Savate, Lutador Indomável

Wasnt expecting much from this film, the dvd was cheap and the cover made it look like a dodgy kickboxing docu-film ... but I was suprised. Grunner delivers a lot of action and shows off his kickboxing skills, which he should do more in his films because his acting isnt what we are watching for! also Ashley Laurence (Hellraiser I/II) co-stars, and still looks fine. ;) The music is good too, coming straight from some of Clints classic Westerns!

I will admit that this is not the best film to ever be made, yet it is still one that is worth seeing more than once (personal opinion).

The plot is a little bit on the dumb side: a French soldier acting like he's Clint Eastwood, a martial artist fighting people in the 1860's Texas. That does not, however, keep the viewer from being entertained in a slightly dumb way.

The good thing is that Oliver Gruner is a talented martial artist (even if his films are mostly cheap stuff done to pay the mortgage) and his acting is not that bad (I've seen PLENTY worse).

Overall, a decent film, not a waste of time and money to watch.

I am the first to admit that it sounds a little bit weird to shoot a martial arts movie with a "cowboy scenery", but the movie actually turns out OK.

Olivier Grüner is a former soldier in the french(?) army, who is searching for his long lost enemy... The movie includes the standard good vs bad and good boy gets pretty girl stories, and the movie reaches a climax at a "tough-man" tournament at the end. A tournament in the wild west with capoeira, kung-fu, savate , boxing etc.

Overall the movie is light entertainment with some very good fighting scenes.. (I give it 6/10)

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

I'd imagine Olivier Gruner is a man who frequently ponders on the fates Lady Luck draws out for those in life.I mean,he's french,he's a top kickboxing champion and he has questionable acting ability (justified by his laughable emoting in certain parts of this movie).So what gives?Jean Claude Van Damme enjoys a large part of his career as a top ranking Hollywood action star,and all he ever acheives is a career in low budget,STV action movies.What you gonna do,huh?

The plot here has him in 1865 as mysterious army officer Josepth Charlemont,who rides through Texas in full Clint-Eastwood-High-Plains-Drifter style fashion,simply to 'pass through' (you mean there wasn't a shortcut he could have used?).However,when corrupt landowner Jack Benedict (choosing not to be credited,R Lee Ermey (he must have had a gas bill or something to pay.Oh,and,by the way,it's probably just my imagination,but is that not Bloodsport's Donald Gibb as a burly,bearded nearby homeowner?)) and his henchmen try to force people to sell their homes,he decides to teach them all a lesson.And not of the classroom kind.

The expected iffy performances and leaden production values aside,an interesting premise is not done much justice by a bland,witless script which all the fancy kickboxing action and pleasant scenery in the world really can't save.

These things are,however,welcome distractions,which,along with the compatable running time and some unintentional hilarity,make Savate all the more of a rewarding experience.**

An excellent off beat Western , loosely based on a real events and real character, Joseph Chalaemont, who was a key figure in the evolution of the French Boxing - Savate.

Good acting, good Martial arts and great western filming