For those who know, they know. Jean-Claude Van Damme might have become an action movie star to most of the world with his portrayal of Frank Dux in Bloodsport, which came out in 1988, but the Belgian action star’s first true action film introduction came years earlier in the odd, yet very rewatchable, martial arts film No Retreat, No Surrender.
Let’s look back at this cinematic moment in history and explore how a low-budget martial arts film, which is kind of for kids, helped launch a major star and shift the action film landscape.
No Retreat, No Surrender (1988)
Perhaps one of my personal favorite films of all time, No Retreat, No Surrender did more than introduce the world to Jean-Claude Van Damme, who—for some odd reason—plays an evil Soviet martial artist who travels to Seattle, Washington, to fight in a martial arts competition against high schoolers.
The film is also a terribly done homage to Bruce Lee, notably featuring a South Korean martial arts actor who looks nothing like Lee, portraying him as a ghost to train the film’s protagonist. It's also just an all-around great introduction to terrible but fun action movies that are great to rewatch with friends and become staples of cult movie clubs.
The film also, of course, gives us Van Damme in one of his many iconic performances.
Van Damme as Ivan "the Russian" Kraschinsky
'No Retreat, No Surrender'
Credit: New World Pictures
Ivan "the Russian" Kraschinsky is the role that Van Damme was never born to play, yet it’s the one that really put him on the map for the first time. Technically, Van Damme’s first on-screen role was an uncredited role in André Delvaux's Woman Between Wolf and Dog, a Belgian-French drama film starring Marie-Christine Barrault and Rutger Hauer.
He can also be seen breakdancing in the Cannon Films project Breakin' in 1984. However, his first performance with billing credits was in No Retreat, No Surrender, which premiered in 1986, and helped him secure what would ultimately be his legacy-starting role in Bloodsport.
It also gave audiences a first taste of Van Damme’s over-the-top acting choices, and his capabilities of performing the splits, either as a flying kick move, or just for the heck of it as he does in this film as a way to rest between the ropes of a boxing ring between rounds.
An Ultimate Legacy
As far as movie rewatches go, No Retreat, No Surrender is a top option for action film fans and ironic cult movie clubs. It’s also a great example and reminder that movies can be fun, chaotic, and enjoyable. And even with the most uneven of performances, they can launch careers and go on to live with ultimate legacies.
- Looking Back At The Era Of Muscles And Masculinity: ‘80s Action Flicks ›
- What Are The Best Action Movies of All Time? ›
- 9 Highest-Grossing Action Movies of All Time ›
- 12 Best ’90s Films That Defined Action Cinema ›
- 15 Best Action Comedies Ever Made ›
- Bullet-Fu Lovers Unite: What Are The Best Hong Kong Action Movies? ›
