 |   Format : AC-3, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, DVD, Import, Subtitled, NTSC Publisher : Tai Seng List Price: Our Price: $17.97 You Save: $1.98 (10%) Used Price : $8.81 |
Product Description
Studio: Tai Seng Entertainment Release Date: 05/25/2004 Run time: 99 minutesSimilarProduct
Customer reviews
Touching 
by .. Ermilo Gonzales III (A hidden desert in Afghanistan)
This movie will not appeal to all. This movie is the type that I thought was a fighting movie.
If you want a intense martial arts fighting movie....then you might be disappointed. While the movie does have some
fighting in it, it is NOT the main point of the movie. The movie is more about the characters overcoming obstacles.
This movie is more about love first and foremost. Fighting is second. Making sense of the story is probably third.
This movie is not the most beautifully well put together movie either. The movie might be enjoyed by those who
enjoy simple and touching type stories.
Thats all that I can say. Give it a shot...I did and I'm glad I did.
Beautiful and breathtaking by .. Jennifer Bullard (Phila, PA)
This movie was wonderful. Bond, the young boxer, very attractive might I add, has a really rough life. Nothing seems to go his way, though he stays strong through it all. His teacher, Kim, who is older, but also very, very pretty, catches his eye through some coincidental circumstances. Though she is quite drawn to Bond, Kim tries to deny her feelings because of the age/school issue, and also because of a bad relationship she is just entering out of. Bond pursues her relentlessly however, and eventually she has to give in. All the while, Bond is training extremely hard for a certain tournament, the Star Runner, and he faces many more challenges in the future.
I don't want to give away much more, but this movie just captures human emotions completely and perfectly. The actors were extremely well picked, and they deliver a story that is fascinating. The best part about it is that it could really happen. It is not far-fetched in any way, and yet, at the same time, it makes your own life seem boring in comparision...or at least it did for me. All in all, the best word that I can use to describe this film is beautiful.
A romance and martial arts film 
by .. classicalmusicfan (usa)
This is a romance and martial arts film. If you like both together, it is the one for you. The male lead Wu, is a singer in Taiwan's F4 Group. The female lead Hyun-joo Kim is a famous Korean actress for her TV series and movies. The ending is unsure, but I prefer a happier ending.
Exceptional Depth . . . by .. R. Kirkham (Rushville, Illinois USA)
. . . for a martial arts film. "The Kumite" is really two films in one. One film is about a martial arts contest in which all of the contestants are strong gladiators that exhibit good sportsmanship. It is refreshing to watch a film with conflict among people of good character. The martial arts action is good, but not as good as some films. The plot is predictable, right up to the end where there is a slight twist.
The other film is about forbidden attraction. This romantic sketch is exhilarating and troubling at the same time. The way the film is choreographed, the viewer is not quite sure which film (romance or martial arts) takes precedence. It doesn't matter, but the romance is the more interesting of the two. The romance is haunting. The chemistry between these two works. The slow forbidden draw is more attractive than the quick steamy passion of many films. One is not quite as sure how this affair will end.
I do not like the ending. It comes across choppy, unreal, and perhaps damages the film a little. Nevertheless this is a haunting piece of cinematography.
kumi-what? by .. dominion_ruler (Carolina, USA)
Don't get this confused with Bloodsport folks. Instead of being a movie about a martial arts tournament feauturing a love story, this is a love story featuring a martial arts tournament. There is no indication of this from either the cover art of this dvd or the trailer itself. While the tournament is enjoyable and there is decent fight action, the love story is not strong enough to support the rest of the film.
The main charcacter is a yougn man named Bond, a student of both summer classes and martial arts in his community gym. He quickly shows a love interest for his school teacher, who looks young enough to be a student too, who in turn quickly shows an interest towrds him, though a bit weird. Not only is she his teacher, but comes off as someone who doesn'e even act one bit like a teacher, but more like a helpless-innocent schoolgirl. How ironic. The English dubbing only allows the love story to suffer even more, as if the cheesiness and slow-pacing involved weren't bad enough.
If you can wait 50 minutes of the film, the Kumite finally begins. Kumite is actually designated as the English title for this movie. The actual tournament is known as Star Runner. While it is a brutal contest of fighters from around the globe, the bruatilty is far less than the Bloodsport series and the fights themselves are in an actual ring rather than a platform. The flashy lights and screaming audience sets the stage well to get you pumped for the fights, and so does the introduction to all the fighters appearing in the tournament. Most of the fights are short, but there are a few better and longer ones as the tournament progresses. The villainous fighter of the tournament - called Tank - is convincing and does a great job looking and being the bad guy. He's nothing like Chong Li from Bloodsport, but I could like him as easily as Demon and Beast from Bloodsport's 2 & 3.
The final fight scene of the movie is 15 minutes in length. Before you get too excited, I stress the word scene. While Bond and Tank go at it round after round and we get to see obviously the best fight in the movie, there are lots of flashback scenes (cheesy as always) and some extended time in between rounds. I would guess there is still a good 7 minutes of straight solid action though. The ending gets a little unpredictable, for a change, but is questionable. It leaves you with the feeling of "I'm not sure if it feels right".
Ok, so if you are expecting an all-out Kumite, you have to wait for 2/3 of the film to pass. Even then, its far less fighting than the first 3 Bloodsport movies, but I'd say more than #4 (which stank by the way). If you don't mind a huge love story too, then you might enjoy this. Expect much cheesiness and gosh-awful dubbing - the 2 may just ruin the romance, even if it is an unusual one. 4 stars for the fights, 2 for the rest - 3 overall.