Product Description

Accompanied by his brother Kurt (Van Damme), American kickboxing champion Eric Sloane (Dennis Alexio) arrives in Thailand to defeat the Eastern warriors at their own sport. His opponent: ruthless fighter and Thai champion, Tong Po. Tong not only defeats Eric, he paralyzes him for life. Crazed with anger, Kurt vows revenge. After a crash course in the ancient techniques of kickboxing from Thai master Xian Chow, Kurt challenges Tong. Their battle to the finish, born of lust, power and revenge, will leave only one man standing.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4302 in DVD
• Brand: VAN DAMME,JEAN-CLAU
• Released on: 2009-06-16
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 97 minutes

Customer Reviews

Simply awesome
I searched for years to find this movie on dvd, and now its on bluray, its even better. Sure its a little corny at times, but what 80s movie isn't. This could be the best combat movie ever made.

Whoa! Thanks Bluray!
Ive always loved VanDamme movies, but in HD they're even better. I really didnt expect much from this bluray version, but when i put it in to watch, my jaw dropped. It is so clear!

Most likely, you have already seen this movie and you just want to know how the bluray quality is. This movie is better with bluray because the setting in bangkok is full of art and nature, and it really shows thru in this movie. Closeups are super sharp.

there are one or two scenes where the master video wasn't best quality...like the first hospital scene, you can see the pops and dirt on the film... this problem must have been unavoidable...

Finally, buy this bluray!

Great action movie. don't waste your brain cells on the plot, there isn't much of one
1989 martial arts movie set in Thailand and focusing on the somewhat brutal sport of Muay Thai,the national sport of Thailand, which has gained wider recognition in the West because it's the de facto fighting style for mixed martial arts. Jean-Claude Van Damme is no great actor, but it's a good action movie for all that. In the movie, Van Damme is Kurt Sloane, brother of Eric (Dennis Alexio), the top kickboxer in the United States. Tiring of the generic competition of his native soil, he travels with brother Kurt to Bangkok, where he hopes to dethrone the current champ Tong Po (Michel Qissi), who has a reputation for fighting dirty. Kurt first sees this towering mountain of flesh and muscle kicking the hell out of a support beam in the locker room; that's the first clue to Kurt that Eric shouldn't get in the ring, but he's not listening. And Eric fights anyway, against baby brother's warnings.

To make a long story short, Eric takes quite a beating in the ring but a series of illegal blows delivered after Kurt throws in the towel cripple Eric for life. So what went wrong? According to some sources, American Kickboxing is a watered-down form of Muay Thai, so it's no wonder Tong Po got the upper hand so quickly on Eric, who despite his excellent training and peak physical condition, only landed a few lucky punches on the towering fighter. Apparently, Muay Thai is strictly for street fighting, not something for refined martial artists like Kurt and Eric. To teach Tong Po a lesson in humility, Kurt contacts American Winston Taylor (Haskell V. Anderson III) to seek out a venerated Thai master, Xian Chow (Dennis Chan), to learn the art of Muay Thai, and so the training begins. Kurt first puts aside his already-planted Karate training and strengthens his body, kicks tree stumps until the scar tissue prevents any kind of feeling aside from invincibility, learns a little about Asian spirituality, and even flirts with Chow's niece Mylee (Rochelle Ashana). What it all culminates in, of course, is a no-holds-barred "Rocky IV"-style showdown using the ancient rope-fists between Kurt and Tong Po.

As Kurt Sloane, Van Damme is good (despite his acting limitations), his performance notwithstanding, and none of the other performers are really worth speaking of either, but Tong Po is a nasty villain and his one speaking line "You bleed like Mylee. Mylee good f**k" sends chills down the spine. The fights are another thing and are what this feature co-directed by Mark DiSalle and David Worth seems to specialize in. The fights are spectacular (as with any martial arts movie that features Van Damme doing his trademark splits and 360-degree flying spin-kick), which does include one sequence where Kurt gets drunk, starts dancing, and takes on the patrons at a bar. Just don't let the film "kick" you in the head too much with its lackadaisical script and lame-brain plotting.

As an aside, I was in Thailand when they were filming this movie - one scene was filmed in the street I was staying in in Bangkok - saw the whole scene being filmed from the bar in which I was ensconced, had no idea what it was or who the muscle bound actor was until I saw the movie a couple of years later. And then it dawned on me like a wet fish to the side of the head - I'd spent a whole day a mere 50 feet from Jean-Claude. And I didn't get a single Singha bottle autographed!