MovieChat Forums > Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016) Discussion > whats wrong with film? I utterly loved i...

whats wrong with film? I utterly loved it.

posted 8 years ago by neo17ar
4 replies | jump to latest

Just finished with this the film and what a nice surprise it was.

I had my reservation with the lead guy but he was great through out the film. And actually every performance was decent and some of them strong.

Choreography was great. Loved every single fight. And Van Damme still has it. He is a legend.

Bautista was great. A proper untouchable badass and the last fight wad bloody great literally.

Hat off for this film, shame is been panned by people and critics alike.

The only character I didn't like was the MC before the fight but thats it.

Anyone around who shares my opinion?

[–] creatorof2002 8 years ago

I just saw it. It WAS good. I think it could have been even better though, I might give it a B plus if I was grading it like a school assignment.

Here are a few things I think would have made it better:

1. He should have beaten that guy he fought in the pub easily. That scene was in my opinion this movie's equivalent to the scene in the original where Van Damme effortlessly beats up the punks in the bar (while drunk). Too little time went by between him losing that fight and taking on Tong Po. To be believable as someone who could defeat Tong Po he needed to get the better of the other opponents he faced.

2. The ending was a tad unrealistic. Why did he not get arrested? Maybe the cop lady who was in love with him pulled some strings? He had just escaped from prison by beating up several cops (who did not have guns only sticks?) and to boot I think him just being in Thailand made him vulnerable to arrest and lastly it was a crime to participate in that underground fight. If he is going to get off scott free (as well as his master) some plot device explaining that (ie governmental pardon for taking down the organized crime syndicate of Tong Po or that cop lady pulling some corrupt strings for him.

3. He should have been taken to the HOSPITAL at the end of that for some major fist aid, just because he won does not guarantee that he does not have internal bleeding, cracked or broken ribs, damaged internal organs and he would need stitches. He went from looking like hamburger to having a baby face NO SCARS AT ALL at the end.

4. Maybe this is not a fair criticism since it was not my call but I kind of wish he had not killed Tong Po. Taking the moral high ground is what heroes in martial arts movies are supposed to do. Making Tong Po live with the humiliation of his defeat would have been a better revenge in my opinion.

All in all I did like it and I am glad I paid a few dollars for the DVD and did NOT see the pirated version on Youtube. I did it in part to be honest (its morally wrong to see the pirated version and not pay) but also my high def tv is about fifty times larger than the tiny rectangle of a youtube video and it was a MUCH better experience. This gives me hope that Van Damme's other famous movie BLOODSPORT can have a remake.

[–] neo17ar 8 years ago

Glad to see someone enjoyed it too!

I think it was brilliant.

It was a nice change of plot to see him losing at pub instead of being a champion-I-can-beat-anyone. Made him more of an underdog.

And yes! I thought the same too x) how come he is not even questioned by the police? hahahaha it was a bit silly indeed.

Also, I agree with you about the Tong Po ending, though it was a proper revenge, it didn't suit the character either. And I would have loved to see him again in a sequel teaming up with another bad ass fighter.

I went to see it to the cinemas. It was screened here in the UK and I am definitely getting my bluray copy as soon as it's out. It was a very entertaining flick with good action, interesting characters and the Muscles from Brussels! Shame it didn't perform well.

Also, isn't that the original Tong Po (Michel Quisi) when Van Damme is breaking up from jail? I think he was. I know that Michel was a very good friend of Van Damme at the time.

Anyway, thanks for the answer.

Me? I always tell the truth, even when I lie.

[–] Golden_Boy_28 8 years ago

Yes, it was Qissi in the cell who asks JCVD "Hey, you forgot about me?" And no, this film wasn't very good. I liked the small nods to the original (Qissi cameo, the 'Nok su kow' chant, and the small JCVD/Moussi dancing mashup over the credits), but the rest was barely watchable. Luckily we still have the original to go back and enjoy.

[–] creatorof2002 8 years ago

How about this then? Maybe he should have kept right on training for a few more weeks then rematched the pub fighter and of course having beaten the guy up a few weeks or a month earlier the pub fighter would be over confident and this time Kurt wins easily to show the rapid evolution of the character.

Its just that Tong Po was so built up to be the ultimate warrior, the world's best fighter (or maybe 2nd best if you consider the even bigger opponent in the sequel) so I felt we needed our hero to be able to beat anyone else for it to be believable that he could beat Tong Po.

Were Tong Po's best students, whom Kurt beat with only minimal difficulty with Tong Po watching better fighters than that Pub guy? If so then I can assume that he evolved beyond the pub guy.

I just do not feel that he had enough time to evolve to the point of beating Tong Po in this the way the other "Kurt" did in the original. I would have liked to see him have more fights against other people AND WIN THEM before facing Po.

Even in the original I did not like that he had only ONE professional fight before facing Po. The original would have been cooler if he had had several pro fights WINNING THEM ALL and each time after beating up his opponent shouting 'I WANT TONG PO!!" with Tong Po's managers getting more and more worried with each win.