Kickboxer (1989)

Forget special effects fight scenes – Jean-Claude Van Damme (JC) and his co-stars did all of their stunts in this butt-kicking action film. JC plays Kurt Sloane, a man determined to avenge a violent post-match attack on his Muay Thai champion brother. But to do that, Kurt needs to learn to fight.

Think Karate Kid, but flashier and grittier. It’s raw – like Kurt learning the splits tied between trees (don’t worry, Jean-Claude could do them in real life, thanks to years as a ballet dancer in Belgium). The fight scenes are intense and the camera work is great, putting you in the ring with Kurt and nemesis Tong Po (Michel Qissi). The script isn’t amazing, but you’re not here for Shakespeare.

While it has aged, John Ferguson from radiotimes.com says it’s worth the watch still: “A key film in Van Damme’s career, this is the one that first gave an indication that the Muscles From Brussels could escape straight-to-video hell and into the mainstream. Plotwise, this is nothing special. However, the fight sequences are staged with such élan that it is easy to ignore the hackneyed script and wooden performances.”

Fun facts:

• Jean-Claude was fired from Predator and was later cast in this movie, which made him famous in Hollywood.
• Moroccan-Belgian Michel Qissi didn’t speak English, so his lines were read by Jim Cummings, aka the voice of Winnie The Pooh.