Just watched Kickboxer: Retaliation

[Guestx]

So what do you get when you combine Jean-Claude Van Damme, Christopher Lambert, Mike Tyson, the dude who plays The Mountain on GoT, a guy who REALLY wants to be the next Scott Adkins, and a bunch of MMA cameos from dudes like Frankie Edgar, Babalu, Roy Nelson, Fabricio Werdum and Wanderlei Silva?

This movie, apparently.

I went into this film with low expectations, mostly because Kickboxer: Vengeance was only decent DTV martial arts schlock at best. But I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of KB: Retaliation.

It looks like I wasn't the only one. Ready to have your mind blown? Check this score out:

A few review quotes:

A stylish and enjoyable fight flick with just enough tongue-in-cheek content to keep us smiling.

The bar has been raised for Kickboxer: Retaliation, this time directed by the previous film's writer/producer, Dimitri Logothetis, and it shatters the bar with a leaping Van Damme spin kick.

Comes the closest to recapturing the wide-eyed, bone-crunching fun of the 1989 hit, inching away from darkness to reclaim the brand name with a lively offering of bodily harm.

If you want to compare that to the score for the first film, here you go:

Spoiler

Now don't get TOO excited. The story for the film is still pure genre formula. But what I think elevates this film over the first one is the direction. There was a different guy at the helm here and he seemed to have a much greater sense of artistry behind the camera and it shows in how the film is shot. Simply, the film just LOOKS a hell of a lot better than Vengeance did and is far more slickly made.

My major complaints are that, for as good as the film does look in certain scenes, the plot is pretty threadbare and conventional, providing few surprises. Also, it's just too fucking long. A movie like this never needs to be over 90 minutes and KB: Retaliation clocks in at nearly two hours. The final fight is cool, but Jesus Christ, it goes on for almost 30 minutes.

All in all, if this is a genre that you like and you tend to get down with pulpy DTV action movies, then I think you'll probably enjoy it.

Anyone else seen it? I know the first one was one of @BisexualMMA's favorites, so I can't wait to hear what he thought about this one.

 

[TheRuthlessOne]

They should put "91% Rotten Tomatoes score!" on the blu ray box

 

[BisexualMMA]

Too bad GSP didn't return. I really wanted to see if his character had overcome his drinking problem.

 

[Guestx]

They should put "91% Rotten Tomatoes score!" on the blu ray box

They probably should, actually. Love the site or hate it, its influence is undeniable.

 

[DaleBoca]

Where is Cannon when you need them?

 

[Guestx]

Too bad GSP didn't return. I really wanted to see if his character had overcome his drinking problem.

C'mon bruh, you don't have more thoughts than that?

I thought you'd be legitimately interested in why the critical reception is so much better than for Vengeance. I mean, you certainly talked a lot of shit about Vengeance.

 

[andyjeezy]

Tried to watch and couldn't do it.<{CMPALM}>

 

[Guestx]

Where is Cannon when you need them?

Gone but not forgotten.

Someone needs to come along and pick up where they left off and make more awesome ninja movies.

 

[DaleBoca]

What was the best martial arts film in the last decade? I don’t mean, action scenes and fights, I mean best story?

 

[BisexualMMA]

What was the best martial arts film in the last decade? I don’t mean, action scenes and fights, I mean best story?

Warrior? Ip Man?

 

[Guestx]

What was the best martial arts film in the last decade? I don’t mean, action scenes and fights, I mean best story?

A lot of people would probably say Warrior, but just off the top of my head, I'm thinking Blood and Bone.

It was a simple story, but I found it satisfying. I also think it's hard to judge an MA movie and not factor in the quality of the fight scenes.

You see it?

 

[TheRuthlessOne]

A lot of people would probably say Warrior, but just off the top of my head, I'm thinking Blood and Bone.

It was a simple story, but I found it satisfying. I also think it's hard to judge an MA movie and not factor in the quality of the fight scenes.

You see it?

Anything with Kimbo Slice is shit tier

Rip Kimbo

 

[Guestx]

Anything with Kimbo Slice is shit tier

Rip Kimbo

You need to watch it. It's actually one of the best DTV martial arts films of all time. One of those movies that shows that just because it's an action movie that went direct-to-video doesn't mean it has to suck.

 

[DaleBoca]

A lot of people would probably say Warrior, but just off the top of my head, I'm thinking Blood and Bone.

It was a simple story, but I found it satisfying. I also think it's hard to judge an MA movie and not factor in the quality of the fight scenes.

You see it?

I saw Warrior but I’ve forgotten about it.

I’ll add blood and bone to my list. Thanks.

 

[BisexualMMA]

A lot of people would probably say Warrior, but just off the top of my head, I'm thinking Blood and Bone.

It was a simple story, but I found it satisfying. I also think it's hard to judge an MA movie and not factor in the quality of the fight scenes.

You see it?

Kimbo, Carano and Sapp, oh my...

 

[DaleBoca]

Kimbo, Carano and Sapp, oh my...

Haywire was a fun watch.

 

[OverCoronavirus Pressure]

Where is Cannon when you need them?

Ah, the 80's, the Golden Age of action flicks. Cheeeeeeeesey action flicks.

 

[DaleBoca]

Ah, the 80's, the Golden Age of action flicks. Cheeeeeeeesey action flicks.

If you haven’t seen the documentary on Cannon, you should.

 

[Guestx]

If you haven’t seen the documentary on Cannon, you should.

There are actually two.

I'm sure you're talking about Electric Boogaloo. There's another one called
The Go-Go Boys: The Inside Story of Cannon Films.

I'd post the trailer but there's nudity and the mods frown upon that. You can go look it up though.

 

[OverCoronavirus Pressure]

If you haven’t seen the documentary on Cannon, you should.

Oh, I have. I had quite forgotten that Marina Sirtis got away from those b- movie titshow gigs for Star Trek.

It's funny that Denise Crosby chose to leave ST and a lifetime of royalties for b- movies.