The original Kickboxer series is available in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video. Few martial arts movie franchises offer as many installments as Kickboxer, which comprises five movies plus a reboot, which comes with two sequels of its own.
Admittedly, most of the franchise’s entries typically receive little attention. The first movie, on the other hand, is often hailed as one of the best martial arts movies of the 1980s, and is, at the very least, one of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s greatest contributions to the genre.
Of course, Van Damme had no involvement with any of the sequels in the original series, and didn’t return to the Kickboxer brand until it was rebooted with a three-film series. But that’s not to say the four 1980s and 1990s movies can’t entertain without him. Via Prime Video, an action-packed, five-movie story can be enjoyed from start to finish.
The First Kickboxer Movie Is One Of The Best In The Martial Arts Genre
Released in 1989, fresh off Jean-Claude Van Damme’s breakout role in Bloodsport, Kickboxer saw “The Muscles from Brussels” take on the role of Kurt Sloane, a martial artist who takes it upon himself to seek out and defeat the powerful and ruthless Tong Po, a fighter responsible for paralyzing his brother.
The premise of Kickboxer is executed brilliantly in the 1989 movie. Supported by a superb 1980s rock music soundtrack that perfectly suits the tone and feel of the movie, Kickboxer delivers the complete package in terms of what one would expect from a great martial arts movie.
A heart-pumping training sequence leads into a thrilling, well-choreographed final showdown between Kurt and Tong Po. Similar to Bolo Yeung’s villain character in Bloodsport, Tong Po’s size and physicality arm him with an intimidating presence in Kickboxer, which is what all great martial arts movie villains need to have.
A great final villain in Tong Po, a good revenge plotline as the foundation of the action, exciting music, and the intensity of the final fight (complete with some of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s coolest kicks) all combine to make Kickboxer a masterpiece of the martial arts genre.
The Kickboxer Series Follows 3 Different Protagonists, But It Has An Interconnected Story
After the first movie, the Kickboxer series left Jean-Claude Van Damme behind, but the movie’s follow-ups shouldn’t be viewed as in-name-only sequels. The second movie begins a new storyline, but connects it to the first film by shifting its focus to Kurt’s other brother, the previously unseen David Sloane, played by Sasha Mitchell.
While Jean-Claude Van Damme is the actor who usually comes to mind at the mention of Kickboxer, it’s Sasha Mitchell who was the driving force behind the bulk of the franchise. His David Sloane character was afforded a three-movie journey that consisted of Kickboxer 2, Kickboxer 3: The Art of War, and finally, Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor.
Played by Dennis Chan, Xian Chow appeared as an ally to Kurt Sloane in the first film and returned for the next two sequels as well, this time supporting David Sloane.
David being Kurt’s brother isn’t the only way that the series maintains its feel as a continuation of Kickboxer’s story. It also brings back Kurt’s original enemy, Tiger Po, allowing him to serve as the main villain of both Kickboxer 2 and Kickboxer 4.
Po was played by the same actor, Michael Qissi, in the second movie but was recast for the fourth film with Kamel Krifa.
The Kickboxer franchise’s David Sloane saga ended after the fourth movie, but it kept the narrative going in Redemption: Kickboxer 5 by pᴀssing the torch to a new martial arts hero in the form of Mark Dacascos’ Matt Reeves, who was revealed to be a friend of all three brothers and someone who trained alongside them.
The Kickboxer Sequels Are Underrated Martial Arts Films
As one of the best martial arts stars of his era, Jean-Claude Van Damme’s involvement ensured that the fighting in Kickboxer was top-notch throughout. His replacements lacked the star power of Van Damme, but didn’t disappoint when it came to their ability to entertain with their respective martial arts talents.
Sasha Mitchell’s martial arts background enabled the actor to really shine in multiple fight scenes across his three films. As for the fifth movie, it was an early showcase of just how good Dacascos is as a martial arts star, decades ahead of his much more mainstream outing in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.
Kickboxer 2, for its part, delivered a memorable character arc for David Sloane, notably infusing him with more depth than Van Damme’s Kurt and creating a fun dynamic between Mitchell’s hero and Xian. David Sloane’s story ultimately made Kickboxer 2 a fan-favorite, in spite of Van Damme’s absence.
In a sense, David Sloane’s journey can be even more compelling than that of its predecessor, considering that he has three movies of story, and therefore there’s ample time for the viewer to become deeply invested.
