A key film in Jean-Claude Van Damme’s career, this is the one that first gave an indication that the Muscles from Brussels could escape from straight-to-video hell and into the mainstream.
Plotwise, this is nothing special: Van Damme is Kurt Sloane, the brother of an injured kickboxing champion, who enters the ring seeking revenge.
However, the fight sequences are staged with such élan that it is easy to ignore the hackneyed script – Van Damme had a hand in that as well – and rather wooden performances.
After this, our hero moved on to bigger and better action vehicles, but the franchise continued without him, spawning several sequels.
Kurt Sloane
Jean-Claude Van Damme Eric Sloane
Dennis Alexio Xian Chow
Dennis Chan Tong Po
Tong Po Winston Taylor
Haskell Anderson Mylee
Rochelle Ashana Freddy Li
Steve Lee Tao Liu
Richard Foo
Director
Mark DiSalle
David Worth
You May Also Like
Kill or Cure (1962) Fans of the sort of comedy produced by Terry-Thomas or Eric Sykes will find much to…
Kitty and the Bagman (1983) This notorious Australian flop is set in Sydney during the Roaring 20s. Beautiful Kitty O'Rourke (Liddy…
Betsy's Wedding (1989) In Betsy's Wedding, Eddie Hopper (Alan Alda) shows off and gives daughter Betsy (Molly Ringwald) a fabulous…
Wilt (1989) Based on the novel by Tom Sharpe, Wilt charts the problems of Henry Wilt (Griff Rhys Jones), an…
Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) Fun-loving, guitar-playing, history-flunking airheads Theodore "Ted" Logan and Bill S. Preston, Esquire, first came on the…
Firm, The (1989) Although estate agent Clive 'Bex' Bissell (Gary Oldman) - the leader of a notorious football hooligan…
GhostBusters II (1989) When a 16th-century tyrant and a river of angry pink ooze threaten New York City, who…
Say Anything (1989) Not deemed worthy of a UK cinema release, this intelligent little gem stems from the pen…
