Kickboxer 5: Redemption

AKA: Kickboxer V

1992

Director: Kristine Peterson
Action directors: Burton Richardson, Mark Dacascos
Producers: Michael Games, Michael Murphey
Writer: Rick Filon
Cinematography: Paul Michelson
Music: John Massari
Editing: Kert Vandermeulen

Stars: Mark Dacascos, James Ryan, Geoff Meed, Tony Capari, Greg Latter, Duane Porter, George Moolman

Rated R for violence and language

So apparently, Kickboxer 4 made some money, so some crafty producers went ahead and made a sequel, even though they didn't have anyone from the original movies to work with them. As you might expect, like with any movie with a "5" in its' title, Kickboxer 5 looks and acts exactly like a cheap sequel desgined to quickly cash in on a bit of fleeting fame from the star that appeared in the first entry... in other words, in case you need it fully spelled out for you, it's not very good.

The thin shred of a plot has Mark Dacascos going to South Africa to take out the "big evil guy" (tm) who killed David Sloan, the hero from the previous movie. Dacascos is the lone bright point in this movie; he does a decent job in the acting department, but it's hard to take him seriously when he has to utter bon mots like "buttface". And Dacascos certainly has some solid moves, but none of his opponents in the film put up any fight; most of the brawls are "one kick and it's done" affairs.

If you're really bored and/or drunk, you might find a viewing of Kickboxer 5 worthwhile. Those with more sense would do well to stay away from this low-budget twaddle.

RATING: 4