Kickboxer: Vengeance

Essentially a remake of a “classic” pugilistic original in which the erstwhile star (here, Jean-Claude Van Damme) becomes the mentor to a young protagonist, Kickboxer: Vengeance is a follow-up to 1989's Kickboxer, a lowbrow action flick centered on a young American fighter (Van Damme) confronting the Thai bruiser who paralyzed his brother. Vengeance makes a few changes—the fighter's brother is killed, and a romantic interest is added in the person of a perky Thai policewoman—but the basic story remains the same: Kurt Sloane (Alain Moussi) challenges Tong Po (David Bautista) and is trained by a colorful master (Van Damme) for the murderous match. Van Damme is given ample opportunity to look cool in his shades and show that even in his 50s the “Muscles from Brussels” can still exhibit some moves. Overall, however, this is just an unimaginative rehash of the first movie, an exercise in nostalgia for those who look back fondly on the kind of mindless B-movie action fare that studios like the long-defunct Cannon Films churned out in the 1980s. Optional, at best. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “making-of” featurette (6 min.), a photo gallery, and trailers. Bottom line: a small extras package for an unremarkable remake.] (F. Swietek)