The King of the Kickboxers

I played Mr Director, a talking bit-part, in the filming on-location at Khao Yai National Park, Thailand.

I won't bore you with production secrets like Sherri Rose running all the way from the National Park to downtown Bangkok in 17 seconds flat, I'll just focus on content.

Billy Blanks at that time was 7-Time All-World Full-Contact Karate Champion, in excellent form, hard as nails, and Avedon wasn't.

This sets the basic dilemma for the director: Keith Hirabachi was an All-American champion, Billy was a champion, but the STAR of the film wasn't up to much at all, karate-wise! So there are shots in the film where, in the thick of brawling, Avedon's hair changes to the exact color of his stunt-double's hair... or that ridiculous scene in the climax where Billy's thick, kicking leg is stopped by Avedon, who then ADJUSTS IT, in order to flip Billy...

Puh-leeze! Billy's bits, and Keith's and Ong's... they're authentic, and add something to the film... but as good an actor as Avedon is, with this plot/framework/vehicle and his skinny shanks, the film became a verging-on-ludicrous tale of "Chunky Yellow Man Teaches Skinny White Man to Beat BIG, THICK BLACK Man!" Its inauthentic, through and through...

But what the hey! Its a yarn! Karridine/John Kay

The King of the Kickboxers (1991) was another U.S./Hong Kong co-production from N.G. and the other folks at Seasonal Films. Like most of N.G.'s productions, the kung-fu films that usual come from Seasonal are cheesy with a heavy dose of high energy fighting. That's what I like about his films. He doesn't even try to be serious or make an attempt to elevate the source material. This film is no exception.

An arrogant fighter is given an assignment to find out who's making "real" kung-fu movies in Thailand (like Mexico where life is cheap). He's also intrigued by the mission because of what happened to him the last time he visited Bangkok. Whilst in Bangkok he learns about the presence of a vicious Kickboxer (Billy Blanks). Not only does he get a free trip to Thailand but he can settle an old score.

Filled with many references to Kickboxer and parodies of other Seasonal Films productions. King of the Kickboxers is a very entertaining film. The film-makers and the actors seem to be having a whole lot of fun making this one. So sit back and relax. When watching this video gem remember "It's only a movie!"

Highly recommended!

A

For a period of a couple of years, Loren Avedon appeared in several great martial arts movies with well choreographed, really fun and enjoyable martial arts action. King of the Kickboxers is another great movie and quite similar to the No Retreat, No Surrender movies which were all fun. It's entertainment from beginning to end, superb fighting is what this is about. Don't look for acting, story or things like that, because there aren't any. The appearance of Billy Blanks adds something extra to this film. He's a bad guy in this, and IMHO he suits that better than being a good guy. I think it's because he lacks that special 'good guy charisma', but as a villain he's great.

This film is so focused on the fighting they forget the name of the main character...we are introduced to a cop named "Jake", but then the woman he is trying to save at the end can't be bothered to remember what his name is; she calls him "Jack" NUMEROUS TIMES.

There are so many other cheesy lines which have been mentioned in these reviews...how funny is it when Avedon, looking like he's going to burst into tears, sternly demands Blanks to LET THE GIRL GO!! Great stuff.

BTW...I believe Blanks' finisher is U, U, D, D, L, R, L, R, B, A.

I can't explain it, but I love this movie. What gives that movie the edge is the performance of Keith Cooke and Billy Blanks. Loren Avedon cannot keep up with them although he plays the main character (who is quite arrogant in my opinion). The film features decent fights with moody music, all overacted and unrealistic but highly entertaining. When Jake, still in the US, watches that movies and complains about their low quality, its "No retreat, no surrender 3" (starring Loren Avedon, too) and one might find a small piece of self-irony, too.