20 Reasons Why You Rock: Kickboxer
There is no doubt that 1988’s Bloodsport was the movie that put Jean-Claude Van Damme on the map… but to me it was 1989’s Kickboxer that established that Jean-Claude Van Damme was not a one hit wonder. Produced by Kings Road Entertainment and released theatrically here in the United States by the fine folks at the Cannon Group, Kickboxer is a movie that fans around the world still look back on fondly.
Why is Kickboxer so beloved?
Because Kickboxer is classic Jean-Claude Van Damme at his best and it is a movie that absolutely rocks! How much does it rock? Let me count the ways…
#1 – Kickboxer was my introduction to the world of Muay Thai fighting and I am sure I’m not the only one. Kickboxer paved the way for so many Muay Thai kickboxing themed movies that followed (including its own direct sequels) and that in turn gave a lot of martial artists a pay day in the 1990’s.
#2 – Kickboxer didn’t just expose the rest of the world to Thailand’s fighting style, it also exposed the world to some of Thailand’s more interesting establishments like The Firecat, Jugs Bar, The Kangaroo Club and Pussy Alive!
#3 – Dennis Alexio was absolutely perfect as the cocky and overconfident American champion Eric Sloane. Alexio really should have done more acting than he did… he may have avoided some of his legal troubles years later had those movie paychecks kept coming in.
#4- The introduction of Tong Po! When we first lay eyes on Tong Po, the baddest and the best fighter in all of Thailand, he is kicking a concrete pillar in his locker room! It makes you think if this is how this monster warms up, how dangerous is he going to be in the ring?
#5- In a badass move that I am surprised was never replicated in the world of professional wrestling, after destroying Eric Sloan, Tong Po literally rips apart Eric’s championship belt and throws it on top of him as he lays paralyzed on the mat.
#6- The emotion that Jean-Claude Van Damme showed in the hospital scene as Kurt Sloane is an absolute wreck wondering what his brother Eric’s fate would be was an early sign that Van Damme just didn’t want to be an action star, he wanted to be an actor.
#7- The Kurt Sloane fashion show. Kurt Sloane’s wardrobe was uniquely Jean-Claude Van Damme from start to finish… JCVD may be the only man on the planet who could pull off some of the styles that Kurt Sloane rocked.
#8- Dennis Chan did an exceptional job as Kurt’s trainer, Xian Chow. At times, Xian felt like a sadistic version of Mr. Miyagi as he put Kurt through the wringer in order to get him ready for his fight with Tong Po. The character was strong enough that even after Van Damme opted out of being in the sequel, Dennis Chan’s Xian Chow character were brought back to teach the youngest of the Sloane brothers in Kickboxer 2: The Road Back and then again in Kickboxer 3: The Art of War.
#9- The brawl at the market Mylee runs is not only a fun fight scene, it serves as a great introduction for Kurt Sloane and his soon to be love interest.
#10- Two Words: Stone City
#11- Kickboxer has a pretty awesome soundtrack thanks to the powerful music of Paul Hertzog (“Advanced Training” is top notch) and the awesome vocals of Stan Bush (“Never Surrender” is a rocking anthem).
#12- The music of Kickboxer and Van Damme doing his famous splits were essential pieces to all of the epic TRAINING MONTAGES featured in Kickboxer.
#13- When the heavily armed Winston Taylor shows up to rescue Xian Chow from Freddy Li’s goons you can’t help but cheer! And Winston’s rescue efforts lead to…
#14- …Xian Chow hooking one of Freddy Li’s goons in the most uncomfortable place for a hook to be on the male anatomy.
#15- One of the most memorable moments in this movie is when Tong Po and Kurt Sloane are preparing for their fight and both men wrap their hands in rope, then dip their hands in resin and then dip their hands in broken glass!
#16- When Tong Po draws first blood in his final fight with Kurt Sloane he delivers one of the most savage lines in the history of ever when he tells Kurt, “You bleed like Mylee. Mylee… good fuck!” Big time mind games with Tong Po dropping the bombshell that he actually raped Mylee.
#17- I love the ancient temple setting for the final fight. It gives the fight a main event level presentation.
#18- The chant of Nok Su Kow! Kurt Sloane wins over the Thailand audience much like Rocky Balboa won over the Russians in Rocky IV.
#19- It is straight out of Action Movie 101, but I still can’t help but be delighted when all the bad guys get their comeuppance. Even the guy who threw the knife at Xian’s dog Kiki… no bad guy stone was left unturned!
#20- It may be the most memorable scene in the entire movie and there is no way it was not going to make this list… I could watch a drunken Kurt Sloane busting a move at a local watering hole and getting into an impromptu bar fight every single day for the rest of my life.
