The Bloodsport Sequels Reviewed

Before recording our Van Damme episode I decided to watch all of the films in the Bloodsport, Kickboxer and Cyborg franchises. Below are my thoughts on all of the Bloodsport sequels. These reviews and more can also be found on our Letterboxd page letterboxd.com/mtfeature

Bloodsport 2

Bloodsport 2 features Daniel Bernhardt as Alex Cardo, a man thrown in prison when he attempts to steal a sword that happens to be the prize given to the winning contender of the kumite. While in prison he is taught the iron fist technique from fellow prison Master Sun played by James Hong. Upon his release Alex enters the Kumite so that he can defeat Damien, a sadistic guard from the prison who pits prisoners against each other in fights to the death.

As expected Bloodsport 2 is a step down from the first film. The only thing that really holds the film together are James Hong and the fights. The competition itself hits all of the same beats as the original right down to a death scene where the judges stand up and turn their backs. Donald Gibb also returns as Ray Jackson in throwaway role as the "comic relief" where he just stands on the sidelines hitting on the sole female competitor. Also, as with the first film, there's some plot lines that could be cut out completely without harming the film but despite its flaws I have to admit I was entertained for the full 90 minutes. While I doubt I'll ever return to it there are worse ways you could throw away an hour and a half.

Bloodsport 3

Wow, can it get any worse than this? This movie has an entire hour of filler "building up" to The Kumite and by the time it finally reaches the third act the viewer will be so bored they won't even care.

Bloodsport 4: Dark Kumite

Maybe it's just because I watched this right after part 3 but I am walking away from this one thinking it's the second best in the franchise. It's the first of the sequels to fully embrace a b-movie vibe with some great over the top performances and a death by pen scene that I didn't expect. The plot sees Cardo back in prison only this time he goes there on purpose to expose some evildoing in the prison. He ends up being forced to participate in the Kumite only in this tournament only one contender walks away alive. As a kid I always thought that's what Bloodsport was until I actually watched it. This one pretty much fulfilled what my childhood brain thought Bloodsport would be and I am grateful for that. Sure, it's all really dumb but it's a surprising amount of fun.