into the underground world of clandestine fighters, he also has to avoid military officers who consider him to be AWOL. After enduring a difficult training and beginning a romance with journalist Janice Kent, Frank is given the opportunity to fight. But can he survive?
Véres játék, Bloodsport - Eine wahre Geschichte, Bloodsport I, Кровавый спорт, Contacto Sangriento, 투혼
Awfully acted piece of Belgian cheese with too many muscles and people doing splits whenever they get the chance fighting in ridiculous styles (monkey fu!) bashing each other's skulls in (which is pretty violent for a film directed by a guy called Newt) hitting every trope imaginable in the worst kind of way.
I have now seen it seven times.
Did you know Jean-Claude Van Damme can do the splits?! Don’t worry, he’ll remind you every 5 minutes
As a JCVD connoisseur and 80's action trash enthusiast I hold Bloodsport in high regard. A crowning achievement in fight tournament movies and a young Jean-Claude at his physical peak.
There's a part at the beginning where a kid plays a young JCVD and he does the stupid accent perfectly, it was oscar worthy.
Splits, Ass and KUMITE!
I recall ordering this "based on the true story of Frank Dux" martial arts film for my brother's video store back in the day! It's my favorite Jean-Claude Van Damme film BTW!
If you can get through the first 10 minutes of the hokiest, cheesiest crapola to ever be witnessed onscreen you will be rewarded with an awesome variety of unique martial arts fighting styles and one of the most formidable villains ever in the form of Chong Li (Bolo Yeung)!
Recommended by: Joey Porter
How have I never seen this classic tournament fighter flick before?
"You break my record, now I break you, like I break your friend."
Bloodsport does a great job of wasting no time and getting to the martial arts action you want to see from a movie like this. Jean-Claude Van Damme is truly a phenomenal athlete and martial artist, and he really should be thought of among the top action stars of the late 80s into the 90s.
Bloodsport does feel like it borrows from movies that came before it like 'Karate Kid', and 'Rocky 4'. But it also clearly inspired ones that came after it like 'Sidekicks'. The idea of Van Damme also kicking…
for a clear riff on Enter the Dragon it's a real shame that the fight scenes aren't particularly well choreographed, shot or edited really but between the romantic 80s music and the incredibly broad emotions i was surprised to find myself not really caring that much and genuinely enjoying the downtime between the fights even. it helps that van damme is just incredible to look at no matter what he's doing. also despite the insane number of 2nd-unit crowd reaction shots the climactic fight is sort of moving.
I fucking love this film. This was one of my most watched VHS tapes growing up as a kid. I used to try and aspire to the ideology that JCVD lives by in the film and practice his moves. Looking back now I can't stop cringing but this film was influential during my childhood and goddamn it, this film is still so much fun!
I used to quote this film religiously, and here are some of the best ones:
"OKAY USA!"
"Now I show you some trick or two"
"You break my record, now I break you, like I break your friend!"
"You Jackson? You look like a Jackson"
"You are next!"
"Time to separate the men from the boys"…
Frank Dux, the grandmaster of bullshido. The fact that this is supposed to be based on true events is the biggest joke in film history. I can't deny that it is entertaining as fuck though.
I genuinely think "Kumite" is the most fun word to say in the history of language and the film agrees considering it is said about 700 times throughout Bloodsport.
I’ve seen so many Van Damme movies but never this, the one that made him a star. Quality folding-laundry-on-a-Saturday- night fare, in the tradition of rock-headed, xenophobic, but highly watchable Cannon productions. JCVD is a beauty, too. In the obligatory romance with a scorching blonde, he’s the one who gets the nude scene.
A cheesefest martial-arts drama that only Cannon Films could put out, Bloodsport deserves accolades for several things, not only for kickstarting JCVD's film career but for being one of the primary inspirations for Mortal Kombat. While it's never been my absolute favourite of Van Damme, it's still one I understand the love for.
Bloodsport tells the supposedly "real-life" story of Frank Dux (Van Damme), a U.S. Army soldier who abandons his unit to travel to Hong Kong for the Kumite, an underground fighting tournament that Dux has been destined to compete in ever since his younger years of being trained under Senzo Tanaka. While being pursued by a couple of government agents (one of which is played by Forest Whitaker),…
Sometimes when I close my eyes at night I see Bolo Yeung smiling and pointing at me and then I scream.
