Bloodsport

Name: Bloodsport
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, Sport
Released: April 29, 1988
Duration: 92 min
Rating: 29
Cast: Bolo Yeung, Donald Gibb, Forest Whitaker, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ken Siu

1988

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 5 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Ratings

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8.0	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Ratings

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Bloodsport

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Movie Details & Credits

Cannon Film Distributors | Release Date: April 29, 1988 | R

Starring: Bolo Yeung, Donald Gibb, Forest Whitaker, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ken Siu, Leah Ayres, Norman Burton, Philip Chan, Pierre Rafini, Roy Chiao

Summary: Frank Dux (Jean-Claude Van Damme), an American martial artist serving in the military, decides to leave the army to compete in an underground martial arts tournament in Hong Kong where fights to the death can occur.

Director: Newt Arnold

Genre(s): Action, Biography, Drama, Sport

Rating: R

Runtime: 92 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Leonard Klady

Hacking through the jungle of cliche and reservoir of bad acting in Bloodsport are some pretty exciting matches. It all boils down to a confrontation between a clean-cut noble warrior and a snorting, apish, dirty fighter. As usual, it's no contest. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Bloodsport is strictly for martial arts buffs; little is offered here in the way of plot, dialog, or acting. Read full review

Time Out London Staff (Not Credited)

Forest Whitaker's cameo adds plumage to what is otherwise a well-plucked turkey, humourless and plagued by a script full of stilted mumbo-jumbo. Read full review

Hal Boedeker

Bloodsport offers some lurid but fascinating bits. Chief among them: Van Damme, his feet tied to two poles, performs horrifyingly painful splits. Otherwise, Bloodsport boasts bad acting, bad photography and a bad script. So much for the art of motion pictures. [03 May 1988, p.C4]

Dave Kehr

The fight scenes are staged cleanly enough by Newt Arnold, a veteran assistant director (to Sam Peckinpah, among others) making his debut at the helm. But the contest format is hopelessly repetitive and inert, the characters would seem underdeveloped in a comic book, and the restricted setting ensures that the action will never develop any real scale or velocity. The Chinese may take it on the chin in Bloodsport, but their own movies are infinitely better. Read full review

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User Reviews

Mocheesemo

Feb 15, 2021

If you love fighting video games than this is for you. The original mortal kombat was supposed to be a video game of this movie. If you like the mortal kombat video game you will like this. A legendary martial arts tournament with an unstoppable monster like villain. Think mortal kombatIf you love fighting video games than this is for you. The original mortal kombat was supposed to be a video game of this movie. If you like the mortal kombat video game you will like this. A legendary martial arts tournament with an unstoppable monster like villain. Think mortal kombat without fatalities. An amazing action movie that defined my childhood. Watched over 10 times and many with my dad; a great father son bonding!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

ComandanteCobra

Jun 19, 2020

Iconic 80's martial arts movie, one of Cannon best.
It's a story about an exclusive martial arts tournament.
It's an action movie with a plot that resemble a videogame..basic but effective. In this case less story is a good thing because it means more screen time dedicated to good actionIconic 80's martial arts movie, one of Cannon best.
It's a story about an exclusive martial arts tournament.
It's an action movie with a plot that resemble a videogame..basic but effective.
In this case less story is a good thing because it means more screen time dedicated to good action scenes.
Very entertaining, I Watched it a hundred times back in the days and still find it enjoyable.
Soundtrack score is also very good… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

Steven1981

Mar 19, 2020

Bloodsport is a 1988 film starring Jean Claude Van Damme. Anybody who hated Kickboxer should watch Bloodsport instead because the fightscenes are so much better directed and very impressive. An entertaining film all through! Great movie.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Arealaveragejoe

Nov 18, 2020

I loved this movie so much, Although it’s predictable, cheesy, and it feels a bit rushed, the story of the movie felt very cool and overall great, not a cinematic piece of history but a good movie for an afternoon chill party

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

gracjanski

Jan 16, 2021

Jean Claude Van Dammes best movie with some very good fighting scenes in an interesting tournament. But the fighting scenes could be more realistic and the many story scenes were poor.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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