7 | / 10 |
Users | 3.3 | |
Reviewer | 2.0 | |
Overall | 2.7 |
When U.S. kickboxing champ Eric Sloane is crippled in the ring by the dastardly Tong Po, his younger brother Kurt vows revenge. But if he is to defeat Po, Kurt must first learn a martial art known as Muay-Thai, so he seeks out the expertise of fight guru Xian Chow. Thanks to Chow's unconventional training methods, Kurt becomes an expert kickboxer. But is he good enough to defeat Tong Po?
Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Alexio, Dennis Chan, Haskell V. Anderson III, Rochelle AshanaAction | 100% |
Martial arts | 52% |
Sport | 31% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English, English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region free
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 2.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.0 |
Revenge is a dangerous motive.
Ah, the 1980s. Greasy hair, bad clothes, and cheesy music were found in many of the seemingly
innumerable "never give up!"
Marital Arts movies that populated the local Cinema III and Mom and Pop video store shelves.
Among the most
popular, but
certainly not the best, was Jean-Claude Van Damme's Kickboxer, a corny crowd pleaser
that tried its best to build an emotional core around a cocky wheelchair-bound ex-champion kick
boxer and his pencil-neck-turned-nack suk cao, or white warrior, brother. With
strong overtones that eerily resemble the vastly superior The Karate Kid, except for the
whole paralyzed brother in Bangkok angle, Kickboxer delivers a fun but slowly-paced ride
through the clichéd and terribly predictable world of martial arts training, the entire second act
almost one lone conditioning montage. Never mind the pesky problems like one-dimensional
characters, a trite plot, and a lackadaisical structure; Kickboxer delivers a deliciously
ridiculous
finale that must be seen to be believed, so over-the-top in every respect that it's become
borderline
classic for its quintessential display of everything that makes the Martial Arts genre so much fun
in
a
tongue-in-cheek sort of way.
aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Kickboxer arrives on Blu-ray with a highly disappointing 1080p, 1.85:1-framed transfer. The most prominent feature of the transfer is the plethora of print anomalies that are seen in just about every shot. Black, white, and blue spots; scratches; splotches; dirt; horizontal and vertical lines; it's all here, in abundance, and while not completely distracting, these problems appear as plain as day and aren't attractive in the least. On top of that, the transfer features minor banding, a small amount of blocking in a few background scenes, and a generally drab, faded appearance. Blacks often appear too bright or tend towards a shade of gray, and flesh tones occasionally take on a red tint. Meanwhile, there is virtually no grain to be seen, much of the film taking on a smooth, artificial appearance. On the more positive end of the spectrum, colors sometimes impress in the very best scenes, though they are far and few between. A fair amount of depth accompanies some of the second act during Kurt's outdoor training sequences, and it is primarily in these scenes that detail appears adequate. Whether the beads on the seats inside Taylor's van or any number of outdoor objects -- foliage, dirt, or pavement -- several scenes appear passably good, particularly in the context of the rest of the transfer. Still, the better aspects of the transfer don't outweigh the negatives, and Kickboxer makes for one of the most disappointing transfers yet on Blu-ray.
Kickboxer comes to Blu-ray with a lackluster DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Like the video presentation, the audio is hit-or-miss, with more misses than hits along the way. The audio presentation in the first act of the film sets a worrisome tone. Sound effects and environmental ambience often sound forced, exaggerated, and too loud in relation to the rest of the film, such instances creating a phony, artificial-sounding environment. As the film moves along, however, the soundtrack features a good bit of improvement, with more natural-sounding effects and atmosphere. Music is the film's strong suit, whether the track that plays as Eric and Kurt arrive in Bangkok, a bass-heavy club scene in chapter six, or the infamous dancing sequence in chapter 13, the beats play with a fair amount of clarity and oomph. Unfortunately, virtually the entire movie contains some lip synching issues that often give it the feel of a dubbed Kung Fu movie. The rear channels chime in occasionally in support of the front or to deliver some of the over-amped atmospherics, but otherwise, Kickboxer features a front-heavy mix that generally disappoints.
This Blu-ray release of Kickboxer contains no film-related supplements; only 1080p trailers for Bangkok Dangerous, Crank, Transporter 3, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day are included here.
Purely 80s, goofy, clichéd, and most importantly, fun, Kickboxer is certainly not cinema at its best, but it is cinema at its most basic, retelling a story of revenge wrapped around an unwavering spirit for justice and love of family. Nothing to write home about yet nothing to lambast, Kickboxer is one of the great Saturday afternoon gems and perhaps Jean-Claude Van Damme's most memorable picture, this and Bloodsport the two for which the actor will be remembered. Unfortunately, this Blu-ray release is not of archival quality. Sporting a borderline terrible transfer, a mediocre-to-bad lossless soundtrack, and absolutely no film-related extras, this release is strictly for fans that do not own the film on any other format.
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