Savate

Directed by Isaac Florentine (the guy gav martial arts fans Boyka n Undisputed series). I first saw this in the late 90s on cable tv. Fans of martial arts can watch it once. Enough action to satisfy martial arts. The lead guy Oliver Gruner is a talented martial artist. The epic fly scene shudnt b miss by anyone. Bad acting by Ashley Laurence (Hellraiser movies). James Brolin looks as if he doesn't kno what he is doing. Some cool sun soaked settings for western fans.

This martial arts movie was anything but ordinary. Instead of Asian martial arts, it's French martial arts. Meaning "French boxing", this movie didn't bore me a bit. "Kung Fu" was all about wisdom, "Savate" was more about honor. If you seen "The Quest" with Van Damme, you should be getting a kick out of "Savate". This fighter fought the honor of both countries: France and the U.S. Avenging the dead homesteader was very honorable, and keeping the promise of his comrade was also great. If the pole didn't stop the German, the bullet did! And this movie was definitely great for the martial arts buffs as well. If you're tired of Van Damme. 2.5 out of 5 stars 7 out of 10

"Savate" is the reincarnation of the 1960s /1970s "Spaghetti Western", only this time around Clint Eastwood has been replaced by Oliver Gruner, and gunplay mostly supplanted by kick boxing. This uneasy combination sometimes works, but the script is so predictable that it mostly sputters along to a foregone conclusion. The film borrows heavily from Sergio Leone's masterpieces with fly catching, a death similar to Charles Bronson's Brother in "Once Upon a Time in the West", and a land grab due to the railroad coming through. Perhaps the best "borrowed" element is the score, which is extremely Morricone like, and quite good. I'm sure fans of the kickboxing movies will find plenty to criticize , and the Italian Western devotes will have seen it all before. Nevertheless, "Savate" is totally watchable, and certainly better than a lot of the lesser "Spaghetti Westerns." - MERK

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!

This movie should have been made in the 1970's.

Then they could have got away with the wooden acting, the ludicrously cliche-d plot, and the frankly obsolete fight scenes.

Oliver G is obviously a talented martial artist: which makes wasting him in this movie even more of a crime. Compared to the latest Jet Li movies or some of the new bullet-time films (e.g. The Matrix, Swordfish) this film strikes with the speed of a snoozing earthworm.

Let me give you an example. Final fight scene...big baddie just about out on his feet...our hero, a bullet in his leg, is standing on one foot kicking the bounder right-left about the head. Technically very good stuff: balance, poise, position etc etc. But realistic? Not even close. I put it to you, Oliver, that if you've kicked him in the head six times already, and he hasn't gone down, then you need to change your tactics a little. Why doesn't he just boot him between the legs and then stamp on his head to finish him? It's what he did to our hero's best pal earlier in the film! Just cos Savate is a kicking style with many impressive high kicks in its repetoire doesn't mean you don't kick someone lower down. You thigh kicked him a moment ago...why not try something a little bit more direct?

This may sound a bit extreme, but poor fight choreography in what's billed as an exciting martial arts masterpiece is bad for the genre as a whole. Say I'm new to chop-sockey's. I see, buy or rent Savate. I'm disappointed. I don't go and see, buy, rent a martial arts movie ever again.

Come on, people, try a little harder please!