ActionThrillerDrama

Bloodsport

- The true story of an American ninja.

An American Army Major goes AWOL to Hong Kong for an outlawed martial arts contest called the Kumite.

Release Date : 1988-02-26

Language :CantoneseEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : The Cannon Group

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles : Bloodsport IContacto Sangriento

Cast

Character Name : Frank Dux

Original Name : Jean-Claude Van Damme

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chong Li

Original Name : Bolo Yeung Sze

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ray Jackson

Original Name : Donald Gibb

Gender : Male

Character Name : Janice Kent

Original Name : Leah Ayres

Gender : Female

Character Name : Helmer

Original Name : Norman Burton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Rawlins

Original Name : Forest Whitaker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Senzo Tanaka

Original Name : Roy Chiao

Gender : Male

Character Name : Captain Chen

Original Name : 陈欣健

Gender : Male

Character Name : Victor Lin

Original Name : Kenneth Siao Wai-Keung

Gender : Male

Character Name : Paco

Original Name : Paulo Tocha

Gender : Male

Character Name : Young Frank

Original Name : Pierre Rafini

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hiro

Original Name : Kimo Lai Kwok Ki

Gender : Male

Character Name : Oshima

Original Name : Bill Yuen Ping Kuen

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Tanaka

Original Name : Shun-Yin Leung

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chuck / Older Boy

Original Name : Joshua Schroder

Gender : Male

Character Name : Toon

Original Name : 张午郎

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gustafson

Original Name : Jahangir Ghaffari

Gender : Male

Character Name : Toon

Original Name : 張華

Gender : Male

Character Name : Parades

Original Name : Michel Qissi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hossein

Original Name : Bernard Mariano

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shingo

Original Name : Sean Ward

Gender : Male

Character Name : Desk Clerk

Original Name : Johnny Lai

Gender : Male

Character Name : Referee

Original Name : AP George

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chinese Doctor

Original Name : Charles Wang

Gender : Male

Character Name : Chuan

Original Name : Dennis Chiu

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pumola

Original Name : David Ho

Gender : Male

Character Name : Morra

Original Name : Eric Neff

Gender : Male

Character Name : Yasuda

Original Name : Michael Chan

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cotard

Original Name : Rick Erikson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Luu

Original Name : John Law

Gender : Male

Character Name : Janitor

Original Name : Mandy Chan Chi-Man

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Dux

Original Name : Claude Heme

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Dux

Original Name : Susan Sheers

Gender : Female

Character Name : Chong Li's Trainer

Original Name : Wilson Lee

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

You told me to use any tactic that works, never to commit yourself to one style, to keep an open mind! Bloodsport is directed by Newt Arnold and written by Christopher Cosby, Mel Friedman and Sheldon Lettich. It stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, Donald Gibb, Leah Ayres, Norman Burton, Forest Whitaker and Bolo Yeung. Music is by Paul Hertzog and cinematography by David Worth. One of the earlier films that made Van Damme into a star, Bloodsport finds Van Damme as real life martial artist Frank Dux. Dux enters into the famed Kumite, a no nonsense tournament in Hong Kong and must overcome various hurdles to hopefully achieve his goals. As is the norm for a Van Damme action movie, particularly where his late 80s and early 90s output is concerned, one has to be prepared for some at best average acting and a flimsy plot. Plot follows a familiar Van Damme trajectory, his character will yearn to overcome adversity, go through a strenuous training programme, meet and make friends and enemies, produce some outstanding martial artistry, and end up in a winner takes all fight for justice, revenge, honour... Away from the seriously great fighting skills showcased by Van Damme and the other martial artists he comes up against, there's not a lot of artistic film making craft on show. But as fans of this sort of stuff will tell you, and I'm one of that number, it matters not, for they deliver exactly what we expect. Great fight choreography, a super Kumite montage, a vile villain who needs his ass kicked, and of course lots of Van Damage as we hurtle towards what we hope will be a triumphant finale. Hooray! Though supposedly based on facts in Frank Dux's life, this has been called into question over the years, so best to just observe it as an energised martial arts film rather than a part biography piece. 7/10

GenerationofSwine

@GenerationofSwine

2023-01-11

I've been pretty harsh reviewing Jean-Claude Van Damme movies, and even though he is significantly older than me, I have the feeling he can still kick my butt, so maybe I should back off a little. Honestly though, this one is pretty watchable. Make no mistake, it is no Chinatown, but, who cares, it is a fun way to hit all the tropes of the martial arts genre and it does it in a way that you know is going to be copied, even if it was already kind of a copy of Enter the Dragon only without the art. So, what you have is a bloody trope filled film that is fun to watch and vaguely (in the vaguest sense of the word vaguely) based kinda sorta on a true story that one guy said happened and was never really verified. So.... sit back and pop some corn, you'll love this.