Bloodsport

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Bloodsport

R

1988

1h 32m

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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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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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.

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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.

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Simon Cunliffe

Time Out

Feb 9, 2006

A well-plucked turkey, humourless and plagued by a script full of stilted mumbo-jumbo.

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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.

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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.

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Don Shanahan

Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast

Jun 29, 2024

The best Mortal Kombat movie not named Mortal Kombat.

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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.

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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!

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Spencer D

@spdouglas25 Jul 18, 2026

For the budget it is a classic

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Cristian B

@icebad Jul 17, 2026

JCVD at its finest. A groundbreaking action film, with beautiful fights, music that fits the genre perfectly, and sleazy acting that gets the job done. A must-see!

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Pipe Smoking L

@RT92467537 Jul 11, 2026

Jean Claude Van Damme plays a stolen-valor martial arts clown! A video-game movie that doesn't have a video game... either as an origin or frame of reference. Bolo Yeung stomps Homeless John Goodman into a vegetable. And steals his crack-mother doo rag. As reality-based about martial arts competitions as Patton was about World War 2!

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Eddie Z

@RT04687948 Jul 7, 2026

80s cheese never tasted so good!!

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Newt Arnold

Director

Jean-Claude Van Damme

Frank Dux

Donald Gibb

Ray Jackson

Leah Ayres

Janice Kent

Norman Burton

Helmer

Forest Whitaker

Rawlins

Bloodsport: Official Clip - Training

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Bloodsport: Official Clip - A Quarter Trick

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Bloodsport: Official Clip - Young Frank Dux

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Bloodsport: Official Clip - Final Match

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Bloodsport: Official Clip - Teach Me

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Bloodsport: Official Clip - The Touch of Death

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Bloodsport: Official Clip - Matte! Victory!

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Bloodsport: Official Clip - Dux vs. Paco

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Bloodsport: Official Clip - No Pain, No Gain

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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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