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List Price: $12.97 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 3579
Released: June 1, 2004 |
| Our Price: $5.08 |
| Used Price: $3.00 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Kung Fu expert Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a martial arts master who arrives in Hong Kong to compete in the Kumite, a violent championship fighting contest.
Description of Bloodsport:
A well-oiled Jean-Claude Van Damme makes his starring debut in what may be one of the few kickboxing films to be based on a true story. The Muscles from Brussels plays Frank Dux, the first Westerner ever to win the extreme "whupfest" known as the Kumatai (a long-running, no-holds-barred fighting tournament in Hong Kong). While a bit deficient in the script department (to say the least), this undeniably exciting flick succeeds by letting Van Damme play to his strengths: namely, minimal acting and a lot of impossibly acrobatic splits while kicking people in the head. A guilty-pleasure testosterone blast of the highest order, with a memorable villain (the massive Bolo Yeung from Enter the Dragon), and a multitude of well-choreographed fight scenes. An embarrassed-looking Forest Whitaker cameos as a hapless (and non-kickboxing) cop. --Andrew Wright
Bloodsport Reviews:
Interesting 
2009-11-29 - Frank Dux (Van Damme), a Karate student of a Japanese master, decides to compete in a no holds barred sparring tournament in Hong Kong referred to as Kumite. He strives to win this bloody tournament in order to keep the legacy of his Karate master.
Before we judge this film, we need to keep in mind that it is an 80s film, meaning that the action delivered should not be compared to the action we get in 2009 movies. However, I still wasn't very pleased with the action since the movie was obviously a low budget one and could have been made much better. Take for example "Best of the Best" and "No Retreat No Surrender" movies, which were made in the same period however delivered better action scenes. However lets also remember that this was one of Van Damme's first movies where he is the main star and perhaps not many wanted to bet on it being a success, this is why not much was spent on producing it.
There was no real story to tell. There was no main plot. The whole movie was packed with punching and kicking scenes that got quite repetitive after a while. I think the best part of the movie is the final fight between Van Damme and Bolo, which was full of amazing fighting techniques.
However, one of the reasons why this movie is so popular is that Van Damme made some great shows with his amazing techniques. Take for example his flying kicks. This is also one of the first movies to illustrate no holds barred mixed martial arts competitions where you get fighters from different arts in competition. Perhaps this movie and others like it inspired the people who introduced to us the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the early 90s.
Based on the success of this movie, Van Damme starred in other great movies afterwards such as Kick Boxer and Double Impact. It was surely a great start for him.
Van Damme is currently starring in a new film called "Karate", which is somehow similar to the idea of bloodsport. He will be playing the role of a Karateka who is fighting in a tournament against Mixed Martials Artists and will surely give them a lot of beatings. He will be somehow like UFC's light heavy weight champion, Lyoto Machida. This should be an amazing film.
Best movie of all time 
2009-09-09 - ordered it and got it the day i was supposed to. Very happy with purchase
Van Damme? Ehh, but BOLO!!!
2009-07-20 - This is Van Damme's first starring role. He looks in his twenties, but I don't know. For some reason, he's fitted with an awful toupee (two actually, one is more tussled than the other, supposedly expressing his youth). Maybe he was prematurely bald but they look bad. (And never get mussed in fight scenes.
He's okay as Mr. Marshal-Arts Goody Two Shoes. His bearded beer drinking dork of an American buddy is better. But what's best is BOLO YEUNG as the villian. He's my new hero. He's jaw droppingly good as the bad guy. I just ordered TIGER CLAW. The best thing I've seen since ODD JOB in Goldfinger... better.
If he's got a fanclub, I'm a member.
BEST MARTIAL ARTS MOVIE
2009-07-09 - VAN DAMME is awesome in this one..really good fight scenes..good story lines with good acting always go together..
So Much Karate. So little time.
2009-05-28 - Silly but so awesome all in one. The slow motion screams are the best. That is next to Paco, he actually is the best. A dirty fighting [...], but damn he is the best. Long live Paco!!!
