Bloodsport

Bloodsport is, and always will be, Van Damme's greatest display of his martial talent. While it seems to have a similar storyline to other martial arts films, this one differs in that it is based on the true events of Frank Dux, who also assisted the fighters for this movie.

Anyone at all that doubts Van Damme's talent as a fighter, should see this film.

Bolo Yeung also makes a spectacular appearance as the evil one in the tournament. He acts about as cruel and heartless as one can get, and he makes the perfect climax for the film.

If you are after a good quality martial arts film, and you haven't seen Bloodsport, then this is the one for you. If you have seen it, then you will know why it deserves the title of 'best martial arts film of the century'.

This movie all about fighting,and the fact that it is based on a true story just makes it better. This is the first time Van Damme fights Bolo Yeung and it is a spectacular fight he also fights him in Double impact. Bolo is the perfect evil guy and his fighting style is one of a kind.

They dont make movies like this anymore. Bad acting and story,but you gotto love it anyway.

Bloodsport is an excellent movie, which includes everything a martial arts fan can possibly dream off... Great fight-choreography, excellent filming, fine music and a good story. The movie takes you to a world of fighting where "only the strongest wins". Jean Claude van Damme as Frank Dux, a young, talented martial artist. This was THE movie for van Damme, beside Kickboxer, he has never preformed so well.

Watch & Enjoy !!

When it debuted, "Bloodsport" was to have been a story of the famed martial artist and miltary hero, Frank Dux. According to Dux, he won the ultra-secret 'Kumite'...a no holds barred martial arts international competition. He also was a top secret operative for the military and went on all sorts of scary missions in various countries. Unfortunately, pretty much none of Dux's claims turned out to be true! However, I assume no one other than Dux knew it at the time AND the star of "Bloodsport", Jean-Claude Van Damme, was no phony--having been a very accomplished full-contact fighter with championships to his credit. So, while the story turns out to be a load of crap, you cannot fault Van Damme and it's among his best films.

The lead up to Dux (Van Damme) going to the Kumite is confusing....like two separate movies tossed together. One shows him running away from the army to fight in the competition. Another shows him working for years with his Master to get ready for the competition! This was confusing and the chronology made no sense.

Once the film heads overseas to the Kumite, things improve considerably. Dux strikes up a friendship with a nice but dopey lug who is also in the Kumite (Donald Gibb). Ultimately, an insanely sociopathic competitor unleashes EVERYTHING on the lug and leaves him a battered mess. And, ultimately, Dux must also fight this Chong Li. Is such an ignominious ending also in store for Dux as well?

While I am not a huge fan of the Van Damme films, he did make some good ones and his martial arts skills are truly amazing. If you watch "Bloodsport", you'll see what I mean. Van Damme is a very impressive athlete instead of just being some actor....and his athletic skills are far superior to his acting skills. Seeing his splits and many of the action scenes leave you breathless!

So is the film itself any good? After all, we know now that nobody (other than Dux) believes the story to be true. Well, despite the spotty background to Dux and the film, it is a very good film for the genre. Like many 80s films, it has montages, 80s pop music, slow-motion and all the standard cliches...but it does them all so well and Van Damme is so good in the story. Overall, a surprisingly good film that holds up well today.

The military Frank Dux (Jean Claude Van Damme) abandons his base to participate in the Kumite, a dangerous secret competition in Hong Kong. Before embarking in the airplane, Frank visits his martial arts trainer Senzo Tanaka (Roy Chiao), who is terminal, and promises to win the tournament to honor him. Frank travels to Hong Kong and befriends the fighter Ray Jackson (Donald Gibb) that is lodged in the same hotel and has a love affair with the journalist Janice Kent (Leah Ayres). However the American officers Helmer (Norman Burton) and Rawlins (Forest Whitaker) chase him to bring home back to the base without injuries. Meanwhile Frank and the dirty Japanese fighter Chong Li (Bolo Yeung), who won the last Kumite, are winning their fights and coming to the ultimate fight.

"Bloodsport" is an early Van Damme´s film and also one of his best films ever, disclosing the refuted story of the American martial artist Frank Dux. The screenplay is funny and engaging with excellent fight choreography. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Grande Dragão Branco" ("The Great White Dragon")