No Retreat, No Surrender

Original title: No Retreat No Surrender

1985
PG
1h 25m

IMDb RATING

5.6/10

19K

YOUR RATING

Jean-Claude Van Damme and Kurt McKinney in No Retreat, No Surrender (1985)

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1 Video

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Dark Comedy Martial Arts Action Comedy Crime Drama

Jason, a Bruce Lee fan, sees his karate instructor/dad beaten by martial art thugs. They move to Seattle where, after humiliations, he trains with Bruce Lee's ghost so he can defend himself ... Read allJason, a Bruce Lee fan, sees his karate instructor/dad beaten by martial art thugs. They move to Seattle where, after humiliations, he trains with Bruce Lee's ghost so he can defend himself and others against thugs.Jason, a Bruce Lee fan, sees his karate instructor/dad beaten by martial art thugs. They move to Seattle where, after humiliations, he trains with Bruce Lee's ghost so he can defend himself and others against thugs.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.6/10

19K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
The scene with Kurt McKinney doing two-finger push-ups was filmed with wires to hoist McKinney up and down. The trees in the background cover up the wire.

Goofs
When Jason first meets Bruce Lee he greets him as "Sensei Lee". Lee was Chinese, so the correct term is "Sifu." "Sensei" is a Japanese title.

Quotes
RJ Madison: Alright. No retreat, no surrender!

Crazy credits
Jean-Claude Van Damme's character is Ivan, but in the ending credits, next to his name reads, "Karl Brezdin".

Alternate versions
The new 2004 UK region 2 DVD from Universal features a different opening and logo and film score compared to either the UK or US home video releases. The DVD also features scenes that were not present in either the US or UK video release(s) Scenes that were added
after Jason's father leg is broken there is a brief scene of him in the hospital thinking about who done it to him and not wanting to put his family in danger because of the syndicate and his decision to leave L.A.
Ian receiving a phone call from the syndicate telling him to meet them at his dojo in half an hour
Various scenes were extended plus additional dialogue is heard that didn't feature in either the UK or US home video release Scenes that were deleted:
Jason's date with Kelly at the space needle and a brief scene of them looking through the window of a pet shop
After Jason comes home from Ian's dojo there is a scene where Jason meets Kelly for the first time after moving from L.A. to Seattle. Those scenes were included in the video releases. The DVD run time on the back of the DVD is incorrectly stated as 79 minutes the correct run time is 94 minutes
Also, the final fight between Jason and Ivan is slightly longer using flashbacks to Jason's training explaining how they come into use in the last fight, such as when Jason was practicing on the mokujin (wooden dummy) and used that knowledge to counter Ivan's attacks. This also explains the awkward jump cuts during this fight in the shorter prints.
This version also contains a completely different score feature stock music from various Hong Kong films, such as Project A and My Lucky Stars, plus an alternate theme song called "Hold On To The Vision". Also, there is a different voice actor used for "Lee Dai Goh" which sounds properly more Asian rather than the deeper Americanized voice used in the shorter prints.

Connections
Featured in The Best of the Martial Arts Films (1990)

Soundtracks
Hold on to the Vision
(Main Theme)
Music and Lyrics by Frank Harris and Jo Mortensen
Produced by Frank Harris
Sung by Kevin Chalfant

User reviews149

Review

Featured review

8/10

Revenge of the 80's: Jean Claude Van Damme, Superstar.

No Retreat, No Surrender (1985) was a Seasonal Films production that was filmed in the United States. Corey Yuen was the director and Hoi Meng was the co-action director. This film marked the Western debut of future superstar Jean Claude Van Damme. This was also the first of three official No Retreat, No Surrender films.

A kid witnesses his dad being brutally beaten by a group of thugs and their new fighter, a big mean Soviet kick-fighter (J.C.V.D.) The kid does what anybody else would do if they saw their own dad nearly beaten to death, swear a blood revenge against those who put him in traction. There's one problem, the kid can't punch his way out of a paper bag and his fighting skills are virtually non-existence. What's a kid to do? Turn to a higher power! Will that be the stuff needed to beat down the mean Red fighter and avenge his father?

The fight scenes are realistic looking and bone crunching. The direction is real good and the acting is okay. A Hong Kong style movie made in America. J.C.V.D. is pretty scary and mean looking in his big debut. He'll make a bigger splash in his first true success Bloodsport.

If you enjoy old school kung fu movies where the son has to avenge his father with a blood oath, then this one's for you. Followed by No Retreat, No Surrender 2.