Bloodsport (1988)

Jean-Claude Van Damme’s first hit – and supposedly one of Donald Trump’s favorite movies – is relatively entertaining, but very poorly made (even for a cheesy ‘80s action film). Van Damme plays Frank Dux, a real person with a very dubious claim to a 329-0 record in a clandestine martial arts fighting ring. Bloodsport portrays Dux’s entry into this dangerous world as he escapes the US military to compete in his first tournament in the underworld of Hong Kong.

The inherent structure of a tournament is a godsend for Bloodsport. It means viewers never have to wait to long for another fight, and it keeps the story moving from point A to point B. Based on the first 40 minutes of the film, which establish Dux’s training and introduces a few of his allies and opponents, the film would be essentially unwatchable without the tournament crutch. Even for a low-budget action movie, the acting, dialogue, and plotting of Bloodsport are horrendous. An extended flashback featuring a teenage Dux is a particularly hilarious and egregious example of Bloodsport’s inability to handle anything but violence. Even Van Damme, affable and self-effacing in later films, is just stilted and awkward here.

Fortunately, the fight scenes are well-choreographed and sufficiently bloody. Bloodsport does a so-so job of making JCVD’s opponents into distinct, memorable characters. He befriends a big biker dude, becomes mortal enemies with the reigning champion (who literally murders some of his competition), and there’s a racially insensitive depiction of a black fighter who walks around on all fours in every scene (in an opening montage we see him scrambling up a tree to get a coconut). The final fight is pretty entertaining, although it hinges on a really goofy plot device. Bloodsport is fun enough, although some of Van Damme’s later films hold up better as guilty pleasures.