Plot
Chris embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery that spans the globe. Kidnapped and enslaved by gun smugglers...
Release Year: 1996
Rating: 4.9/10 (9,735 voted)
Director:
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Roger Moore, James Remar
Storyline Chris embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery that spans the globe. Kidnapped and enslaved by gun smugglers, sold by pirates and thrust into the murky underworld of gambling and kickboxing, Chris' journey takes him to forbidding Muay Thai Island where deadly martial arts are taught, the colonial splendor of British East Asia, the dank back alleys of Bangkok, desolate deserts once trod by the warriors of Genghis Khan and finally, the ancient Lost City. There he must face the ultimate test of his manhood in the fabled Ghang-gheng, the ancient winner-take-all competition in which the deadliest fighters from around the world employ the most spectacular feats of martial arts skills ever displayed in order to win the prized Golden Dragon. But fighting prowess alone will not be enough for Chris to triumph over such daunting foes. He must reach deep inside and access all of the determination...
Writers: Frank Dux, Jean-Claude Van Damme
Cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme
-
Christopher Dubois
Roger Moore
-
Lord Edgar Dobbs
James Remar
-
Maxie Devine
Janet Gunn
-
Carrie Newton
Jack McGee
-
Harry Smythe
Aki Aleong
-
Khao
Abdel Qissi
-
Khan (Mongolian Fighter)
Louis Mandylor
-
Riggi
Chang Ching Peng Chaplin
-
Master Tchi
Ryan Cutrona
-
Officer O'Keefe
Shane Meier
-
Red
Matt Lyon
-
Billy
Jen Sung Outerbridge
-
Phang (Siamese Fighter)
Peter Wong
-
Chinese Fighter
Kitao Koji
-
Sumo Wrestler
Taglines:
A lost city, A man of destiny, A test of honor...
Release Date: 26 April 1996
Filming Locations: Bangkok, Thailand
Box Office Details
Budget: $30,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $7,029,120
(USA)
(26 April 1996)
(2 Screens)
Gross: $57,400,547
(Worldwide)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Tatum O'Neal claims in her autobiography that she was called personally for the main female role in the film by Jean-Claude Van Damme, but failed to get the part after a romance between her and Van Damme faltered.
Goofs:
Factual errors:
One fight announced was "Siam vs. Africa", but Africa was and is a continent, not a country!
User Review
Variety Of Fighters, Nice Colors Made This Fun To Watch
Rating: 8/10
Although it took four viewings before I finally lowered my rating of
this from "9" to "8,", I suspect I will still watch this lame-brain
action flick a few more times and enjoy it. That's because it offers a
great mixture of fascinating fighters in the tournament that covers
most of the final 40 minutes of the movie; is a modern-day martial-arts
action film with almost no swearing and no sex; and offer some
tremendous scenery in the first half of the film as Jean Claude Van
Damme and company travel to the Far East for this "World's Greatest
Fighter" tourney.
That tourney is a lot of fun to watch except that it got carried away
in the final bout, of course, that went on almost as long as all the
preliminary bouts! However, the filmmakers were smart to make all the
contestants totally different with different styles, making each one
fun to watch. You didn't see the same thing each fight. There was
everything from a huge Sumo-type wrestler to a little guy who imitated
a monkey and a snake jumping and slithering around the ring. By the
way, these were real guys, not actors imitating fighters.
The photography is magnificent, far better than you would except. The
colors are beautiful and the Thailand scenery spectacular. The movie
benefits from a classy actor like Roger Moore joining the cast, too.
Yeah, it's stupid in parts, but it's fun and highly recommended for
first-time viewers who don't know the outcome of the bouts.
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