[yasr_overall_rating]
A kickboxer is out to avenge his brother.
The problem with “Kickboxer: Vengeance,” a re-make of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s 1989 cult classic, is that it doesn’t have one original bone in its body. And while Van Damme makes an appearance in the movie, unfortunately, he is not enough to save it. We have two brothers, Kurt and Eric Sloane (Alain Moussi & Darren Shahlavi respectively), and when Eric decides to fly to Thailand to participate in an underground fight to the death, much to his brother’s disapproval, and loses his life, Kurt vows revenge. He follows in Eric’s footsteps and tries to take on the behemoth Tong Po (Dave Bautista), the man who killed his brother but before he has a chance to get close, he is arrested for trespassing and taken away. Kurt pays a visit to the morgue to say goodbye to Eric and then discovers that his trainer, Master Durand (Jean-Claude Van Damme), is holding the entry fee Eric earned for the fight before he lost his life.
Mad at the entire world, he tries to take on Durand, claiming that he failed Eric as a trainer but he is no match for him. Durand then states that he will train him as Kurt has vowed to kill Tong Po, no matter what it takes. The majority of the film is then spent watching the overconfident and know-it-all Kurt, realize that he is not as good as he thinks, and must redeem himself by actually listening to Durand, a man who has fought and trained in martial arts for decades, before he is eventually ready to take on Tong Po. We have the clichéd and archetypal scenes of Kurt training, accompanied by fast-paced, inspirational music that worked much better in “Rocky III” and even “Rocky IV,” but here, they are more embarrassing than inspirational.
The movie never once tries to inject any originality into the story: two brothers versed in martial arts – check! One dies – check! The other vows revenge – check! Realizes he needs to improve his game before taking on bad guy – check! Is trained by a washed-out mentor – check! Finally takes on bad guy – and wins – check! Roll credits. When critiquing a bad film, I typically try to find some redeeming qualities it has to offer but the mistake the producers have made here is that they are relying solely on a singular fan-base, particularly that of Mr. Van Damme, and the nostalgia factor his earlier movie brings with it today. There is a sizable budget on display here, beautiful locations, and a decent line-up of impressive martial artists, including the always-formidable Dave Bautista, and with such an ambitious cast, it completely baffles me that the fights themselves, look as though they were choreographed by children. In many scenes, it is quite obvious that the actors are pulling their punches and not giving it their all, something necessary in a film of this ilk.
Obviously, it’s all make-believe, but to add a sense of realism, these scenes need to be rehearsed and practiced repeatedly, before going in front of the camera. As an indie filmmaker myself for the past thirty years, I can make these accusations because I have been there, and sometimes, punches land on the face, or in the stomach but they’re big boys, they can handle it. Another big no-no, is having Gina Carano in the film, a top-notch, mixed martial artist, only to have her speak a few lines and then disappear. “Kickboxer: Vengeance” wants to take on the mantle of successor to Van Damme’s 1989 flick but it literally falls flat and dead on arrival. If Van Damme has any sense, he would steer clear of any future sequels utilizing the word Kickboxer, including next year’s aptly titled “Kickboxer: Retaliation” but upon further inspection, he is actually listed as the star of that film. “Kickboxer: Vengeance” has a decent-enough premise for a movie of this variety but it is in the film’s execution where it deteriorates quickly and never regains traction.
Available on Blu-ray & DVD Tuesday, November 8th
