Kickboxer 4

Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor
Directed by Albert Pyun
Produced by Jessica G. Budin
Written by
  • Albert Pyun
  • David Yorkin
Starring
Music by Anthony Riparetti
Cinematography George Mooradian
Edited by Ken Morrisey
Distributed by Kings Road Entertainment
Release dates
  • March 3, 1994 (1994-03-03)
Running time
 90 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor is a 1994 direct-to-video release martial-arts film directed by Albert Pyun. The film is the fourth entry in the Kickboxer series. This was the last film to star Sasha Mitchell, who reprises his role as David Sloan.

Plot

The film opens with a recap of earlier events in the series, as David Sloan writes a letter to his wife, Vicky. After being framed for murder, Sloan has spent the last two years in prison, while his wife has become the sexual captive of his old nemesis, Tong Po, who has since become one of the most powerful drug lords in Mexico.

Unable to apprehend him by their own means, the DEA learns that Po intends to host a martial arts tournament at his private compound, with the winner earning a match against Po and a $1,000,000 cash prize. Knowing the history between them, the authorities offer to release Sloan if he will enter the tournament and eliminate Po himself. Sloan eagerly accepts, using the alias "Jack Jones" to conceal his identity.

On his way to the border, Sloan saves a young woman named Megan Laurence from a beating at a roadside bar, only to discover that she is entering the tournament as well. When they face off in the preliminary round, Sloan easily subdues her, but gains her respect in doing so and they become friends. He also meets up with an old acquaintance named Lando Smith, a talented fighter who turns out to be his backup on the mission. As the tournament continues, Lando and Sloan witness Thomas, a brutal fighter, take out a capoeira fighter by snapping his neck and incapacitating a female judoka (Dana Dru Evenson).

Under cover of night, Sloan manages to locate his wife's whereabouts in the fortress, but is unable to free her despite several attempts. As the tournament progresses, his efforts become more and more brazen, eventually resulting in his capture at the hands of Tong Po. Meanwhile, in an effort to gain more intelligence about their target, Lando enters a romance with one of Po's many female sex slaves, who pays with her life when Po discovers their affair.

After being beaten and tortured, both men are dragged into the arena on the final day of the tournament, where Po offers a $500,000 bonus to anyone who is able to defeat Sloan. One by one, the remaining competitors step up to the challenge, but despite his weakened condition, Sloan proves to be more than a match for them. In frustration, Po orders Laurence to fight him, but she refuses, calling him a coward. She asserts her belief that there is no prize money and that Po intends to kill them all, her words prompting the other fighters to rally against him. As one, the men rise up to fight for their lives against Po's armed guards.

The fighters seem to have a strong advantage, until Po himself enters the fray and begins to subdue them. Though he fights bravely, Lando is easily bested by the Muay Thai master. In the end, only Sloan and Po are left standing. After a brutal confrontation, Sloan conquers his rival once again, but Po's henchman Bill takes Vicky hostage at gunpoint, giving Po the opportunity to escape. Sloan dispatches Bill with a well-aimed knife throw, and he and Vicky exit the compound along with Lando and Laurence.

Cast

Reception

TV Guide rated it 2/5 stars and wrote, "Kickboxer 4 does proud by the franchise that gave the world Jean-Claude Van Damme."[1] Adam Arseneau of DVD Verdict called it an improvement over the third film but still bad.[2] In 2012, Brian Tremml of Paste included it their list of "The 25 Most Awesomely Bad Movies on Netflix Instant".[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Kickboxer 4: The Aggressor". TV Guide. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
  2. ↑ Arseneau, Adam (2003-11-10). "Kickboxer 3 / Kickboxer 4". DVD Verdict. Retrieved 2015-08-24.
  3. ↑ Tremml, Brian (2012-10-04). "The 25 Most Awesomely Bad Movies on Netflix Instant". Paste. Retrieved 2015-08-24.

External links

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