The movie is pretty bad. The story, acting, (lack of) development, etc. But this is the kind of "you get what you pay for" bad. You watch this movie probably because you grew up with Van Damme's first movies, and remember Tong Po as one of the first movie antagonists that actually gave you nightmares.
None of that charm is here. Van Damme is without inspiration and makes you wonder why people ever thought he was a dominant or flashy fighter. The charm is in the new Kurt Sloan, played by Alain Moussi. Not that he is a good actor, but he has a boyish charm, combined with true martial arts skills. The actual surprise however came in 2 forms. (1) Tong Po played by Bautista. That guy is for real, nuff said. And (2) the many cameos by todays real fighters who can be recognized if you're a fan of Glory Kickboxing and UFC.
Watch this movie like you would watch a remake of Mortal Kombat, or a remake of the Turtles. Therefor this is an acceptable remake of the original Kickboxer with a few nice worthy moments. Just don't expect anything from Van Damme, because those one or two slow kicks aren't worth staying awake for.
None of that charm is here. Van Damme is without inspiration and makes you wonder why people ever thought he was a dominant or flashy fighter. The charm is in the new Kurt Sloan, played by Alain Moussi. Not that he is a good actor, but he has a boyish charm, combined with true martial arts skills. The actual surprise however came in 2 forms. (1) Tong Po played by Bautista. That guy is for real, nuff said. And (2) the many cameos by todays real fighters who can be recognized if you're a fan of Glory Kickboxing and UFC.
Watch this movie like you would watch a remake of Mortal Kombat, or a remake of the Turtles. Therefor this is an acceptable remake of the original Kickboxer with a few nice worthy moments. Just don't expect anything from Van Damme, because those one or two slow kicks aren't worth staying awake for.