Jean-Claude Van Damme is back and he’s bringing the cheese with him in the first trailer for the Kickboxer reboot titled, Kickboxer: Vengeance.
This time around Van Damme plays the mentor to Alain Moussi’s, Kurt Sloane (the role Damme played in the original). Who’s out for revenge after the death of his brother at the hands of the brutal Tong Po (Dave Bautista) in an underground Kickboxing brawl.
The plot is nearly a carbon copy of the original, but one of the major changes though is the death of Sloane’s brother Eric. The 80’s original left him paralysed after his battle with Tong Po.
What I’m most looking forward to is seeing Van Damme’s take on the mentor role. I loved Dennis Chan’s version, but I don’t see the Muscles from Brussels being as mild-mannered as Chan’s.
This film won’t make tonnes at the box office, but that doesn’t matter as the studio have already greenlit the sequel, Kickboxer: Retaliation.
Kickboxer: Vengeance Synopsis:
Eric Sloane is a kickboxing champion at the top of his game. His older brother, Kurt, follows him everywhere as both his trainer and manager. Together, they’re unbeatable. When Eric is approached to fight Thai champion Tong Po, he can’t wait to finally prove to the world that he’s the one and true champion, even though his brother is against it. What was supposed to be a mere formality turns into a nightmare when Kurt witnesses Eric’s death. While the desire for revenge grows inside, he knows full well he’s no match for Tong Po. He therefore decides to track down his brother’s old trainer in the hopes of finally getting his revenge and, who knows, perhaps even becoming the new “Nok Su Kow” in the process.
Kickboxer: Vengeance hits screens August 19th.