Kickboxer: Megtorlás

The beginning is batshit crazy. I felt similar like when watching Hot Shots and wondered whether someone wasn’t pulling my leg. Honestly, Alain Moussi did not show his best and unfortunately, his taciturnity and lack of good acting didn’t save the film as a whole. Luckily, it does not stand only on him. The creators know very well he is not that great to just build the whole movie around him. So they brought along Jean-Claude Van Damme, who is once again blind but finally has some scenes that entertain and please all his fans. Then there is the extremely awkward Christopher Lambert, who overacts more than a dog pack in a dog documentary. Anyhow, his scenes entertain and do not ruin the movie. Alongside this crew there is also Mike Tyson and the Icelandic mountain of a man Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who fit right in. Plus, you will enjoy a lot of fights – there are more fighting scenes than dialogues – so in the end I think three stars is just enough. The movie is full of extremes but if you’ve watched a number of similar movies, you will not be disappointed. (2018.01.11)

White Warrior! White Warrior! White Warrior! White Warrior! A marvelously subtitled work where coach Jean-Claude Van Damme can hardly believe his eyes and is lucky no one bit his ear off. Overloaded with a plethora of supposedly thrilling fight scenes, which, due to frequent slow-motion shots, only needed the occasional flying dove (until Ronaldinho knocked them out with a volley). If this tires you out, you’ll get a dose of macho speeches and interludes of mentor wisdom (you must anticipate the movement of the air before it happens, regardless of whether your opponent had legumes for lunch). The endless final "gladiatorial" fight against the Icelandic clumsy oaf lacked credibility without any cuts, bruises, or visible contusions. As it was, the doctor was only there to pronounce the time of death, and he should have his diploma revoked for that. (2023.03.01)

Jean-Claude Van Damme, Christopher Lambert, Mike Tyson, and The Mountain from Game of Thrones in the sequel to Kickboxer? That doesn't sound bad at all. At least to a certain group of fans. What could go wrong? Unfortunately, everything. The whole point of arena fights is that you just have to root for the protagonist. You can't do it without that. For it to work, it has to win your sympathy somehow. Alain Moussi may have a good physique, but he lacks Van Damme's charisma and distinctive style. That was the basis of the first Kickboxer, which was extremely dilettantishly shot but had its charm thanks to JCVD. While Kickboxer Retaliation constantly tries to visually stun you (a fight in a prison in one long take, a fight in a mirrored room lit up with ultraviolet light, a fight on the roof of a moving train - there are, god knows, two of those!), it fails to captivate you. The characters are bland and unmemorable, the action is devoid of juice, tension, emotion, escalation and proper timing – instead of living it, you rather survive it. The final fight with The Mountain is so drawn out that I almost fell asleep during it. The non-action scenes are confusingly narrated and oddly edited. It can be appreciated only by hardcore MMA connoisseurs, who can be satisfied with seeing their favourite fighters on screen. Better watch Brawl in Cell Block 99 instead. It has a very similar plot and is the best exploitation film of the year. (2017.12.27)