The King of the Kickboxers (1991)

Too many fans seem to be blown away

To all those who have watched it: I hope you enjoyed it as much as I do.

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

This is another Loren Avedon movie in the same vein as the No Retreat No Surrender series.Jake (Loren Avedon) is a narcotics officer working in New york. He's a loose cannon, but a good officer who's expert in martial arts. He gets recruited by the Interpol to go undercover in Thailand. In Thailand he's supposed to infiltrate a gang who sidelines making kung fu videos. Caviat is the kill they show on the video is not fake. The star of the video Khan (Billy Blanks) has killed Jake's brother, so the investigation is turning into a grudge match for Jake. Jake shows off his talent at a kick boxing gym. One of the man at the kick boxing gym tells Jake a man named Prang (Keith Cook) can help him get prepared to fight Khan. Jakes seeks Prang out. He asks him to train him to be ready for a fight with Khan. Surprisingly good movie that has good story, and good visual. Loren Avedon has really become a good actor over the years, and he carries the movie as the lead character.One of the best movie starring Loren Avedon, is recommended for viewing.

In this Seasonal Films production, the insufferable Loren Avedon plays Jake Donahue, a New York City undercover cop with, you guessed it, a bad attitude, who, you guessed it, plays by his own rules. He is sent by his Captain, O'Day (Jaeckel) who is working with Interpol, to Thailand to bust up a snuff film ring. While there he meets up with his contact in the area, Anderson (Stroud) and mannish love interest Molly (Rose, who must have stretched every acting muscle in her body to pretend she actually was into Avedon). However, it seems Donahue has a history in Thailand, as his brother was murdered there by the mysterious Khan (Blanks). Coincidentally, the nefarious Khan is the star of these films where the martial arts is so real, you die on impact. The producers of the films recruit young fighters from tournaments, promising them stardom, and when they get to the set, Khan kills them. So, seeing as Donahue is also a kickboxing man, he goes undercover as a naive punchfighter with stars in his eyes so he can get a shot at Khan and get revenge. The only problem is, he's not as good as Khan, so Prang (Cooke) takes him under his wing and trains him. Will Donahue get the closure he seeks? Loren Avedon in this movie is so annoyingly cocky, and so devoid of one ounce of humility, you actually, weirdly enough, like Billy Blanks more as the evil Khan. Sure, Khan is pure malevolence, but he's secure in his total diabolical-ness and you love him for it. It's a lot harder to get behind the weaselly Avedon as the main hero.The plot aside, there is excellent fight choreography and some punishing blows. Fans of fast-paced, well-executed moves will find a lot to appreciate here. Richard Jaeckel plays the classic 'yelling police captain' with aplomb, and the husky-voiced Sherrie Rose of Maximum Force (1992) fame is a serviceable love interest who calls Avedon's character "Jack". Perhaps she wished he was someone else that badly. The Pauly Shore-like Cooke does a good job as the trainer of Donahue and has the patience of a saint. His sidekick, a lovable chimp, practically steals the movie. Cooke does have some awesome moves - also check him out in China O'Brien (1990). Billy Blanks is great as the big heavy. His bulging eyes and funny faces are present and accounted for. Jerry Trimble appears in the opening, prerequisite "abandoned warehouse" scene simply as "Drug Dealer". Han Soo Ong, of Last to Surrender (1999) fame, who plays a local kickboxer, gets one of the best lines of the movie when he tells Donahue "You've never faced a real kickboxing". Loren Avedon, with his jean jacket with fringed sleeves and fanny pack, is simply an unlikable jerk, but he does get some winners in the dialogue department, as well as some memorable yells. This movie overall could have been improved if the audience actually liked the hero.The pure silliness of the whole outing comes to the fore at the final confrontation, when Avedon tops his previous ridiculous casual outfits with a formal getup that can only be described as an "elf jester" suit. When you see it, you'll know what we mean.Entertainingly insane, for a punchfighting mini-classic, check out King of the Kickboxers.

So you thought you could go to Thailand and win a kickbox fight and everything would be all right, WRONG. There's tradition and honor and snuff films being made on the side and your brother is dead now What-cha-goona do brother? Your going to train your but off and avenge his death. This movie goes beyond good, Loren Avedon is the brother of a champion kickboxer whose brutally slain by a seemingly unavoidable three kick combination that bad guy turned abdominal maximizer Billy Blanks throws with reckless abandon. This is a martial arts movie where people look like there really getting hurt. And if you haven't seen No Retreat No Surrender 3 blood brothers, do yourself a favor and try that one. Just about anything L.A. is in im into, he knows how to woo the lady's and he knows how to throw a mean roundhouse kick. The back story gives way to the training sequence which ends up with the showdown. And plenty of repeatable quotes in between. My favorite is at the end when Loren meets Blanks again for the final battle, after he throws a picture of his brother to blanks, yeah THROWS a picture, has to be seen. They go into this hypnotic exchange and the whole thing bubbles over into mega kickbox violence ending. Ten thumbs up don't rent it Own it.

I can't explain it, but I love this movie. What gives that movie the edge is the performance of Keith Cooke and Billy Blanks. Loren Avedon cannot keep up with them although he plays the main character (who is quite arrogant in my opinion). The film features decent fights with moody music, all overacted and unrealistic but highly entertaining. When Jake, still in the US, watches that movies and complains about their low quality, its "No retreat, no surrender 3" (starring Loren Avedon, too) and one might find a small piece of self-irony, too.