User reviews

I am the first to admit that it sounds a little bit weird to shoot a martial arts movie with a "cowboy scenery", but the movie actually turns out OK.

Olivier Grüner is a former soldier in the french(?) army, who is searching for his long lost enemy... The movie includes the standard good vs bad and good boy gets pretty girl stories, and the movie reaches a climax at a "tough-man" tournament at the end. A tournament in the wild west with capoeira, kung-fu, savate , boxing etc.

Overall the movie is light entertainment with some very good fighting scenes.. (I give it 6/10)

I will admit that this is not the best film to ever be made, yet it is still one that is worth seeing more than once (personal opinion).

The plot is a little bit on the dumb side: a French soldier acting like he's Clint Eastwood, a martial artist fighting people in the 1860's Texas. That does not, however, keep the viewer from being entertained in a slightly dumb way.

The good thing is that Oliver Gruner is a talented martial artist (even if his films are mostly cheap stuff done to pay the mortgage) and his acting is not that bad (I've seen PLENTY worse).

Overall, a decent film, not a waste of time and money to watch.

This martial arts movie was anything but ordinary. Instead of Asian martial arts, it's French martial arts. Meaning "French boxing", this movie didn't bore me a bit. "Kung Fu" was all about wisdom, "Savate" was more about honor. If you seen "The Quest" with Van Damme, you should be getting a kick out of "Savate". This fighter fought the honor of both countries: France and the U.S. Avenging the dead homesteader was very honorable, and keeping the promise of his comrade was also great. If the pole didn't stop the German, the bullet did! And this movie was definitely great for the martial arts buffs as well. If you're tired of Van Damme. 2.5 out of 5 stars 7 out of 10

Olivier Gruner stars as a french kick-boxer (a stretch that even Gruner can't seem to make credible)who travels to the west and protects a farming community from greedy land developers, while falling for the recently widowed(I think.) Mary Parker (Hellraiser's Ashley Laurence who seems a bit too sexy to really convince as a conservative farm girl) Also for a little more fun the greedy developers hire a lethal kick-boxer (Beastmaster's Marc Singer!) to dispatch Olivier once and for all. Believe it or not The Fighter (AKA Savate) isn't a really rip off of Shane, rather it's a rip off of Nowhere To Run (One of Van Damme's lamest efforts) which was a rip off of Shane, normally i'd say greatness(Shane) begets bad (Nowhere To Run) begets worse (The Fighter) but The Fighter is probably more preferable to Nowhere To Run. At least here we can gawk and laugh at the hilariously hokey dramatics of seeing Olivier Gruner rescue people from a burning farm (Everything is so clichéd) we can marvel at how the action sequences are lacking the swagger that director Issac Florentine(Bridge Of Dragons and Cold Harvest) are known for yet complete with the ridiculousness. Also it's interesting that this has an actor somehow even more laughable then the typically stiff leading man(Olivier Gruner), in Ian Zierning (You know the guy from 90210) and truly the greatest thing about this movie is watching them try and act possessive/protective over Ashley Laurence which is somewhat disturbing because Zierning is supposed to be the brother, while she (even more disturbingly) swoons over both of them.

Although I mentioned it before, Ashley Laurence looks more like Paula Abdoul (back in the 80's) then she does a conservative ranch girl, which the period piece calls for. But she follows a trend, all of the talented actors in this movie are hopelessly lost in their roles. (Marc Singer barely speaks, James Brolin seems bored and R. Lee Ermy is wasted) the movie might've worked better had it starred Marc Singer and had Gruner in the villain role but what we end up with is a horrifyingly lame attempt to martial arts a western. What is somehow even worse is that this trend extended to the even worse Ghost Rock with Gary Busey and Jeff Fahey! Still there is plenty to chuckle at here, (seriously Ian Zierning) making it a perfect choice for my turkey binge. (It is November)

*1/2 out of 4-(Poor)

My wife and I watched this and while I can only speak for myself, I have to say it was quite bad. I like Westerns and I like martial arts movies too, but this was one of the worse acting, writing and directing jobs I've ever seen. They should have named the movie cliché' instead. It was one 'tense' scene after another. Characters were introduced at odd times and then disposed quite quickly. I thought I was watching a really bad episode of some karate show on cable.

It was amazing how bad this was. I said to my wife that the camera crew must have been shaking their heads as they worked on this flick. The camera work was okay by the way. The one thing that was not sub-par. My wife and I both saw missed opportunities to make the movie better.

And what was with the widow kissing Oliver at the end? Her husband just died a few hours earlier in the morning, yet she suddenly turns her sadness into love.

I'd be ashamed if I had my name on the writing, directing or cast credits for this.

Cheap, wretchedly written, horrendously (mis)directed, badly acted, anachronistic, brainless, illogical, cliched, stupid, and completely, utterly worthless--and those are its good points. Part of the problem is Gruner himself--like Schwarzenegger he's not much of an actor, but Arnie has the flair and personality to carry a movie, no matter how lousy it is. Those are characteristics that Gruner is completely lacking. The major part of the problem, however, are the filmmakers themselves. I have no idea who director Isaac Florentine is, but for his sake I hope that's not his real name, because he should never be allowed anywhere near a movie set again after this. He is completely clueless on how to pace a story, how to TELL a story, camera placement, directing actors, writing, and every other conceivable aspect of filmmaking. Little of this film makes even the slightest bit of sense. It's (obviously) a showcase for Gruner's kickboxing skills, but this movie is so incompetent that it doesn't even do that right; it manages to make Gruner actually appear to be not much more skillful than most of the opponents he goes up against.

As for the other actors, they don't have all that much to do, and they don't do that all that well. Marc Singer plays a German officer in the French army who was Gruner's nemesis when he was stationed in Mexico with the French cavalry (only a hint of how convoluted this film is) and plays it over the top, with a monocle, a saber scar, and an accent that reminds you of Siegfried in the "Get Smart" televsion series. Ian Ziering, of "Beverly Hills 90210" fame, plays a frontier settler (with a tan and perfect hair) who befriends Gruner. James Brolin is in this, too, although I can't fathom why; he must have read the script before he took the job, and as he sure doesn't need the money, what the hell is he doing in this thing?

Anyway, don't waste your time on this turdball. The ending is exactly what you know it will be 30 seconds into the movie, and it's not worth sticking around to find out. Avoid it.

Wasnt expecting much from this film, the dvd was cheap and the cover made it look like a dodgy kickboxing docu-film ... but I was suprised. Grunner delivers a lot of action and shows off his kickboxing skills, which he should do more in his films because his acting isnt what we are watching for! also Ashley Laurence (Hellraiser I/II) co-stars, and still looks fine. ;) The music is good too, coming straight from some of Clints classic Westerns!

A young French officer, travelling the U.S. in search of the murderer of his best friend, gets involved in a struggle between poor farmers and a rich landowner. To help the farmers, he offers them his "Savate" (French kickboxing) skills.

Contains a lot of fuzzy but stupid plot, but can't believed. A killed person can live again, bad effects, stupid character, etc. Setting of place is enough, but lighting effect is too shiny. I only can see a little view. And again, too stupid plot.

The movie title looks different with the plot.

This film just waste my time.

This is a truly horrible spaghetti western.

The fight scenes are sort of nice but I get the idea that this movie was simply shot to grab a few bucks from kung-fu fans.

Don't waste your time unless you're channel surfing and you can't find *anything* else.

A rerun of My Mother the Car would be better.

OTOH, if you like westerns you might like this one.

As a black powder shooter I found the guns interesting and accurate reproductions.

The acting was truly third rate.

Jim

Savate is an exciting, over the top B-flick that borrows heavily from Once Upon A Time In The West, Kung Fu, and Bloodsport. It's no brainer action at it's finest!

Olivier Gruner is a French Legionnare wandering the old west tracking a sinister German fighter played by Marc Singer. Gruner comes to the rescue of a group of homesteaders threatened by land baron R. Lee Ermey (another entertaining performance) and agrees to represent them in Ermey's fight tournament.

Marc Singer is entertainingly cartoonish and pretty menacing as well. The final showdown between Gruner and Singer is quite exciting.

The score steals a few ideas from Ennio Morricone and a flashback scene is a blatant knockoff of Once Upon A Time In The West, but there's enough action to satisfy reasonable martial arts and western fans.

"Savate" is the reincarnation of the 1960s /1970s "Spaghetti Western", only this time around Clint Eastwood has been replaced by Oliver Gruner, and gunplay mostly supplanted by kick boxing. This uneasy combination sometimes works, but the script is so predictable that it mostly sputters along to a foregone conclusion. The film borrows heavily from Sergio Leone's masterpieces with fly catching, a death similar to Charles Bronson's Brother in "Once Upon a Time in the West", and a land grab due to the railroad coming through. Perhaps the best "borrowed" element is the score, which is extremely Morricone like, and quite good. I'm sure fans of the kickboxing movies will find plenty to criticize , and the Italian Western devotes will have seen it all before. Nevertheless, "Savate" is totally watchable, and certainly better than a lot of the lesser "Spaghetti Westerns." - MERK

An excellent off beat Western , loosely based on a real events and real character, Joseph Chalaemont, who was a key figure in the evolution of the French Boxing - Savate.

Good acting, good Martial arts and great western filming

Directed by Isaac Florentine (the guy gav martial arts fans Boyka n Undisputed series). I first saw this in the late 90s on cable tv. Fans of martial arts can watch it once. Enough action to satisfy martial arts. The lead guy Oliver Gruner is a talented martial artist. The epic fly scene shudnt b miss by anyone. Bad acting by Ashley Laurence (Hellraiser movies). James Brolin looks as if he doesn't kno what he is doing. Some cool sun soaked settings for western fans.

A Spaghetti western with Martial based on a real character Joseph Charlemont and real events (Serving as an officer in the French army in Mexico in 1865), who was one of the creators of the French Kick fighting Savate. A powerful martial arts movie, in the wild west with good acting light entertainment with some very good fighting scenes.

This movie should have been made in the 1970's.

Then they could have got away with the wooden acting, the ludicrously cliche-d plot, and the frankly obsolete fight scenes.

Oliver G is obviously a talented martial artist: which makes wasting him in this movie even more of a crime. Compared to the latest Jet Li movies or some of the new bullet-time films (e.g. The Matrix, Swordfish) this film strikes with the speed of a snoozing earthworm.

Let me give you an example. Final fight scene...big baddie just about out on his feet...our hero, a bullet in his leg, is standing on one foot kicking the bounder right-left about the head. Technically very good stuff: balance, poise, position etc etc. But realistic? Not even close. I put it to you, Oliver, that if you've kicked him in the head six times already, and he hasn't gone down, then you need to change your tactics a little. Why doesn't he just boot him between the legs and then stamp on his head to finish him? It's what he did to our hero's best pal earlier in the film! Just cos Savate is a kicking style with many impressive high kicks in its repetoire doesn't mean you don't kick someone lower down. You thigh kicked him a moment ago...why not try something a little bit more direct?

This may sound a bit extreme, but poor fight choreography in what's billed as an exciting martial arts masterpiece is bad for the genre as a whole. Say I'm new to chop-sockey's. I see, buy or rent Savate. I'm disappointed. I don't go and see, buy, rent a martial arts movie ever again.

Come on, people, try a little harder please!

STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All Costs

I'd imagine Olivier Gruner is a man who frequently ponders on the fates Lady Luck draws out for those in life.I mean,he's french,he's a top kickboxing champion and he has questionable acting ability (justified by his laughable emoting in certain parts of this movie).So what gives?Jean Claude Van Damme enjoys a large part of his career as a top ranking Hollywood action star,and all he ever acheives is a career in low budget,STV action movies.What you gonna do,huh?

The plot here has him in 1865 as mysterious army officer Josepth Charlemont,who rides through Texas in full Clint-Eastwood-High-Plains-Drifter style fashion,simply to 'pass through' (you mean there wasn't a shortcut he could have used?).However,when corrupt landowner Jack Benedict (choosing not to be credited,R Lee Ermey (he must have had a gas bill or something to pay.Oh,and,by the way,it's probably just my imagination,but is that not Bloodsport's Donald Gibb as a burly,bearded nearby homeowner?)) and his henchmen try to force people to sell their homes,he decides to teach them all a lesson.And not of the classroom kind.

The expected iffy performances and leaden production values aside,an interesting premise is not done much justice by a bland,witless script which all the fancy kickboxing action and pleasant scenery in the world really can't save.

These things are,however,welcome distractions,which,along with the compatable running time and some unintentional hilarity,make Savate all the more of a rewarding experience.**