’80s Fight Trainwreck Is Being Kept Off Streaming

By Robert Scucci
| Published 21 seconds ago

What do you get when you combine the grace and elegance of gymnastics with the discipline and precision of karate? There is only one correct answer to this question, and it is 1985 Gymkata – one of the funniest unintentional martial arts movies you’ll ever see. I know it might sound like I’m speaking in hyperbole, but I’ve seen every late-career Steven Seagal movie Walmart has to offer, so I consider myself an expert in comedy. unintentional; a title that has ruined my life because I’ve ironically watched so many movies that I don’t really know what I like anymore.

Gymkata it may not be available through anyone streaming subscription service, but is available through on-demand purchases. That’s right, for the price of a Happy Meal you can watch this wreckage of storytelling, fighting, romance, and gymnastic equipment strategically placed in the darkness of your living room if you’re willing to lose a couple of points IQ.

The Terrible Game

Based on a pulp novel written by Dan Tyler Moore Jr. in 1957, The Terrible Game, Gymkata is a mess of a film that is impossible to look away from. With the acrobatic moves of Olympic gymnast Kurt Thomas taking the lead as Special Intelligence Agency (SIA) contractor Jonathan Cabot, I have to admit that many of the fight sequences are well choreographed and will grabs your attention. But like most action films starring an athlete first and an actor second, the storytelling falls apart in favor of stunts and beats while most of its dialogue and to explanation seems like an afterthought.

Focusing on an unforgiving athletic competition called “the Game,” Gymkata attempts to summarize a story about international relations with the fictional country of Parmistan. SIA contacts Jonathan to take part in the Game, a 900 year old tradition that has never had a winner. Those who win the Game not only get to live, but also get one wish after completing the competition, which is a convoluted survival-of-the-fittest race with no clear rules as far as the i can say

The Desire

Like most action movies set in the 80s, the threat of nuclear war is the driving force behind Jonathan’s participation in the Game. Working under the directives of the SIA, Jonathan is tasked with winning the very game that claimed his father’s life so that he can wish the US to install a satellite monitoring system in Parmistan that acts as an early warning system for any possible future nuclear attacks.

Training under the tutelage of an Eastern trainer (Tadashi Yamashita) and a Parmistan princess named Princess Rubali (Tetchie Abayani), Jonathan develops Gymkata, an unconventional fighting style that combines gymnastics and karate so he can gain a competitive edge during the upcoming Game.

If you thought that punching bags and long jumps would be part of the training montage, you are seriously mistaken. Most of Jonathan’s training involves being told to listen to the wind while he is forced to climb stairs with his hands for some reason. While I can’t say this is a conventional way to prepare for a life-or-death type of competition, I can’t argue with the results after watching Gymkata.

How Convenient!

I could go inside Gymkata’s a convoluted plot about the coup being organized by the King of Parmistan’s right-hand man, Commander Zamir (Richard Norton), to overthrow the government by changing the rules of the Game to ensure that nobody wins, but all you need knowing that the rules are being broken, and it’s up to Jonathan to survive and win so he can get his one wish for national security.

And how does Jonathan fight against the various men and warriors of Parmistan, you ask?

Luckily for Jonathan, when he’s chased down a dark alley that leads to what one would think is certain death, there just happens to be a high bar for him to flip, spin and kick his way out of trouble. I was initially worried about Jonathan’s safety when he finds himself surrounded by a group of terrorists and warriors in the town square, but those worries were soon wiped from my nervous brain after discovering pommel horse in a convenient location where Jonathan could also turn. , spin, and kick his way out of trouble.

Acting primarily as a means of showcasing Kurt Thomas’s gymnastics and martial arts skills, each trap or hideout is Gymkata admirably choreographed, but placed throughout the film in a way that makes very little sense while being a lot of fun to look at.

Watch Gymkata

Gymkata It has certainly earned its keep as a cult classic, and is definitely a film worth seeking out for its inherent entertainment value. The story arc (or lack thereof) may leave a lot to be desired, but between Game contestants being thrown violently off cliffs and cleaving loudly on the rocks below, Jonathan’s unique and confusing form is mixed. martial arts fight, and his way of flirting with Princess Rubali by executing various flips and gyrations, you will be left stunned and speechless the next time you need to turn off your mind and leave Gymkata happen to you

If you want to see Gymkata for yourself, it’s available on-demand through Google Play Movies, Apple TV+, Fandango at Homea Amazon Prime Video. And if you want to further enhance your viewing experience, you can also check out the RiffTrax version if you want to bust a gut laughing at the commentary.