One of the many sequels to Jean-Claude Van Damme headlined a multitude of martial arts movies, with his two biggest contributions to the genre being Bloodsport and Kickboxer. Bloodsport is the more iconic film of the two, but Kickboxer has certainly enjoyed its fair share of popularity, enough to justify Van Damme revisiting the film two more times, once in 2012 with Kickboxer: Vengeance and again in 2019 with Kickboxer: Retaliation.

Van Damme's return revived Kickboxer, but that's not to say the franchise was dead without him. It had gone dormant years ago, but not without a few attempts to thrive with other actors as their stars. In fact, Kickboxer had four sequels in-between Jean-Claude Van Damme's debut as Kurt Sloane in 1989 and his return to the series in 2012. One of these efforts to make Kickboxer work without Van Damme featured none other than martial arts star Mark Dacascos, the actor who would later star in films like John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum.

How Redemption: Kickboxer 5 Is Connected To The 1989 Original

Kickboxer 5 Follows A Friend Of Kurt Sloane's Brother

What binds the seven Kickboxer movies together isn't a long-running plotline that continues from one film to another, but a specific character - Kurt Sloane. Kurt Sloane is the protagonist of the first and last two installments in the franchise. He doesn't have a direct presence in the second, third, fourth, or fifth movies, but his story serves as a catalyst for them regardless.

Sasha Mitchell carries Kickboxer 2, Kickboxer 3, and Kickboxer 4, before ing on the mantle of the hero to Mark Dacascos' Matt Reeves.

In Kickboxer 2, it's revealed that Jean-Claude Van Damme's character and his brother, Eric Sloane, both died sometime after the events of the original Kickboxer. And as it turns out, their family of martial artists consists of a third sibling, Sasha Mitchell's David Sloane. Sasha Mitchell carries Kickboxer 2, Kickboxer 3, and Kickboxer 4, before ing on the mantle of the hero to Mark Dacascos' Matt Reeves.

Similar to how Kickboxer 2 unceremoniously ed the torch from Van Damme to Mitchell, the fifth movie kills off David Sloane in the opening minutes. This is what brings in Matt Reeves, a fellow martial artist and close friend of David's. News of David's death leads Matt to the gangsters responsible, setting up the martial arts slugfests that unfold throughout Redemption: Kickboxer 5.

Why Kickboxer 5 Is Worth Watching

Redemption: Kickboxer 5 Features Several Memorable Fight Scenes

ittedly, the Kickboxer sequels are far from unique, as a long list of Jean-Claude Van Damme's action movies have become franchises by receiving direct-to-video sequels, including Timecop, Hard Target, and Cyborg. Most of these - not excluding the first three follow-ups to Kickboxer - are fairly forgettable entries into the martial arts movie genre. One exception to this is Redemption: Kickboxer 5; as a movie that feels like an in-name-only sequel to a martial arts classic that's missing its star, it's an often-overlooked film that doesn't get the credit it deserves for its superb martial arts action sequences.

As demonstrated by his role in John Wick Chapter 3 - Parabellum, Mark Dacascos is an actor well-versed in martial arts, and that's something that was evident throughout his career. Redemption: Kickboxer 5 leans on Mark Dacascos' background in the Brazilian martial arts style known as capoeira, allowing him to showcase a wide range of impressive moves in a slew of well-choreographed fight scenes.

The story of the Kickboxer sequel is fairly predictable and par-for-the-course for a 1990s martial arts revenge flick and the dialogue is ripe with silly one-liners and stereotypical villains, but it's in this respect that the film finds its footing. The Mark Dacascos movie never tries to take itself too seriously or offer something new; instead, it simply endeavors to deliver a fun, revenge-fueled romp full of martial arts action where the likable hero has to fight his way through a legion of hired thugs to take down the man who killed his friend.