First off, why in the world do people still think acting and story are relevant in these movies? These kinds of movies aren't released in theaters. They don't have a 100-200 million dollar budget. They simply are made for the fighting and action. Know what kind of movie you are about to watch. If you don't like these kinds of movies, what are you doing? Go watch a lifetime movie if you want story. This movie is like stepping back into the 80s and 90s of action. Mindless fun, and thrilling fight scenes. Those who enjoy these types of movies will have fun.
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mbeck-6438411 January 2019
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bellino-angelo201428 February 2023I nearly loved the original KICKBOXER with Jean Claude Van Damme in his prime, and mildly liked the 2016 reboot (with Van Damme as the master), so it's not a surprise that I had to watch this sequel of a reboot. Well, it was good nearly on the same level of the 1989 original.
When it begins Kurt Sloane (Alain Moussi) wins another MMA fight but victory is short-lived because he's kidnapped by some thugs and held prisoner in a jail in Thailandia for the murder of Tong Po that happened at the end of the predecessor. Soon we are introduced to promoter Thomas Moore (Christopher Lambert) that wants Sloane to fight against a mountain of a man that can easily crush him. So Sloane returns to his master Durand (Van Damme) who is partially blind and trains very hard for the big fight and you might have guessed how it will unfold.
I was really amazed that when I saw it I couldn't understand why it has a score of 4,9 and so many negative reviews. Well, the secret is: suspend disbelief and enjoy. The acting by Van Damme and Lambert was up to their decent standards, and the fight scenes very cool and kept me excited.
So, if you are into the KICKBOXER franchise don't miss it, and also if you are action fans, it's a very enjoyable time-passer. -
I don't know jack squat about real martial arts and I hate, hate, hate MMA aka ghey fight club.
But man this is a fun movie.
Apparently there's a story in there somewhere but who cares. Hardly a minute goes by without some kind of fight breaking out. Moussi has some pretty cool moves and the fights are choreographed in an interesting way. Even the soundtrack is big league
And is it just me or is Van Damme the coolest guy in movies? I don't mean obnoxious smarm like Bruce Willis. Or self-parody like Seagal. Or even the self-serious. Jason Statham. I mean, simply, cool.
Enjoyed this movie immensely. -
ExpendableMan25 January 2021Kickboxer: Vengeance was a very pleasant surprise. Remakes aren't always a good idea, but the new take on the Van Damme martial arts classic turned out way better than it had any right to. It wasn't perfect, but Alain Moussi made a likeable lead, the action scenes were well-executed and the closing three-round battle was spectacular. That climactic brawl was so good it elevated the entire film and made it into a minor triumph of the B-Movie world.
Fast forward two years and we get the sequel. Alain Moussi returns as Kurt Sloane, now enjoying a career as a pro-MMA fighter and deeply in love with his wife. Faster than you can say "what was up with that dream sequence," he gets kidnapped and sent to Thailand, where Christopher Lambert's villainous Thomas Moore wants him to fight his champion; 400 pound monster Mongkut.
First things first, this isn't as good as the previous film. This is partly down to the choice of bad guy; Mongkut is huge, terrifying and absolutely towers over the hero. Kurt looks like he stands no chance, but that was the case with Tong Po as well. When they cross swords at the finale, the fight plays out in an overly familiar way, matching the beats of the previous film way too closely. Kurt took a remarkable amount of punishment first time round, but here the mauling he takes is utterly absurd. The fight is entertaining, but it re-treads familiar ground, wildly stretches credibility and isn't the nail-biting pulse-racer it was before. Your mind wanders and you may even start wishing Tong Po was still around to fight Mongkut instead.
On the other hand, Retaliation does enough to justify its existence. Van Damme returns as Kurt's trainer Durand and the Muscles is clearly having a great time again. There's a highly enjoyable extended cameo from Mike Tyson, not to mention a single take prison fight that steals the entire film. There's a couple of weird stylistic flourishes in here too that you wouldn't get in the average B-Movie, such as a surreal Hall Of Mirrors fight with two lingerie models and a sequence on a train that resembles a martial arts movie filmed like a fragrance advert.
Ultimately, Kickboxer: Retaliation is worth a watch but if you were blown away by the previous one, don't expect the same thing to happen this time. Moussi continues to defy gravity, but copying and pasting the previous film's climax was a mistake. He's already knocked down one Mountain after all. And the repeated suggestion that he's foreseen all this in a dream was a big mistake. -
asenstoyan4ev26 January 2018The flick really surprised me. It contains some well-choreographed action scenes and the storytelling is very intense. Alain Moussi is a great choice as Kurt Sloan. The man is very skilled in martial arts and boy, this is visible on the screen. The whole cast is superb. I really liked the cameo of Ronaldinho and how he throw balls at Kurt Sloan. There are some quality fight scenes with Mike Tyson as well and JCVD is simply grea as Master Durand. His character is witty and well-written. Jean-Claude proves that he still got the moves! There are many MMA stars that appear in the movie as well and this powers the whole fun. What makes the flick utterly entertaining is the almost half an hour long final one on one scenes between Alain Moussi and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, a.k.a. the Moutain from Game of Thrones. This is arguably one of the most terrific one on one fighting scenes that I have recently watched. To wrap it all up, Kickboxer: Retaliation is not a perfect movie but it is more than satisfying and if you are a fan of the quality martial arts actioners, this one won't dissapoint you.
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schizoshua21 May 2018So I'm sure if you sat through the whole movie you probably won't be as entertained as I was. I fell asleep early in the movie but woke up for one of the best fights I've ever seen in a movie had a rocky feeling to it except the fight was to the death so made it even better so it's at least worth watching the final fight you don't even have to know what is going on or what the movie is about to get entertainment from the final fight, I mean 400 lbs of Muscle.
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paul_haakonsen16 June 2019Right, well with the abysmal foray into the "Kickboxer" franchise with the 2016 "Kickboxer: Vengeance" movie, then I didn't really have much of any expectations to this 2018 "Kickboxer: Retaliation" movie.
But I still sat down to watch it, as it is a martial arts movie and Jean Claude Van Damme is on the cast list. And I am actually glad that I did watch this one, because it was such a drastic step up from the abysmal "Kickboxer: Vengeance" movie, and it was much more enjoyable.
Sure, the storyline was very, very simplistic. But hey, aren't they usually that in martial arts movies? It is not like you need to kick butt in order to invent rocket science. This is martial arts, you fight and put on a great display of martial arts skills, that is what these movies is about. And usually about pitting a guy against insurmountable odds and opponents. Yup, that is what they did here too. But it was still enjoyable.
Alain Moussi, playing Kurt Sloane, actually carried this movie quite well, whereas his performance in the 2016 "Kickboxer: Vengeance" movie wasn't as impressive. And he has some pretty impressive martial arts talents, which he definitely gets to showcase in this 2018 movie. Needless to say that it is always a blast from the past to have Jean Claude Van Damme in a movie, just a shame that he didn't get to do a lot more fighting. Then you have Christopher Lambert as the villain and he is just sort of raspy whispering himself through his dialogue and does so without much conviction as a villain. It is simply beyond me why Mike Tyson is in a movie such as this; totally stripped of anything remotely resembling acting skills, but he sure throws a mean punch.
The movie is predictable and generic, true and true. But such are most martial arts movies. And the final fight scene between Sloane and Mongkut (played by Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) was really impressive and intense. Sure, no one would be able to walk away from taking on that hulking, massive fighter. But of course you know who will win after getting a massive whooping and facing death. Yeah, it is that predictable.
It felt like the martial arts scene with Sloane taking on the two females in the mirror room was just brutally cut short and could have been so much more interesting if they had added to that scene. There was so much squandered potential there. And the way that he defeated these two fighters was so anti-climatic that you just shake your head in disbelief.
"Kickboxer: Retaliation" is a heap of action and good choreographed action and martial arts sequences. This is very reminiscent of the glorious golden days of martial arts movies. And if you enjoy the old martial arts movies from the likes of Jean Claude Van Damme, then you should definitely sit down to watch the 2018 "Kickboxer: Retaliation" movie. -
So I'm having a hard time understanding what the hell all these people giving this movie terrible reviews (one star? really?). I mean, I guess it depends on what your expectations were going into it. I'm getting the impression the majority or reviewers were expecting a Citizen Kane. I was expecting some ass kicking. And you know what I got? Some ass kicking!
Yeah, maybe the acting isn't too great. Again, when I watch a fighting movie that doesn't take itself super serious, I'm not expecting Oscar worthy performances. The acting isn't terrible though (except for the big Ogre villain who's dialogue consists of grunts and yells).
The fight scenes are awesome. Incredible shots for a straight to streaming release. One scene in particular, which spans the length of five minutes, appeared to be a single shot scene showing Kurt Sloan beat the everloving crap out of about 25 Thai prisoners as he ascends up a prison corridor. What a freakin scene!
Anyway, if you're a fan of ass kicking, watch the movie. -
Leofwine_draca24 March 2021This shot-in-Thailand sequel to the remake offers more of the same as the first and as before comes across as reasonable, albeit unremarkable, fare. The main problem I had with it was the direction, which I found weak throughout; this means that the fights come across as average rather than thrilling. It's also a bit overlong. However, the cast is extraordinary for a B-movie sequel, and it's great to see old-timers like Mike Tyson, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Christopher Lambert up on the screen.
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dasa10814 December 2022The idea behind Kickboxer was exhausted after the first film and the demonstration of this is this pitiful film. Our hero will once again have to do what he doesn't want (fight blackmailed) against a rival who looks unbeatable from afar. The strangest thing about this film is that the secondary ones are remarkable: we have several stars of mixed martial arts (Verdum, Grazie, Silva) even one of the best soccer players of all time (Ronaldinho Gaucho). When you see Ronaldinho you immediately want him to be the star of the film. Unfortunately this does not happen and everything we see seems to be predictable and anticipable. Although the fights are well filmed, they do not add anything new.
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frompagescreen23 February 2018Set one year after the events of Kickboxer: Vengeance, Kurt Sloan has vowed never to return to Thailand.However things change and whilst he is preparing for an MMA title fight, he is drugged and wakes up in a Thailand prison. His captors give him a choice (if you can call it a choice) they want him to face a colossus named Mongkut and in return, Kurt Sloan will get $2million dollars and win his freedom from the prison hell hole..
If he doesn't fight then his wife will die at the hands of her captors. With no real choice to make Kurt Sloan has no other choice but to undergo his most rigorous training yet, under some very unexpected mentors, in order to take on this dreaded opponent.
Kickboxer:Retaliation is a fantastic addition to the Kickboxer franchise and a great addition to martial art feature films altogether. With great set pieces including a glorious several minute single take that takes place in the prison, the choreography is top notch for this franchise that began life in 1989 with the Jean Claude Van Damme starring hit. With exotic Thailand locations, fiery fight scenes and some stupendous stunt-work, Kickboxer:Retaliation is a no- holds barred-brutal when it needs to be, film featuring some of the mosst athletic and well trained stunt performers since The Raid..
I was a little concerned when the plot was set up that the final 'boss fight' between Mongkut would be a blink and you miss it sort of third act set piece, however I was dead wrong.The finale that will make your eyes water and your muscles ache and whilst I didn't have a clock to check to see how long the fight ran for. It definitely seemed to run for a while but never, even for a second becoming tiring to watch.
I will confess that I haven't seen Kickboxer:Vengeance however this made virtually no difference to my viewing experience when watching Retaliation and aside from a couple of mentions along the line of 'Oh I haven't seen you since....' This film stands alone just as well as Im sure it stands as part of the running saga.
Alain Moussi plays the role of Kurt Sloan wonderfully and is able to show a humanity one moment, and thro someone through a window the next with perfection. Along for the co star list in Kickboxer Retaliation is Mike Tyson as Briggs, who I have to say is fantastic in the role and does get a chance to show that he still has what it takes to put someone lights out super fast. Also joining the films cast is original Kickboxer himself Jean Claude Van Damme (who also appeared in Kickboxer Vengance) however this time, and heres the kicker (no pun intended) He is a blind kickboxer and still a damn fine one at that. -
Thanos_Alfie11 February 2021"Kickboxer: Retaliation" is an Action - Drama movie and the sequel of the movie "Kickboxer: Vengeance", in which we watch Kurt Sloane being sedated and taken to a prison in Bangkok after a fight in Las Vegas. There he is being pushed to fight another person for his freedom and $1M.
Since I had already watched the previous movie I knew what I was about to watch so, I was prepared for it but I did not expect it to be worse than the previous. At some points it was like I was watching Mortal Kombat or some other game and not an action movie. The direction which was made by Dimitri Logothetis, it was below average and I believe that he did not reach his potential. To sum up, I have to say that "Kickboxer: Retaliation" is a movie that can be reached only from a limited audience and it's not for everyone. -
janiedesrosiers28 January 2018This movie surpasses its predecessor by miles! It delivers everything it's supposed to: martial arts action. The fight scenes are well designed and fantastically edited. The prison fight scene is in fact, a "one shot take" and contains no "magic cuts" which aside from the rest of the movie, is an accomplishment on its own. Rest assured that Alain Moussi does all of his own stunts and every single shot/fall he takes is real... If your goal is to be entertained by good combat scenes, this is the movie for you. Go see it! You will not regret it!
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tarbosh2200015 July 2022Eighteen months after the events of the prior installment in the series, Kickboxer: Vengeance (2016), we now see that Kurt Sloane (Moussi) is a successful MMA fighter. His success seems to be short-lived, however, as a maniacal fight promoter named Thomas Moore (Lambert) has him kidnapped and shipped back to Thailand. After being imprisoned and regularly tortured, Moore states that if he fights a giant named Mongkut (Bjornsson), he will get a million dollars and his freedom back.
The only problem is that Mongkut is a genetically-engineered beast, bred from the DNA of top former fighters, and injected with chemical adrenalin shots to boot. Also, he's 6'8 and 400 pounds. So Sloane goes back to what he knows: training rigorously with his mentor Durand (Van Damme). He also finds help from his fellow prison inmate Briggs (Tyson). Of course, the day of the final fight arrives and Kurt Sloane has to face his biggest challenge yet. Literally. Will it soon be time for some KICKBOXER RETALIATION?
When you first turn Kickboxer: Retaliation on if you watch it on Netflix, you can't help but notice that the running time is an hour and 50 minutes. For those keeping score at home, that's almost two full hours allotted for the seventh film in the Kickboxer series. What could they possibly have to say that they haven't said before - and that would require that much time to say it in? So we were waiting for a reason - any reason at all - that would justify that length. We never really receive an answer as to why the film couldn't be 90 minutes or less. But that's not to say that there aren't some redeeming moments.
For example, every time Mike Tyson is on screen, things perk up immensely. He should have started his acting career back in the 80's, to capitalize on the fame of Mike Tyson's Punch Out!! For NES. We realize he had some problems back then, but that didn't stop other people. Regardless, we're thankful he launched an acting career at all. He gets a great introduction to his character, and Tyson is undoubtedly one of the best parts of the film.
Fan favorite Christopher Lambert is also here, looking quite a bit like James Caan this time around. In other movie highlights, Van Damme gets into brief fights with both Tyson and Lambert. The one with Lambert is a sword fight, naturally. These are combinations of people we've waited years to see. So the film doesn't let you down in that department. Also the "blues fight" was well-executed. But the final fight with Mongkut goes on for an interminably long amount of time, and if indeed Mongkut has the strength of four men, as was stated, then Tyson and Van Damme should have joined in the fray for a four-way fight. That would have evened the odds. But no, it just gets to the point where you're shouting, "somebody just win already! I don't care who!"
Somehow it has transpired that lead actor Alain Moussi - as Kurt Sloane - resembles John Krasinski (AKA Jim from The Office) even more in this movie than he did in the last one, and this only came out two years later. This leads to audience outcries such as "He's fighting for Pam!" or, "I'll get you, Dwight!"
Nevertheless, the storyline here is a direct continuation from Kickboxer: Vengeance, complete with repeat characters and references to the prior film. But this one adds yet more (time-consuming) elements such as an opening fantasy sequence, Prerequisite Torture, Mongkut-unrelated Punchfighting, and some sort of cat-and-mouse game with scantily-clad assassins. It seems not so long ago that we watched Boyka: Undisputed (2016), which also has a plot where a mere mortal man must mix it up with a massive meathead. You may remember Martyn Ford as the scary Koshmar. However, the opening credits sequence is cool because it pays tribute to Van Damme and past installments.
Much like the Sniper series, it appears that the Kickboxer series is heading down the road of endless, and perhaps unnecessary, DTV installments. The movie is not without its occasional charms (OK let's face it...MIKE TYSON!) but ultimately it doesn't justify its running time, which is more over-inflated than Mongkut himself.
While we certainly didn't hate Kickboxer: Retaliation, it's impossible to get around the fact that it would have been more impactful if it was shorter. -
RosanaBotafogo17 April 2021Filthy boring, not even my craving for Van Dame saved, and the only scene I really wanted to watch, with Ronaldinho Gaúcho (lovely scene, 10 seconds, kkkk), I lost it, I had to go back to watch it, boring...
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jasminebaby-049475 July 2022I wanted to like this movie because the old one was pretty decent. This is just terrible, Kung Fu Hustle had better acting. I'm getting second hand embarrassment watching this.
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Hellmant20 April 2018'KICKBOXER: RETALIATION': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
The seventh entry in the 'KICKBOXER' martial arts action flick franchise, and the second film in the recent reboot trilogy. This one has Alain Moussi (star of the last movie) returning as Kurt Sloan, who is now kidnapped and forced back to Thailand, so he can fight a monstrous fighter named Mongkut (played byHafþór Júlíus Björnsson). Jean-Claude Van Damme (star of the original film, and the last chapter), Sara Malakul Lane, Sam Medina and Steven Swadling also reprise their roles form the last installment. Mike Tyson and Christopher Lambert also join the cast this time. Dimitri Logothetis and James McGrath once again wrote the screenplay (as they did the last sequel), and Logothetis directed the movie this time around as well. It's gotten mostly positive reviews from critics so far, and it received a VOD and limited theatrical run at the Box Office, before now becoming available on Bluray and DVD. I enjoyed it.
The story takes place one year after the conclusion of the last film, and Kurt Sloane (Moussi) is now a professional MMA fighter. He's kidnapped by thugsworking for Thomas Tang Moore (Lambert), who runs the underground fights in Thailand. Moore wants Kurt to fight the new champion there, Mongkut (Björnsson), a 6'8" 400-lb. fighting machine. Kurt refuses the fight, but of course Moore has many (bloody) ways of getting Kurt to do what he wants. Master Durand (Van Damme), who's now blind, once again agrees to train Kurt for the deadly fight.
The movie is a lot of fun, and it's surprisingly well made (for what it is). The production values are definitely a lot better than most Van Damme movies. It's of course not as classic as the original 'KICKBOXER' film, or any of the Van Damme classics from that era, but it still does a surprisingly good job of paying tribute to that genre. I'm really impressed with this reboot series so far, and I definitely look forward to the next one. -
bluedog-063406 March 2018I think that you either like or don't like this type of movie, there is no in-between, you only have to look at the reviews to see that. It was good to see JCVD on good form, Mike Tyson was good in the fight scenes (as you would expect) but Alain Moussi was excellent and an amazing array of martial art skills on display was amazing and the brutal choreography was exceedingly well executed. I have never watched Game of Thrones (gasp) but as I understand it the character known as Mountain or Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson was impressive and the fight between them was fantastic. When you think, whilst watching an action movie that no-one can take that sort of punches, you get the feel that Mongkut can and more. Not a great movie but a good movie and in this genre good is high praise indeed when it's done well.
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rmoussi28 January 2018I love that it is a step up from Kickboxer Vengeance. It has great martial arts action including the 2 "on shot" takes. It is incredible that at 6'1", Alain Moussi, does all of his fight scenes and stunts including flying kicks, somersaults and falls. For great combat scenes this is the movie to watch !
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jeanmoussi29 January 2018None stop martial arts. Great personalities - JCVD, Tyson, Werdum, Ronaldino, Nelson and so many more. But the best is Alain Moussi doing all the fight moves and stunts. One after the other the fight scenes are intelligent and credible. The last 25 minutes is breathtaking. It is a must see for all the action fans.
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So many people giving low marks or bad reviews I say don't listen & let it put you of watching it may not be the best action movie ever made but I could easily watch it over & over again especially for kurt Sloane, Durant & a few others. Some of the fight scenes :-0 were brutal & made me feel their pain :(
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varminttank25 January 2020One thing that makes a good fighting film to me is the training.. And this film has a lot of training leading up to the Final showdown to the mountain! And Van Damme does a excellent job playing his character. I even thought Mike Tyson Nailed his role. There will never be another kickboxer like the original but if you want to have a good time give this a shot
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saluki-399082 January 2021I hadn't seen Raiden in years, it was nice to see him in this film. Although he was the bad guy. it was still pretty refreshing.
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Brooklynsmagicmike15 May 2020If you're someone whos not really into low budget martial arts film then this movie is not for you. The issue to often with movies like this is whether it Scott Adkins, Alain Moussi, or Michael Jai White. People tend to believe that it should be up to standard with films like Warrior and so forth. Newsflash they're not, these movies are strictly fighting/action based. Sure they have some plot but thats not what they're intended to do. They are to showcase the skills of the martial art actors involved.
With that off my chest back to the movie. This movie had it all for me. Well known actors, great fighting scenes, bit of romance, and good pacing. The climax which for me is my personal biggest issue with big hollywood movies (Bad guy dying in a 2 minute scene) was honestly one of best I've ever seen. It was long, engaging, and very fresh.
Only reason I wont give a 10 even though id personally love to has to do with polish. The movie though made in 2018 felt like it was made in the 90s. Just had very dated feel to it. Other then that great movie overall and would def recommend it. -
nogodnomasters5 February 2018Kickboxer Kurt Sloane (Alain Moussi) is kidnapped by Thomas Moore (Christopher Lambert) and is held prisoner in a Thai jail. He can have his freedom and one million dollars if he fights Mongkut (Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) sometimes pronounced Mongo as in "Blazing Saddles." Fighting is what Sloane does, so what is the issue? In order to make a film, Sloane must be forced to fight done through the normal film method. Mongkut is chemically enhanced. Sloane is trained by a blind Jean-Claude "don't look in my eye" Van Damme, a meditating Mike Tyson, and a few others.
The plot is thickly cliche. The film ends as we expect with a 30 minute fight of titans, a battle that makes all the Rocky fights look like patty-cake.This is a good action film for those who love well choreographed parkour fighting. Decent sound track.
Guide: No swearing, sex, or nudity.