Bloodsport(1988)
Independent Feb 26, 1988 | Limited
"Bloodsport" follows Frank Dux, an American martial artist serving in the military, who decides to leave the army to compete in a martial arts tournament in Hong Kong where fights to the death can occur.
Note: Distributed by Cannon Film Distributors
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- Sun Aug 23
- Mon Aug 24
- Tue Aug 25
- Wed Aug 26
- Thu Aug 27
- Fri Aug 28
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Director & Top Cast
Technical Specifications
Sound Mix: Ultra Stereo,Dolby Atmos,Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1
Other Details
Country of Origin: United States
Language: English
Summaries
Plot Summary
- U.S. Army Captain Frank Dux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) has trained in the ways of Ninjutsu under his Sensei Senzo Tanaka (Roy Chiao). As a boy, Dux and a group of his friends broke into Tanaka's home to steal a Katana, but Dux was apprehended while returning the Katana to its place. Dux was forced to participate in the theft by his friends, who ran away, dropping the Katana, at the first sign of activity inside the house. Dux did not run and instead respectfully put the Katana back in its place.Senzo finds Dux and says that he cannot steal a Katana but can earn it. Dux does not flinch when Senzo cuts off part of Dux's cap with the Katana, while he was wearing it. Impressed by Dux's integrity and toughness, Senzo decided to train him alongside his son, Shingo (Sean Ward). Gradually Shingo and Dux become best friends. Shingo's dream was to make Tanaka proud by competing in the Kumite.After Shingo's death, Senzo trains Dux as a member of the Tanaka clan. Senzo took pride in his family's generational knowledge of the martial arts and was heartbroken that the chain was broken with Shingo's death. Senzo had lost his first family in WW II during the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima. Senzo came to the US for a fresh start to his life. He says that he married again to pass on the 2000-year-old knowledge on martial arts that had been passed from father to son in his family, for generations.But Dux steps up and says he will be a son to Senzo and will keep the Tanaka tradition alive. The training is brutal, but Dux learns how to control pain, fight blindfolded and how to meditate till nothing can distract him. As Dux completes his training, Senzo gifts him the very Katana that Dux had once come to steal with his friends.Dux is invited to the Kumite, an illegal martial arts tournament in Hong Kong. Dux is now in the US Army. After his Army superiors Colonel Cooke (Ken Boyle) refuse to let him go, Dux goes absent without leave, says goodbye to his Sensei (who is a sick old man now and on his death bed) and leaves for Hong Kong. Senzo tells Dux that he has all the knowledge that Senzo could have given him, and wishes him the best for the tournament, which Dux wants to win to honor Senzo.Two Criminal Investigation Command agents, Helmer (Norman Burton) and Rawlins (Forest Whitaker), are assigned to track down and arrest Dux. They question Mrs. Tanaka (Lily Leung) to figure out Dux's location, but she refuses to say anything. They eventually find his name on a flight to HK and head there.After arriving in Hong Kong, Dux befriends American Vale Tudo fighter Ray Jackson (Donald Gibb) and their guide Victor Lin (Ken Siu). They bond over playing some arcade games together. Kumite is a full contact martial arts tournament and only the best of the best are invited from all over the world to compete. When they arrive at the Kumite arena in a narrow alley, in the walled city area of HK, after passing an invisible border into China, the officials are skeptical even though Jackson and Dux have their invitations. But eventually accept them after Dux proves his connection to the Tanaka clan by performing the Dim Mak death touch by breaking only the bottom brick in the whole pile, leaving the rest intact.The Kumite is organized every 5 years by the Black Dragon society to test martial arts skills in the fighters. There are 3 ways to win, knock out, run the opponent off the runway, or the opponent concedes by saying "Matte". On the first day of the tournament, Dux earns the enmity of the ruthless Kumite champion Chong Li (Bolo Yeung) after breaking his record for the fastest knockout. Chong Li is undefeated in the tournament, the defending champion and killed an opponent at the last Kumite, by kicking him in the throat.Dux becomes involved with American journalist Janice Kent (Leah Ayres), who is investigating the Kumite. Kent is looking to get into the event so she can experience it firsthand, but none of the fighters are willing to help her. They have dinner and then sex. Although Dux refuses to help her, she sneaks into the arena by agreeing to a date with another spectator. On the second day, Jackson is matched against Chong Li. Dux tells Jackson to attack Chong Li's stomach and to stay away from his right leg. Although Jackson comes close to defeating Li, he wastes time gloating, allowing Li to recover and viciously beat him. Dux visits Jackson in the hospital and vows to avenge him. After witnessing the brutality of the tournament, Kent argues with Dux and tries to convince him not to return. Dux tells her that he has to win in order to become the best he can be.Helmer and Rawlins arrive in Hong Kong and contact local police inspector Chen (Philip Chan). They begin asking around for Dux and track him down to his hotel. A chase through the downtown ensues but Dux evades them when they fall into a canal. When Dux arrives at the Kumite, Helmer and Rawlins are waiting for him, along with Chen and four of his officers. He eludes them as well but agrees to return with Helmer and Rawlins after the tournament.On the final day, Li kills his semifinal opponent, much to the consternation of the crowd. Fearing defeat against Dux, Li conceals a salt pill in his waistband before the final match against Dux. When Dux gains the upper hand, Li blinds him by crushing the pill and throwing it into Dux's face. Dux falls back on his training from Tanaka, who taught him to fight blindfolded, overcoming the handicap and defeating Li by making him utter the phrase "Matte"The next day, he bids farewell to Kent and Jackson before returning to the United States with Helmer and Rawlins. Dux wins 329 Kumite matches between 1975 & 1979 & retired undefeated. He still holds 4 world records in the tournament, including fastest KO 3.2 secs & most consecutive KO's 56.
Storyline
- Frank Dux , an American martial artist serving in the military, who decides to leave the army to compete in a martial arts tournament in Hong Kong where fights to the death can occur. Frank Dux has spent most his life being trained by Tanaka to participate in the Kumite, the ultimate martial arts tournament, where participants are seriously injured, even killed. Frank decides to go despite being told by his superiors in the army that he can't because they need him. Two army officers are sent to get him and the trail leads to Hong Kong but Frank eludes them. While Frank advances, he knows that he may have to face Chong Li, the defending champion, who has killed a few participants. — rcs0411@yahoo.com When a martial arts-trained soldier learns of an underground fight-to-the-death tournament through the last words of his dying sensei, he must travel to Hong Kong while avoiding capture from his military superiors so he can fight his way to the top in the deadly competition to honor the legacy of his sensei. — Turi Haim Frank Dux has entered the "kumite", an illegal underground martial-arts competition where serious injury and even death are not unknown. In town for the fight are a number of fighters (all with different styles), as well as a journalist determined to get her story. Chong Li, a particularly ruthless and vicious fighter is the favourite, but then again Dux has never fought him before. — Murray Chapman
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