Key Takeaways
- The Last Kumite is a tribute to old school martial arts films, boasting a great team including director Ross W. Clarkson and classic action stars.
- The film’s plot centers on a NYC martial artist forced to enter an underground tournament to save his kidnapped daughter.
- Martial arts fans should watch The Last Kumite for its celebration of classic tropes, real martial artists in the cast, and nostalgic 80s sound.
If there’s one genre that displays a spirit of scrappiness and invention, it’s martial arts films. Think of the low-budget martial arts films originating from Hong Kong in the 70s and 80s. Even something like Bloodsport, which had a budget of $1.5-2.3 million, went on to gross $50 million and is widely considered to be a cult classic. Martial arts films have their own ardent fans who adore films like Kickboxer, Dark Angel, and No Retreat, No Surrender. However, unlike horror films which are consistently being made, these 80s and 90s-style martial arts films are rarely seen these days. The filmmakers of The Last Kumite decided to set out to create a movie in the style of those old school martial arts films, which they funded through the support of fans on Kickstarter.
It’s no wonder that the film got funded. Looking through the Kickstarter page, the film boasts a great team. Director Ross W. Clarkson is a well-seasoned action director and cinematographer, having worked on such films as Ninja. Composer Paul Hertzog worked on Kickboxer and Bloodsport and knew how to create that 80s sound for the feel of an old school martial arts movie. Speaking of classic movies, Stan Bush, the man behind the memorable songs from The Transformers: The Movie sings the title song. That’s before even going over the cast. The Queen of Martial Arts Cynthia Rothrock, Michel Qissi, and Billy Banks are such a few of the actors that round out the cast. This was always a great pitch with an excellent team that wanted to, at the end of the day, make a fun movie that essentially served as a love letter to a genre they adored and respected.
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What Is The Last Kumite About?
The Last Kumite centers on Michael Rivers (Mathis Landwehr), a NYC-based martial artist and father. After winning an official martial arts competition, he gets an offer from promoter Ron Hall (Matthias Hues) to participate in an exclusive tournament. Michael is actually eyeing retirement and rejects Ron’s offer. Ron responds in classic bad guy fashion by kidnapping Michael’s daughter, Bree (Kira Kortenbach). In order to save his daughter, Michael is forced to participate in the underground tournament held in Bulgaria. Unfortunately for Michael, and the rest of the participants, Ron has an undefeated champion named Dracko (Mike D Vecchio) who delights in crippling and even killing his defeated opponents. Worse yet, one of Michael’s fellow participants, Damon Spears (Kurt McKinney) decides to check out Ron’s assertion that the police are really in his pocket, a refreshingly practical move, and finds out that he wasn’t bluffing. Damon, and fellow fighter Lea Martin (Monia Moula) also have kidnapped family members that need rescuing. All three give it their all as they are literally forced to fight for their loved ones.
Why Martial Arts Fans Should Watch The Last Kumite
Martial arts fans should watch The Last Kumite because its entire purpose is to celebrate old school martial arts films. From a cast of real-life martial artists and stunt performers, a legit 80s sound, and the inclusion of such classic tropes as tournaments and training montages. Banks plays Loren, Michael’s mentor figure and introduces him to other trainers, such as Dracko’s former sensei, played by Rothrock, and Lightning, a fighter as fast as his name, played by Mike Möller. While another film might be tempted to make self-aware jokes, the beauty of The Last Kumite is that it’s sincere. The over-the-top plot and stakes are taken seriously because this isn’t a parody of the genre. (Although those can be fun too). Instead, it’s a celebration. That said, the film is definitely made for fans of the genre and fans alone, but that also makes it refreshing. Instead of trying to go for a wide-reaching, four-quadrant demographic, it goes for specificity.
Where to Watch The Last Kumite
The Last Kumite is currently available on streaming. The film can be rented on Apple TV for $5.99, as well as Google Play and Amazon Prime Video for $3.99. Additionally, it is available on Fandango at Home (formerly Vudu) for free with commercials.
The Last Kumite is a little silly, but it’s also awesome. It has a very similar magic to Cobra Kai, which celebrates its iconic stars as well as its younger ones. It works not just because of the stunts or the 80s-tastic music, but also because of its sincerity. It’s the kind of media best watched in a group of fans, people that can appreciate the kind of dedication that went into it and the fact that films like it have become rare in recent decades.
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