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Bloodsport

Play trailer Poster for Bloodsport R 1988 1h 32m Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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48% Tomatometer 31 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
U.S. soldier Frank Dux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) has come to Hong Kong to be accepted into the Kumite, a highly secret and extremely violent martial-arts competition. While trying to gain access into the underground world of clandestine fighters, he also has to avoid military officers who consider him to be AWOL. After enduring a difficult training and beginning a romance with journalist Janice Kent (Leah Ayres), Frank is given the opportunity to fight. But can he survive?
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Bloodsport

Bloodsport

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Critics Consensus

This is where it all began for the Muscles from Brussels, but beyond Van Damme's athleticism, Bloodsport is a cliched, virtually plotless exercise in action movie recycling.

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Critics Reviews

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Dave Kehr Chicago Tribune Dec 28, 2018
1/4
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. Go to Full Review
Leonard Klady Los Angeles Times Dec 28, 2018
Hacking through the jungle of cliche and reservoir of bad acting in Bloodsport are some pretty exciting matches. Go to Full Review
Simon Cunliffe Time Out Feb 9, 2006
A well-plucked turkey, humourless and plagued by a script full of stilted mumbo-jumbo. Go to Full Review
Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Mar 2, 2026
5/10
It may be focused rather single-mindedly on ruthless hand-to-hand combat, accentuating muscly he-men who are often shirtless, but the repetition isn’t too bad. Go to Full Review
Jeffrey M. Anderson Common Sense Media Aug 24, 2025
3/5
It's hard to argue that this Van Damme martial arts movie is actually good, but it's acceptable to call it entertaining, especially given how it's aged, emphasizing its silly qualities. Go to Full Review
Don Shanahan Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast Jun 29, 2024
The best Mortal Kombat movie not named Mortal Kombat. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Fifty T @RT01421419 8 hrs ago The Kumite That Launched a Legend Bloodsport was one of my first martial arts movies back in the 80s, and it remains a favourite. Rewatching it with my teenage daughter - her intro to the adult genre after the Karate Kid series - she loved it too. That says it all: this film stays tightly engaging, even nearly four decades later. The action sequences are exceptional, with breathtaking martial arts displays that showcase diverse fighting styles without ever feeling repetitive. At 90 minutes, the pacing is relentless: zero drag, zero filler, every scene pushing the story or action forward. This is the movie that established Van Damme as a strong action star in Hollywood, and you can see why. Bolo Yeung's Chong Li is a villain you love to hate, while the supporting cast, including a young Forest Whitaker, adds depth. Simple story, huge impact. If you want pure, no-nonsense action that respects your time and delivers the goods, Bloodsport still knocks it out. 8.5/10. See more Welll A @Azevader88 12 hrs ago I'm only here for Van Damme's ass at the peak of beauty. Because the fight choreography, as well as the editing, are sometimes terrible, sometimes they get it right. The photography also has its good moments. But the level of acting, script and direction... only acceptable in the era of VHS. Remarkable its influence on the video games and action cinema of my childhood. See more peeJay W @pJ_2770 Oct 16, 2026 absolute classic man, movie just screams 80s See more TheFilmCritic S @TheFilmCritics Aug 29, 2026 Some movies are meant to be dissected; others are meant to be enjoyed with a grin, and Bloodsport belongs firmly in the latter camp. Its tournament plot is as straightforward as they come, but the film compensates with bruising, varied fight choreography, infectious ’80s excess, and Jean-Claude Van Damme’s undeniable physical charisma. Van Damme brings an earnest simplicity to Frank Dux, while Bolo Yeung’s nearly silent, genuinely menacing Chong Li makes for an iconic villain. The action can be rough around the edges, and the dialogue and story rarely escape martial-arts-movie cliché, but that lack of sophistication is hardly a drawback here. With its '80s atmosphere, synth-heavy score, colorful fighters from around the world, and wholehearted sincerity, Bloodsport delivers exactly what it promises—and does so with enough style and charm to earn its status as a cult classic. See more Jason R @JasonLovesMoviesForever Aug 6, 2026 Bloodsport is a RARE Martial Arts movie! Classic story telling of a man training under a master in order to defeat a deadly foe. This is probably one of V.D.'s best work! See more Spencer D @spdouglas25 Jul 18, 2026 For the budget it is a classic See more Read all reviews
Bloodsport

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Bloodsport

Bloodsport: Official Clip - Training Bloodsport: Official Clip - Training 2:35 Now Playing Bloodsport: Official Clip - A Quarter Trick Bloodsport: Official Clip - A Quarter Trick 1:46 Now Playing Bloodsport: Official Clip - Young Frank Dux Bloodsport: Official Clip - Young Frank Dux 3:03 Now Playing Bloodsport: Official Clip - Final Match Bloodsport: Official Clip - Final Match 4:00 Now Playing Bloodsport: Official Clip - Teach Me Bloodsport: Official Clip - Teach Me 1:56 Now Playing Bloodsport: Official Clip - The Touch of Death Bloodsport: Official Clip - The Touch of Death 2:19 Now Playing Bloodsport: Official Clip - Matte! Victory! Bloodsport: Official Clip - Matte! Victory! 4:11 Now Playing Bloodsport: Official Clip - Dux vs. Paco Bloodsport: Official Clip - Dux vs. Paco 2:20 Now Playing Bloodsport: Official Clip - No Pain, No Gain Bloodsport: Official Clip - No Pain, No Gain 2:10 Now Playing View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis U.S. soldier Frank Dux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) has come to Hong Kong to be accepted into the Kumite, a highly secret and extremely violent martial-arts competition. While trying to gain access into the underground world of clandestine fighters, he also has to avoid military officers who consider him to be AWOL. After enduring a difficult training and beginning a romance with journalist Janice Kent (Leah Ayres), Frank is given the opportunity to fight. But can he survive?
Director
Newt Arnold
Producer
Mark DiSalle, Yoram Globus, Menahem Golan
Screenwriter
Sheldon Lettich, Christopher Cosby, Mel Friedman
Production Co
Cannon International
Rating
R
Genre
Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$10.8M
Runtime
1h 32m
Sound Mix
Ultra-Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby Atmos
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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