Near perfect
Summary
Although I wish the international cut was better picture and sound quality (and had subtitles) the 4K Steelbook set of Kickboxer is a must-have for any Van Damme fans.
Plot: Eric Sloane is an American kickboxing pro, helped by his brother, Kurt, in his quest for glory. But when the two go to Thailand to take on legendary Tong Po, the opponent viciously beats Eric and leaves him paralyzed. Swearing vengeance, Kurt tracks down master Xian Chow and begins learning the sport himself while also getting caught up in criminal intrigue involving thuggish crime boss Freddy Li.
Review: I picked up the new 4K Steelbook of JCVD’s Kickboxer over the festive period as I saw that it had the mythical international cut. I knew I wasn’t insane, I knew that was the version I grew up with on VHS and I finally have vindication. When I first saw the North American version of Kickboxer I was aware that a few scenes were missing; nothing major but they were odd things to excise. One is the scene where Eric tells Kurt to find Tong Po and fuck him up bad; I always liked this scene as it gave Kurt greater motivation to fight Tong Po, but we also get to see Eric at rock bottom where he totally breaks down. The other moment is when Kurt says “Pedicab?” Why would you cut out one line of dialogue?
I remember speaking to director David Worth about this a few years ago and he had no idea why these scenes were removed for the US version. What’s interesting is in the international version the knife being thrown at Kiki the dog is cut so we never see how he is actually injured. So, basically we are still waiting for the ultimate cut where all of these scenes are included into the film. Also, sadly the international cut is VHS quality on the Blu-ray; I mean, it’s watchable, but I wish both versions were upgraded to 4K. The US cut looks gorgeous with vibrant colours and it’s never looked better, so it’s too bad the same can’t be said for the International version.
The film itself remains one of my favourite Jean-Claude Van Damme movies; Paul Hertzog’s score really elevates the fight scenes making them genuinely thrilling, but I also particularly love the music during the training scenes which are peaceful and great meditation pieces. Check out Kickboxer ambience on YouTube and you’ll find several great chill-out videos.
JCVD was huge in this movie and at his absolute physical peak and Michel/Mohammed Qissi was perfect as Tong Po. We discussed on our Bloodsport vs. Kickboxer Livestream a while back how Tong Po and Freddy Lee had Eric kidnapped, so Kurt is forced to let Po win the fight. J-Man thinks that by doing this it diminishes Tong Po as a character as it would have been more interesting if he was just a genuine physical threat and didn’t have to resort to cheating. I never considered that before but now it’s all I think about when watching. Thanks a lot, J-Man…
Special Features on this 3 disc set include:
DISC 1: 4K Ultra HD (Movie/Features)
DISC 2: Blu-ray (Movie/Features)
DISC 3: Blu-ray (Bonus Disc) (Film – International Version)
Audio Commentary with producer Mark di Salle and action film historian Mike Leeder
– Audio Commentary with director David Worth, actor Haskell Anderson, and film historian James Bennett
– “Vengeance & Redemption” – an Interview with actor Jean-Claude Van Damme
– “Bring Me Tong Po” – an Interview with actor Michel Qissi
– “Kick The Tree”- an Interview with actor Dennis Chan”
– “Focus, Film, Fight!”- an Interview with Director of Photography Jon Kranhouse
– Theatrical Trailer – TV Spot – Still Gallery
The commentaries are entertaining with Mike Leeder and Mark di Salle providing an insightful look into the film. The real selling point aside from the International cut of the film is the new interviews with JCVD, Dennis Chan and Mohammad Qissi. We rarely get to see Van Damme interviewed these days so he discusses making the film, getting Qissi involved and how it all came together. This really is top tier stuff and maybe my favourite Van Damme 4K yet up there with Hard Target and Sudden Death. Now all we need is Timecop which seems to have been forgotten.
Overall, the 4K Steelbook of Kickboxer is a fan’s dream and is only let down by the international cut being VHS quality. Aside from that this is fantastic with some of the best special features I’ve seen for some time and new interviews with JCVD are always welcome.