4 Star

Martial Arts Remake.

This is a remake of the 1989 action sport martial arts film that put Jean Claude Van Damme at the top of his game and he returns in this version too. Director John Stockwell (In the Blood, Top Gun) does a great job of bringing back the character of Kurt Sloane and his fists and feet in this hard hitting revenge film.

In the jungles of Thailand, Kurt Sloane (Alain Moussi, Wings of the Dragon) arrives at the door of the martial arts expert Tong Po’s (Dave Bautista, Guardians of the Galaxy) training camp. He is willing to pay to be trained by this Goliath of a man, but the doorman Kavi (Georges St-Pierre, Captain America: The Winter Soldier) is reluctant to let him in, until a little bribe greases the hinges of the door. But Kavi can’t just let anyone in to train with the legendary Tong Po so he starts a fight with Kurt to see his skills.

He does have skills, as he used to be the trainer to the World Champion of Karate, Eric Sloane (Darren Shahlavi, Ip Man 2) his brother, who is now dead.

The fight moves into the courtyard where Kurt is able to get the upper hand on the heavy drinking Kavi. Kurt triumphs over Kavi and the storm steps in and he is far superior to Kavi and quickly puts down Kurt. However, he is in and is ready to train.

We travel back in time three months to Venice beach CA where Eric and Kurt are celebrating Eric’s win at the World Championships, until Marcia (Gina Carano, Deadpool) and Tran (Hawn Tran, Heist) turn up and have words with Eric about his future, which puts the brothers at odds with each other.

A short while later Kurt receives a plane ticket to Thailand and an invitation to watch his first fight in a weeks time. He arrives just in time to see his brother in a ring. The fight has been arranged by Marcia and is highly illegal but the betting is fierce for the no rules, no referee fight. Eric’s opponent is Tong Po.

As in the name of this film Vengeance is required and Kurt seeks out Eric’s trainer Master Durand (Jean Claude Van Damme, Bloodsport, Universal Soldier) via police officer Liu (Sara Malakul Lane, Jurassic City) who is trying to break up the illegal fights, but she is up against corrupt police within her precinct.

As you would expect the martial arts are superb, just as you would want from a JCVD film as he trains Kurt to exact his vengeance on the man that killed his brother. Definitely one for the martial arts fans or would be Ninjas on elephant back.

“Your brother was brave, a warrior, unlike you, such a coward. Come into my home with a gun. Kill me in my sleep.”

Available to Order Online Now.