AMERICAN KICKBOXER-1991
Director: Frans Nel
Producer: Anant Singh
Writer: Emil Kolbe
Genre: Action-Drama/Martial Arts
Audience: Adults
Rating: R
Runtime: 93 minutes
Distributor: Cannon Releasing
Cast : John Barrett, Keith Vitali, Brad Morris, & Terry Norton
Fight Fans of the martial-arts genre won't get any kicks out of AMERICAN KICKBOXER, a dismal film about a kickboxer who, after he is convicted of manslaughter, struggles to rebuild his life.
Don't get me wrong because I was a big fan of K- Boxer Keith Vitali. and had high hopes this would be one badass kick boxing film, now on to the movie, as middle-weight champion of the world, B.J. Quinn is imprisoned for accidentally killing his best friend during a pool side mishap. now suspended from Kick-Boxing, Quinn serves a 10-month jail-term. And upon his release, he agrees to be a judge at a championship fight in which Jacques Denard, the current world champion, defends the title.
Denard's toying-arrogance inflames Quinn. A journalist named Willard, who would like nothing more than to see a fight between these two enemies, also antagonizes Quinn on. The breaking point comes at another pool party where Quinn, drunk and out of shape, picks a fight with Denard.
Quinn gets his ass handed to him on a siler platter from Denard and goes into seclusion at a beach cottage where he begins some rigorous training. Hail to those training montages!
However, with everything gone and his life in complete ruins, Quinn thinks of himself as a washed up loser. Then suddenly out of nowhere our journalist friend willard pops up with a challenge from Denar, he wants to fight Quinn for money, thereby skirting the court ruling that prohibits Quinn from fighting in the ring. Quinn's girlfriend convinces him not to fight. However, if Quinn didn't change his mind, (then this grade-B story wouldn't have an ending).
The early fight scenes are not realistic and not well chorographed. As the bully, Denard is an overblown character. He believes that even a smile is a sign of weakness. Unfortunately, no one else in entire cast can act. (seriously)
AMERICAN KICKBOXER is a kinda weak film. Poorly staged fighting sequences, bad direction, predictable Plot, and really bad acting.
3/10 Stars