Bloodsport (film series)

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Bloodsport
Official film series logo
Based onCharacters created by Sheldon Lettich
Starring
Distributed by
Release date
1988-present
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget>$11,500,000 (Total of 2 films)
Box office$65,697,460 (Total of 3 theatrical films)

The Bloodsport franchise consists of American martial arts-sports action-thriller installments including two theatrical films, two straight-to-home video sequels, and one limited release reimagined genderswap-followup. Based on the purported true story experiences of Frank Dux, which have since been called into question, the series centers around the original story written by Sheldon Lettich. The plot involves American characters who compete in underground life-or-death mixed martial arts tournaments, while also competing for the honor of their instructors.

Though Bloodsport was a box office success in 1988,[1] it was initially poorly received critically.[2][3] It has since earned a significant following with modern-day analysis. Film critics have called the movie Van Damme's "crowning achievement",[4] and "magnum opus";[5] categorized as one of "the best of the best",[6] Bloodsport has earned its status as a cult classic.[7][8][9][10] While the sequels have experienced mixed levels of success, the 1997 sequel was met with a warm critical response, with praise directed towards its cast namely Daniel Bernhardt's leading role.[11] While it met expectations of the audience with some calling it superior to the original,[12] its following installments were released via home video debut leading deplinishing financial income. Critical reception thereafter had likewise been meager: the 1998 follow-up received mixed reception;[13][14] the 1999 installment was met with predominantly negative reactions;[15][16] and the 2017 follow-up was met with praise for its graphic fight scenes, with criticism directed at its script and production values.[17][18] The franchise as a whole has been a financial success[dubious – discuss] for its associated studios.[1][19][20]

The franchise will continue, with a new Bloodsport movie in active development, with Chad Stahelski and David Leitch's studio 87North Productions involved and the duo in early negotiations to serve as co-directors.[21]

Films[edit]

Film U.S. release date Director(s) Screenwriter(s) Story by Producer(s)
Bloodsport February 26, 1988 (1988-02-26) Newt Arnold Mel Friedman, Sheldon Lettich & Christopher Cosby Sheldon Lettich Mark DiSalle
Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite May 13, 1997 (1997-05-13) Alan Mehrez Jeff Schechter Alan Mehrez
Bloodsport III March 1, 1998 (1998-03-01) James Williams
Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite February 15, 1999 (1999-02-15) Elvis Restaino George Saunders
Lady Bloodfight June 6, 2017 (2017-06-06) Chris Nahon Bey Logan & Judd Bloch Bey Logan Bey Logan, Zev Foreman & Nicolas Chartier
Untitled film TBA David Leitch & Chad Stahelski Phillip Noyce, James McTeigue, Craig Rosenberg & Robert Mark Kamen Phillip Noyce & Robert Mark Kamen Chris Brown, Alberto Lensi & Edward R. Pressman

Bloodsport (1988)[edit]

Main article: Bloodsport (film)

Frank Dux is an U.S. Army Captain who has been trained in mixed martial arts for much of his life by sensei Senzo Tanaka. Specializing in ninjutsu, Senzo considers Dux a part of his clan and begins to train the latter for a secretive competition in Hong Kong China known as the Kumite. Though a request for leave is rejected by his superiors upon request, Dux goes to China with his sensei. Through the difficult experiences of training for and gaining access to the elite underground organization of fighters, Frank begins a romantic relationship with a journalist named Janice. As the couple grow closer together, a number of militant officers begin to suspect that Dux has gone AWOL and initiate an investigation. After completing the dangerous initiatory training regimen, Dux is accepted into the Kumite. Determined to now rise to the occasion, Frank begins to realize that unless he succeeds he may not survive.[2][3][22]

Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite (1997)[edit]

Main article: Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite

Criminal thief and streetfighter Alex Cardo, is arrested and sentenced to imprisonment after being caught in the act of stealing an ancient katana sword from a wealthy businessman named David Leung in East Asia. Living his days serving his sentence in a notoriously brutal prison, Alex finds he is repeatedly beaten by residents and the guards. Finding a friend and mentor figure in its walls named Master Sun, his life changes as Sun begins to train him in his practice. Disciplined extensively by his recent ally, including in the most lethal of styles which the master calls "The Iron Hand", Alex learns about a secretive fight-to-the-death tournament known as the Kumite. When he vows to win the championship for his mentor after he completes his sentence, his release comes sooner than expected. Presented with a mission by Leung, to recover the katana as an award for the winning Kumite, Alex enters the establishment determined to defeat each challenger. Battling various competitors in difficult circumstances, he begins to question weather he will succeed in his personal quest when he learns that the head guard from the penitentiary is the greatest participant in the Kumite. Despite the surmounting odds, Alex determines to keep his promise to Master Sun, with success while keeping his life.[22][12][23][24]

Bloodsport III (1998)[edit]

Main article: Bloodsport III

After winning the Kumite, Alex Cardo works as an art dealer with an upstanding personal life who no longer has desires to compete in tournaments. When Alex declines the proposal of a millionaire named Jacques Duvalier who invites him to a Kumite that he is sponsoring, Jacques has his mentor and father figure Sun executed. Grieving his loss, and wanting revenge for the murder of his mentor, Alex is directed by David Leung to Sun's brother Master Makato. After previously meeting briefly, Sun's brother known by the Kumite as "the Judge", Makato begins to train Alex and build on the discipline he learned from Master Sun. With the decision to compete and honor the life of his mentor, he is faced with his greatest challenge yet in Duvalier's henchman; the most powerful fighter the Kumite has known named Beast.[22][13][25][26][14]

Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite (1999)[edit]

Main article: Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite

Agent John Keller takes an undercover mission at a brutal prison named Fuego Penal, to investigate the disappearances of various inmates. Within its walls he discovers that underground fights known as the Kumite are taking place under the organization of a dangerous man named Justin Caesar. Realizing that the inmates are being forced to compete to the death, Keller becomes involved with the competition. Joining the Kumite, and hoping to disassemble the corrupt establishment from the inside out, he must survive to become the champion to realize this goal.[22][27][15][16]

Lady Bloodfight (2017)[edit]

Main article: Lady Bloodfight

Jane Jones is trained by a martial arts champion named Master Shu. As Jane becomes noteworthy within the underground fighting community, Master Shu begins to train her for an all-female sect of the Kumite. For months the duo train rigorously to meet the expectations of the tournament. With the skills she has practiced and mastered, she must defeat some of the world's greatest and most deadly fighters, including Ling who's sensei named Master Wai was the former best friend turned arch enemy of Master Shu. As Jane rises through the ranks, she competes for herself and for the honor of her trainer and friend.[17][18]

Untitled film (TBA)[edit]

In May 2011, a reboot of the franchise was announced to be in development. Phillip Noyce signed on as director, with a script by Robert Mark Kamen. The plot was said to follow an American who travels to Brazil to recover from violent experiences he had in Afghanistan, who eventually gets involved in a martial arts contest. Edward R. Pressman is serving as producer, while Mark DiSalles is attached as executive producer.[28] Jean-Claude Van Damme, who had publicly expressed interest in collaborating on the project in some capacity, will not appear in the film nor be involved.[29] In October 2012, Kamen stated that Van Damme will not be involved because the film has no connection to the original, stating: "This film resembles the original in title only. …This is a character driven, politically motivated film."[30]

By July 2013, James McTeigue signed on as director. The script, he co-wrote with Craig Rosenberg, will be a rewrite of the original draft by Robert Mark Kamen and will be based on the original story by Kamen and Phillip Noyce. The plot will detail the life of 21st century mercenaries, as they fight in the underground world of Brazilian Vale Tudo matches. The project will be a joint-venture production between Relativity Media, Pictures in Paradise Pty Ltd, and Trans-American Films International. Pressman will serve as producer alongside Chris Brown, and Alberto Lensi. Principal photography was scheduled to commence during the first quarter of 2014, in Australia and Brazil.[31]

In Jun 2019 after various delays, it was announced that Chad Stahelski and David Leitch had entered early negotiations to serve as co-directors of the film. Discussions for Van Damme to appear feature in the movie to some capacity was ongoing, while franchise creator Sheldon Lettich stated that the filmmakers had approached him with their pitch; acknowledging his excitement for the project.[21]

Main cast and characters[edit]

Character Film
Bloodsport Bloodsport II:
The Next Kumite 		Bloodsport III Bloodsport 4:
The Dark Kumite 		Lady Bloodfight
Cpt. Frank Dux Jean-Claude Van Damme
Pierre RafiniY
Master Senzo Tanaka Roy Chiao
Alex Cardo Daniel Bernhardt
Master Sun James Hong
Master Macado
The Judge 		Hee-il Cho Hee-il Cho
Gerald OkamuraV
David Leung Pat Morita
Jason Cardo David Schatz
Agent John Keller Daniel Bernhardt
Jane Jones Amy Johnston
Master Shu Muriel Hofmann
Ling Jenny Wu
Master Wai Kathy Wu

Additional crew and production details[edit]

Title Crew/Detail
Composer Cinematographer Editor(s) Production companies Distributing companies Running time
Bloodsport Paul Hertzog David Worth Carl Kress Cannon International Warner Bros. Pictures
U.G.C. Worldwide Distribution 		92 min
Bloodsport II:
The Next Kumite 		Stephen Edwards Jacques Haitkin J. Douglas Seeling FM Entertainment International N.V. Transcontinental Film Corporation 86 min
Bloodsport III Kevan Lind Ron Cabreros FM Home Video 92 min
Bloodsport 4:
The Dark Kumite 		Alex Wurman George Mooradian Frank Sacco Avalanche Home Entertainment 100 min
Lady Bloodfight Mark Kilian Michel Abramowicz Chris Nahon
Frédéric Thoraval 		B&E Productions
Voltage Productions 		Voltage Pictures
Vertical Entertainment 		100 min
Untitled film TBA TBA TBA Relativity Media
87North Productions
Pictures in Paradise Pty Ltd
Trans-American Films International 		Warner Bros. Pictures TBA

Reception[edit]

For more details on the reception of each title, see the "Reception" section on their respective articles.

Box office and financial performance[edit]

Film Box office gross Box office ranking Budget Worldwide total
gross income 		Ref.
North America Other territories Worldwide All-time
North America 		All-time
worldwide
Bloodsport $11,806,119 $53,193,881 $65,000,000 #4,784 #6,536 $1,500,000 $63,500,000 [1][32][33]
Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite $684,351 — $684,351 #8,983 #14,898 Information not publicly available <$684,351 [19]
Bloodsport III — — — — — Information not publicly available Information not publicly available
Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite — — — — — Information not publicly available Information not publicly available
Lady Bloodfight — $13,109 $13,109 #17,945 #26,036 $10,000,000 -$9,986,891 [20]
Totals $12,490,470 $53,206,990 $65,697,460 x̄ #6,342 x̄ #9,494 >$11,500,000 ≥$54,197,460

Critical and public response[edit]

Title Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
Bloodsport 40% (25 reviews)[34] 29/100 (5 reviews)[35]
Bloodsport II: The New Kumite —[36] —
Bloodport III —[37] —
Bloodport 4: The Dark Kumite —[38] —
Lady Bloodfight 40% (5 reviews)[39] — (2 reviews)[40]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Bloodsport". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Klady, Leonard (February 29, 1988). "Movie Review: 'Bloodsport' a Blow for Cliches". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  3. ^ a b Kehr, Dave (April 22, 1988). "Action Film 'Bloodsport' Fails in Its Motive and Message". CHicago Tribune. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  4. ^ Curran, Brad (June 2, 2022). "Every Jean-Claude Van Damme Movie Ranked From Worst To Best". ScreenRant. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  5. ^ Carter, Will (February 9, 2018). "The Top 10 Reasons Why 'Bloodsport' is Van Damme's Magnum Opus". Ultimate Action Movies. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  6. ^ Dee, Jake (February 8, 2018). "The Test of Time: Bloodsport (1988)". JoBlo. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  7. ^ Serrano, Shea (January 26, 2021). "The 12.2 Things That Make 'Bloodsport' the Perfect Cult Movie". The Ringer. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  8. ^ O'Shea, Tyler (January 11, 2018). "'Bloodsport' Is A Cult Classic Fighting Film". JokerMag. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  9. ^ Polowy, Kevin (February 24, 2023). "'Bloodsport' at 35: How a desperate Jean-Claude Van Damme begged his way into the action film that made him a star". Yahoo!. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  10. ^ Eoin (2018). "Bloodsport: 30th Anniversary Screening + Q&A with Writer Sheldon Lettich!". The Action Elite. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  11. ^ Curran, Brad (November 13, 2020). "Bloodsport 2: Why Daniel Bernhardt Replaced Jean-Claude Van Damme". ScreenRant. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Ryan, Tony (February 24, 2015). "Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite". Far East Films. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Ryan, Tony (February 24, 2015). "Bloodsport III". Far East Films. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  14. ^ a b Babcock, Andrew (November 5, 2019). "Daniel Bernhardt Keeps The Kumite Alive and Kicking in 'Bloodsport 3'". Ultimate Action Movie Club. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Review: Bloodsport 4". Agree or Die. 29 April 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Bloodsport: The Dark Kumite (1999) Review". The Action Elite. 30 May 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  17. ^ a b Curran, Brad (January 24, 2021). "Lady Bloodfight Is The Gender-Swapped Bloodsport You've Never Heard Of". Screent Rant. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  18. ^ a b Kaveleryan, Artem (2016). "Lady Bloodfight (2016) Review". The Action Elite. Retrieved June 26, 2022. All in all, Lady Bloodfight is basically a bastardized sequel to Bloodsport or a gender flipped remake if that's more to your liking.
  19. ^ a b "Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  20. ^ a b "Lady Bloodfight". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  21. ^ a b Ultimate Action Movies (June 13, 2019). ""UAMC News: 'John Wick' Directors Looking to Helm 'Bloodsport' Reboot"". Ultimate Action Movies. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  22. ^ a b c d Curran, Brad (October 31, 2020). "Bloodsport: The Martial Arts Movie Series Ranked From Worst To Best". ScreenRant. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  23. ^ Eoin (17 January 2013). "Bloodsport 2 (1996) Review". The Action Elite. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  24. ^ Johnson, Ben (February 13, 2022). "Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite (1996)". Kung Fu Movie Guide. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  25. ^ "Bloodsport III (1996) Review". The Action Elite. 26 January 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  26. ^ Johnson, Ben (April 3, 2023). "Bloodsport III (1997)". Kung Fu Movie Guide. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  27. ^ Babcock, Andrew (October 10, 2019). "A Case for Daniel Bernhardt and 'Bloodsport 4: The Dark Kumite' (1999)". Ultimate Action Movies Club. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
  28. ^ Goodridge, Mike (May 17, 2011). ""Pressman signs Noyce for Bloodsport; lands Venice slot for Moth Diaries"". Screen Daily. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  29. ^ Jean-Claud Vandammelibrary (July 1, 2011). "VAN DAMME - The Truth about Bloodsport The Reboot in 2014"". Jean-Claude Vandammelibrary. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  30. ^ Lussier, Germain (October 8, 2012). ""Writer Doesn't Think Jean Claude Van Damme Should Be In 'Bloodsport' Remake"". Slash Film. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  31. ^ McNary, Dave (July 24, 2013). ""Relativity Reboots Jean-Claude Van Damme's 'Bloodsport' (EXCLUSIVE)"". Variety. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
  32. ^ "Bloodsport". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  33. ^ Beresford, Jack (February 28, 2019). "11 Ultimate Facts about Jean-Claude Van Damme's Bloodsport". Ultimate Action Movies. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
  34. ^ "Bloodsport". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. 15 May 2007. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  35. ^ "Bloodsport". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  36. ^ "Bloodsport II: The New Kumite". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. 22 June 2001. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  37. ^ "Bloodsport III". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. 25 June 2001. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  38. ^ "Bloodsport 4: The Dakr Kumite". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. 5 September 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  39. ^ "Lady Bloodfight". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. 5 May 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  40. ^ "Lady Bloodfight". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
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