The Last Kumite

The opening, hats off, images, sound and style look like a truly authentic journey through time. However, the opening tournament brings you back down to earth, not really great martial arts. Eastern Europe as the location for the kumite is the final reality check, I really would have liked an Asian setting. That might have given a real boost to the search for the longed-for old charm, but as it is it's just another cheap Eastern European action production. I don't want to grumble at this point, the budget was limited, more would certainly have been possible with more. The story meanwhile takes wild turns, logic is a foreign concept, one nonsense follows the next. The training sequences with Billy Blanks are more of a bad joke. In general, the film is obviously a reference to Bloodsport, so it has to put up with comparisons. I've already said something about the location, but the choice of fighters doesn't make it any better. The attempt at diversity is certainly the right idea, but it lacks profile. Starting with the main character Lasko, the Fist of God, no Van Damme, to the main opponent Dracko, no Bolo Yeung. Nice to see Kurt McKinney again, by far the best actor. Another highlight for me was Bolo Yeun's son, wow, an absolute spitting image. Unfortunately, barely there and already gone. Cynthia Rothrock, well, never my favourite, her age certainly doesn't make it any better. The latter also applies to Matthias Hues, but thanks to him, one of the driving forces behind the production.

Ultimately, not the review I wanted, and perhaps even too good a rating. I still recommend a viewing, simply to appreciate the idea and the effort. A gift to fans should be honoured accordingly, even if one or two things don't quite fit.

The Last Kumite attempts to emulate the success of "Bloodsport" but falls flat with its amateurish acting and predictable storyline. The performances are cringe-worthy, lacking depth and authenticity, making it difficult to connect with any of the characters. The fight scenes, meant to be the film's highlight, come across as clumsy and uninspired, failing to capture the intensity and skill seen in similar martial arts films. Overall, this Bloodsport rip off disappoints as a cheap imitation that struggles to rise above its low-budget origins, offering little more than a forgettable viewing experience.

The Director was not allowed to be involved in the post production.

This is the Producers edit, all comments should be directed at Sean. So for anyone who has a comment about the director he's not to blame for the editing, the sound mix or the colour grading.

From: imdb-767-417450 "The film is as shallow and superficial as the story, with nonsensical dialogues.

Fight scenes poorly choreographed, though Mike Möller's fights were a highlight.

Others actors were shoddy and sluggish.

This is not a B-Movie. A D-Movie. D for dreadful/disgraceful mess.

Next time, Clarkson should bring Til Schweiger, and throw in Steven Seagal to complete the disaster!

From: Gubbe.

"The Last Kumite" is a major disappointment on multiple fronts. The directing by Ross W. Clarkson lacks any creativity or coherence, leaving scenes feeling disjointed and poorly paced. The editing is equally subpar, with jarring cuts that disrupt the flow of action and narrative. Sound design is another glaring issue, featuring inconsistent audio levels and poorly integrated sound effects that detract from the immersion. The casting choices are puzzling, as many of the actors, despite their martial arts credentials, deliver wooden and uninspired performances. The acting is universally poor, with stilted dialogue and a lack of emotional depth, making it difficult to connect with any of the characters. Overall, "The Last Kumite" fails to capture the spirit of classic martial arts films, offering instead a bland and hopefully forgettable experience.

Sorry, how can you blame the director when he was not allowed to be involved in the post?

Story: Karate champion Rivers (Mathis Landwehr) retires to avoid permanent injuries. Soon after, shady businessman Hall (Hues) offers him a huge prize to join a deadly Kumite tournament. Michael declines, but his daughter Bree (Kira Kortenbach) is kidnapped. To save her, Michael must enter the tournament.

The film is as shallow and superficial as the story, with nonsensical dialogues.

Fight scenes poorly choreographed, though Mike Möller's fights were a highlight.

Others actors were shoddy and sluggish.

This is not a B-Movie. A D-Movie. D for dreadful/disgraceful mess.

Next time, Clarkson should bring Til Schweiger, and throw in Steven Seagal to complete the disaster!

I give it 2 stars only because of Mike Möller and Michel Qissi.

I understand this was a kickstarter funded film wanting to go back to the 80's style of martial arts movies but this was just poor.

Ok you can't get the best actors, martial arts stars but the script/storytelling is so basic it just feels like no effort was put in whatsoever. There is nothing in this that even remotely seems like effort was involved. It is the paint by numbers version of a martial arts movie which would be fine if it was made on tight budget by a studio but this was crowd funded yet so little effort was put in. It's not unwatchable but it is also just poor even for 'this' type of movie.