I finally watched Gymkata - let's talk about it

[JayPettryMMA]

For those of you who don't know, in 1985 they decided they should put out a martial arts movie starring Olympic gymnast Kurt Thomas, in his first and only film role. He was nominated for a prestigious Razzie award for his exceptional debut.



A synopsis would be - a talented gymnast gets recruited by the government to participate in an internationally renowned obstacle course in a fictional country in the mountains of Afghanistan. If you win, you get granted any one thing by the Khan, and the government wants him to wish for permission to build a satellite linkup installation for the US missile defense program.

It was spectacular. I've been meaning to watch it for quite some time, and I finally sat down to watch it yesterday. It was obviously one of those "so bad it's good" movies, with a ridiculous premise and 90 minutes of hilarious 80s martial arts fun. One question for the time being: what the hell was the deal with the "village of the crazies" as it's been called?

I wanted to start the conversation and go from there, so I'll post a few important gifs from it here to entice you if you haven't already watched it:

What are your thoughts on Gymkata?

 

[Horse Style]

Let's not talk about it and say we did

 

[Hankooks]

Loved that show as a kid. The pommel horse in the middle of town was a nice touch.

Another movie around the same time and quality i enjoyed was Arena. Main dude was the Christopher Reeves look alike from the raft portion of creepshow 2. Fantastically terrible.

 

[JayPettryMMA]

The pommel horse in the middle of town was a nice touch.

He took out like 30 dudes with weapons on the pommel horse, it was crazy.

 

[DaleBoca]

This movie was always on TBS back in the early 90's. I thought it was a bad ass karate system.

 

[Jack Handy jr]

Watched it a lot as a kid ......love jimkata tbh as a point karate kid tournament fighter the karatekas of the eighties that had a gymnastics background killed in the forms competitions

Karate mixed with gymnastics is a potent mix I liken it to putting a Marine in an avatars body.

 

[michal001]

I prefer rhythmic dancing and jujitsu over gymnastics karate. Would have been better if it were rhythjitsu

 

[punkmother]

one of the best movies ever.

 

[DaleBoca]

I prefer rhythmic dancing and jujitsu over gymnastics karate. Would have been better if it were rhythjitsu

You may want to watch Only The Strong, no jew jit sue but dancing and Brazilian fighting.

Dacascos was TST.

 

[JayPettryMMA]

I prefer rhythmic dancing and jujitsu over gymnastics karate. Would have been better if it were rhythjitsu

Well then you'd like Capoeira.

I think there was a Capoeira guy in The Quest, and there was another in the Tony Jaa movie where he had the elephant.

 

[BisexualMMA]

I kind of think of it like Mandingo, where I'm amazed that such a level of resources and commitment went into that concept for a movie.

 

[JayPettryMMA]

I kind of think of it like Mandingo, where I'm amazed that such a level of resources and commitment went into that concept for a movie.

With a reported budget of 4 million, it's almost mindblowing it did almost 6 mill at the box. Someone threw 4 million dollars at that movie, filming almost exclusively in Yugoslavia in the 80s, how did they spend that much?

 

[BisexualMMA]

With a reported budget of 4 million, it's almost mindblowing it did almost 6 mill at the box. Someone threw 4 million dollars at that movie, filming almost exclusively in Yugoslavia in the 80s, how did they spend that much?

The movie actually looks reasonably good (at times) and like the production cost (some) money. Robert Clouse was actually a legit director. Maybe he didn't come terribly cheap back in 85. At any rate, it's more professional than American Ninja.

 

[Guestx]

Ah yes, Gymkata.

You know, while I am not immune to some of its charms, even as a kid I thought that movie was ridiculous and it kind of pissed me off. I wanted my martial arts movies to be more realistic . . . you know, like Revenge of the Ninja. Gymkata just seemed goofy as fuck to me, like the concept of a martial arts movie filtered through the mind of an insane person.

 

[Guestx]

The movie actually looks reasonably good and like the production cost (some) money. Robert Clouse was actually a legit director. Maybe he didn't come terribly cheap back in 85. At any rate, it's more professional than American Ninja.

What? Are you saying Gymkata > American Ninja?

 

[Guestx]

Loved that show as a kid. The pommel horse in the middle of town was a nice touch.

He took out like 30 dudes with weapons on the pommel horse, it was crazy.

A random pommel horse sitting in the middle of a small Eastern European village pretty much says it all about this movie.

 

[BisexualMMA]

What? Are you saying Gymkata > American Ninja?

Well, I'd have to think about it, to be honest. They're both weird 80s time capsules, and American Ninja kind of represents everything that was wrong with the Cannon Group.

Gymkata is kind of so weird and bad that it's sort of good. American Ninja...I mean, do you really feel it holds up for rewatching in 2017?

If you randomly selected five minutes of American Ninja, and told someone it was a comedy sketch written by Andy Samberg and filmed in his spare time, they'd probably believe you.

 

[neverwas]

i think its great example of how not to make a film. its so bad its utter shit.

 

[Guestx]

American Ninja kind of represents everything that was wrong with the Cannon Group.

Explain.

Gymkata is kind of so weird and bad that it's sort of good. American Ninja...I mean, do you really feel it holds up for rewatching in 2017?

I don't have a strong desire to re-watch either one of them, but if I was going to watch one or the other, it would be American Ninja. I'd take Dudikoff, Steve James and a few scenes of genuinely cool ninja action over the craziness that is Kurt Thomas and his wacky gymnastics film.

 

[DaleBoca]

I

What? Are you saying Gymkata > American Ninja?