Blood Sport-1988

Director : Newt Arnold

producer(s) : Mark Disalle, Yoram Globus, Menahem Golan

Writer : Christopher Cosby, Mel Friedman, Sheldon Lettich

Running Time : 92 mins

Rating : R

Genre : Martial Arts/action/adventure

Cast : Jean-Claude Van Damme, Bolo Yeung, Forrest Whitaker, Palo Tocha

     In his film starring debut, Jean-Claude Van Damme a Belgian martial artist and "actor" portrays a martial arts expert who decides to compete in the Kumite, a no holds barred martial arts competition in Hong Kong dubbed BLOOD SPORT..... I am not a huge Van Damme fan, but I have seen (and written on) several of his movies. Yes, people will talk about how bad his acting may be, but what people forget is that he is a martial artist more than an actor. Movies are just the way he can express his great skills to an audience. But If your like me and you watch Van Damme, you want to see bad acting, bad accents, decent action, and several slow motion kicks to the face, and Vann Damme and Bloodsport delivers this like no other. You have to just look at it for what it is, a martial arts fight  film (which it is) and accept the stunning fight sequences (especially the final fight scene which was very well choreographed) the film even the soundtrack is pretty awesome. You have a nice blend of really lame 1980s music combined with a strange theme song that has the refrain "Ku-mite! Ku-mite Ku-mite!" The song is so bad its good and it makes you wish Ah-Ha covered it.
   Honestly... this is my favorite tournament fight movie of all time. I'm a huge action fan and this movie remains to this day my favorite fighting movie of the genre, and it's been often duplicated but never improved upon.

        Bloodsport is arguably Jean-Claude Van Damme`s best film next to Hard Target and Kick Boxer. It begins with such a cool intro with the fighters and cool music by Paul Hertzog. It has a few good songs too! Although its cheezy at times its still a serious movie that has very good and sometimes badass fighting scenes.

       Bolo Yeung is Chong Li the movies ultimo badass villian- Chong Li is the undefeated Blood Sport champion that holds many records and will do anything to win a match, break arms, gouge eyes out, break leggs, throw sand in his opponets eyes, Thats what makes him so good in this movie....his evil ways.

    Jean-Claude Van Damme plays Frank Dux - Frank Dux is a great fighter taught by Tanaka. This film had awsome traing sequence, which is what makes these films work. 

     Paulo Tocha as Paco - There is one Thai-boxer  fighter named Paco. He is a great fighter but is a bit cheaty himself.

     Donald Gibb as Jackson - Jackson is a massive man with a bad attitude but a good heart and thats his downfall.  

This movie spawned a generation of sequels, and fight films. And is the Greatest tournament fighting movie of all time... a perfect cult classic... and the ultimate treat for the Van Damm fan

10 Stars