Product Details

• Actors: Kurt McKinney, Jean-Claude Van Damme, J.W. Fails, Kathie Sileno, Tai Chung Kim
• Format: NTSC
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: New World Video
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6300211681
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,949 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

"When life is on the line, there can be no retreat, no surrender. Tonight, he either fights for his life, or he'll be running for the rest of it."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The absolute best of the "So Bad, It's Good" Movies, June 17, 2003

By 

Crazy Jim (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Retreat No Surrender [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Where do I begin? This movie is one of those memorable martial arts sagas that only comes across once in a great while. Where else would I have learned that "karate is not to be used aggressively"?

This movie deals with the serious conflict in the late 80's when Russian crime syndicates attempted to take over several karate schools in the Western United States.

Anyways, this film is so full of classic material, I don't know where to start.

*The unbelievable sidekick, R.J. Madison who steals the show and breaks a few shelves with a freestyle combined with some break-dancing moves.

*A father's tough decision to leave his karate school to start a new life in Seattle as a bartender at a bar that does not allow dogs or "customers under the age of 2".

*R.J. & Jason declaring "No Retreat, No Surrender", only to be sent running away, seconds later by a 40-year-old Burger King employee.

*The controversial second coming of Bruce Lee (whose figure and bad dubbing seem to have changed since we last saw him).

Such great one-liners as

"Alright, who pee'd in the pool?"

"Jason, what are you doing?"

"I'm gonna be back and I'll get you".

"Check me out, dudes".

"CHI POWER!"

Many more memorable lines and moments in this comin-of-age tale of karate, jheri-curls, and palm streets in Seattle.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sometimes you just have to fight, July 19, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: No Retreat No Surrender [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Good v. Evil; America v. USSR; New York v. Seattle; Aggressive Karate v. karate for defense only. This important movie from visionary Ng Se Yung will surely become one of our era's lasting contributions to western thought. From the dazzling footwork of Peter 'sugarfoot' Cunningham ("Hey, I'm nobody's lunch), to the stinging sarcastic wit of Dean "Shooting Star" Ramsey ("L.A. karate...I'm impressed" {see, he really wasn't impressed}); from the emotional father/son struggle ("we'll start calling it your house when you start paying the rent"),to the lasting bond of friendship of Jason/R.J.III ("Don't worry, R.J. will provide"); NRNS has it all. It would be a shame if 100 gaping editing blunders were to overshadow what this film is all about: Protecting seattle karate from the very real threat of an NYC/Russia takeover. So what if the punching bag Jason "kicks open" is already cut in half; and so what if Mr. Stillwell breaks his knee and wears a cast that only covers his shin; and who cares if you can see the karate class in the window's reflection after class has already been dismissed; and pardon me for not lamenting over the fact that Scott's father gets thrown out of a bar into the dark of night when it was broad daylight 2 minutes before. These are minor points that should not distract us from Yung's message. Thank you Mr. Yung. Thank you Mr. Mckinney. God bless seattle karate and God bless the USA!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "...no, no, no, bring it over here!", January 28, 2006

By 

S. Sarhan "matured reviewer" (Dearborn, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: No Retreat No Surrender [VHS] (VHS Tape)

No Retreat No Surrender is a classic 80's indie film that introduced the world to cheesy "karate" films inspired by The Karate Kid and Jean Claude Van Damme.

The movie stars Kurt McKinney as a wimp named Jason whose dad gets beaten up by a Russian guy named Ivan, played by Van Damme. His family move to Seattle where he gets pushed around by a group of karate bullies. Just when he thinks he can never learn karate, Bruce Lee's ghost appears to him and turns him into a fighting machine. In the meantime, the Russian arrives to fight for a championship against the karate bullies...and the rest is history.

No Retreat No Surrender is one of those movies that connects me to my past childhood years. I watched this movie so many times when I was younger that I felt persuaded to revisit it with a purchase and this review!

Recommended

B+