The Quest (film)
- Jean -Claude Van Damme: Christopher Dubois
- Roger Moore: Lord Edgar Dobbs
- James Remar: Maxie Devine
- Janet Gunn: Carrie Newton
- Jack McGee: Harry Smythe
- Louis Mandylor: Riggi
- Aki Aleong: Khao
- Jen Sung Outerbridge: Phang ( Siamese fighters )
- Abdel Qissi: Khan ( Mongolian Fighter )
- Peter Wong: Chinese fighter
- Koji Kitao: Japanese fighter
- Habby Heske: German fighter
- César Carneiro: Brazilian fighters
- Takis Triggelis: French fighters
- Azdine Nouri: Turkish fighter
- Stefanos Miltsakakis: Greek fighter
- Peter Malota: Spanish fighters
- Winston Ellis: African fighters
- Brick Bronsky: Soviet fighter
- Michael Ian Lambert: Scottish fighter
- Ong Soo Han: Korean fighter
- Ip Choi Nam: fighters from Okinawa
The Quest - The Challenge is an adventure and action film ( martial arts movie ) from the year 1996 The main roles of the film occupy Jean -Claude Van Damme and Roger Moore.. This film is van dam directorial debut.
Action
Christopher Dubois, a street artist, pickpocket and leader of a group of street children is 1925 forced to flee his hometown of New York. On the ship of Turkish arms smugglers before it reaches the coast of Thailand, where he is rescued by Edgar Dobbs and his friend and lackey Harry Smythe, as they attacked the cutter. Dobbs, a former captain of the Royal Navy, who now hires himself as a smuggler and pirate, Dubois promises the return home, but sold him as a slave on an island where the Dubois martial art Muay Thai learned.
Six months later, they meet each other again in Bangkok, where Dubois denies a street fight. This reminds Dobbs in his guilt towards him and persuaded him to bail him again. By Dubois Dobbs and Smythe learned of a secret fighting tournament, the Ghang - Gheng, which will be held in Tibet and to the best fighters from around the world are invited. They decide to the Lost City, the venue, travel. Dubois will participate in the tournament for the winner's trophy to win a huge dragon statue made of pure gold. They are accompanied by Carrie Newton, an American reporter who was displaced from her editorial in the Orient. However, they need a scroll that identifies Dubois as invited fighters and on which a map is drawn. Therefore, they join the Americans Maxie Devine, the world champion in the heavyweight boxing, on to wangle this on occasion his scroll. As Devine noticed this, it comes between him and Dubois to fight. Devine subject and passes the roller.
Later, however, he still appears to the tournament and transmits his title officially Dubois, who now participates for the United States in the fight tournament. At the tournament to take the best fighters in part from all countries. Dubois fights before the final, where he encounters the brutal Mongol Khan. After a fierce battle, he conquered that, but omitted Dubois on the golden dragon. Instead, he obtained the release of Dobbs and Smythe, who were in an attempt to steal the dragon, caught and sentenced to death.
Reviews
James Berardinelli gave the film on ReelViews a " go to sleep and uplifting tempo " and the " absence of any energy " before. The director of the film was " poor ", the camera work " uninspired " and the villain " pale ".
" The directorial debut of the Belgian martial arts master and actor Claude Van Damme, whose patch social morality is out of the fight scenes absurdity. The Bildreminiszenzen at great adventure epics seem hypocritical and cynical in the face of inhuman attitude of the film. "
" With the same grace and discipline he shows on camera, does Jean -Claude Van Damme is an excellent directorial debut. "
Others
- Roger Moore was raised in his first scene in the film as " Dobbs Edgar Dobbs " before. This is a nod to James Bond, which he also represented in numerous films.
- The film is set in the 1920s. At this time, Okinawa was already almost 50 years to officially Japan. Nevertheless, there is in the film for Japan and Okinawa each a fighter.
- The screenplay was written by Jean -Claude Van Damme together with Frank Dux. This turned van Damme in his first major success Bloodsport 1988 dar.
- For the composition of each fighter to fight thousands of athletes from around the world competed.
- Also worth seeing is how the respective fighters represent their country at this tournament in their respective fighting style of their home. So the Japanese is a sumo wrestler who fights with Capoeira Brazilian, Spaniard struggles flamenco -like, the German is a fencer and also fights freestyle, the Koreans occurs with Taekwon -Do, and so on.
Commercial success
The film played a around 22 million dollars and 57,400,547 U.S. dollars worldwide with a budget of 30 million U.S. dollars in the United States. The Quest was after grossing in 1996 to 73rd place.