Bloodsport (1988)

Tagline: The secret contest where the world’s greatest warriors fight in a battle to the death.

Curiosity: Considering how strongly I support gay issues, I feel like I should watch more gay cinema. Also, the film came packaged with my copy of Showdown in Little Tokyo.

Plot: Based on the TOTALLY REAL LIFE STORY of Frank Dux (Jean-Claude Van Damme), Bloodsport chronicles a white guy’s attempt to be the first Westerner to win the Kumite, a fighting tournament held in Hong Kong. Will he be able to defeat an international cartel of warriors, including last year’s winner, Chong Li ( Bolo Yeung)? Will the U.S. government shut him down before he even gets that far? WILL HE TELL RAY JACKSON (Donald “Ogre” Gibb) THAT HE LOVES HIM?!

Thoughts: Though he’s been a joke for a decade or two, it’s easy to see why so many people thought Jean-Claude Van Damme would be a star thanks to Bloodsport. The guy looks good throughout the film – his fight scenes are intense, his English is passable, he’s at ease with comedy, and he can do a perfect freaking split. Say what you will about what came later *cough Street Fighter cough*, but Van Damme delivers an incredible performance in Bloodsport.

In fact, the film is incredible almost across the board, as long we’re talking about the tournament itself. Bloodsport has two distractions: love interest Janice Kent (Leah Ayres) isn’t that interesting, and a subplot about U.S. government agents (a young Forest Whitaker and a not-so-young Norman Burton) doesn’t pay off at all. But within the context of the Kumite, Bloodsport is a kickass fightin’ flick. Yeung, who doest not look 49 at the time of filming, is downright terrifying as the warrior Chong Li. Dude knows how to give the crazy eyes. The chemistry between Van Damme and Gibb is palpable; they really do seem like friends.

Bloodsport is also remarkable because of how gradual it is about the whole fighting experience. I know training montages are cliché, but Bloodsport takes the time to explain Dux’s past – via montage – before getting to the gory details. It’s a great payoff.

Reflection: I’m pretty that this was the inspiration for Mortal Kombat’s Johnny Cage. Punching testes works against er’rybody but Goro. Also, The Quest, which also starred Van Damme, totally ripped this movie off.