Kickboxer (1989) | Knocking Out Loons at Boxing Gyms

<p>Degens Andy S and Brandon Bombay head to Bangkok completely unprepared in the fight of their lives before discussing a Cannon Films classic, &#39;Kickboxer.&#39; Andy opens up the first round by recalling a time when a man off the street entered his boxing gym with misplaced confidence similar to Eric getting whooped by Tong Po. Then the fellas jump into action to talk about this wonderful &#39;80s oddity. A starring vehicle for Jean-Claude Van Damme just before he exploded into the mainstream, the film was ahead of its time having Muay Thai at the forefront, and features some incredible location shots in Thailand, but is extremely light on dialogue from actual Thai actors. The dialogue is obviously secondary as we all just want to get amped and watch Van Damme consciously showing off spinning kicks while training, which helped inspire a generation of kids to foolishly believe they could kick trees with their shins to toughen up. Opposite Van Damme is one of his most notable villains in the insidiously evil Tong Po (played by Van Damme&#39;s good friend in Thai face). The Muscles from Brussels gets to put some of his acting chops on display, as he is often playful and goofy — leading to a bar fight that is beloved on social media — and also emoting while crying for his brother, or reconnecting with ancient warriors. Similar to the episode, it&#39;s all delightful nonsense that will have you shouting Nok Su Kow by the time it&#39;s over. </p>