There are horrible things going on in the world. The fact that most of the people I corner in the elevator and expect to share my excitement that 1985’s Gymkata will finally hit DVD on Jan. 30 just stare at me blankly is… technically, not one of them. Still, how could you not remember this movie, especially after I quote the trailer verbatim:
"His name: Kurt Thomas. His title: Three-time world gymnastics champion. His assignment: A secret mission for the United States government. His only weapon: Himself. And that’s all he needs. Combine the discipline, the timing, and the power of gymnatics with the explosive force of karate and a new all powerful martial art is born: Gymkata. Kurt Thomas becomes Jonathan Cabot. He must penetrate a mountain fortress to compete in an ancient savage ritual. They call it: The game. But nobody wins. And nobody lives. Until now. When gymnastics and karate are fused, the combustion becomes an explosion, and a new kind of martial arts superhero is born. Gymkata."
The trailer is the only special feature on the DVD, but the movieitself is more than enough to look forward to. The highlights: Thomastrains to invade Parmistan, a country led by the love child of MelBrooks and Geraldo Rivera, and climbs a staircase while doing ahandstand (and putting HD viewers on serious crotch shot alert). Thomaswoos the princess of Parmistan, who "oversees" his training, by doing aseries of fancy, twisting backflips, vaulting back and forth to speak both parts in an imaginary conversation between the two of them, guessing what she would say if she were given actual dialogue. Thomasfinally plays "the game," a piss-poor obstacle course that has himbeing chased by men with bows and arrows, and on the third stage — the"village of the crazies" (pictured) — stumbles onto a pommel horse,where he unleashes a two-minute routine of ass-kicking while doing hisfamous Thomas flairs. (See a tease here.)
Now, if we can just get Mitch Gaylord’s American Anthem on DVD…
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How the heck did I miss this??
omg. i loved Gymkata as a kid! but then again, any 8 yr old boy with a love of comic books, star wars, cartoons, and throwing stars would love a movie like Gymakat.
Add this to my list of “popwatch wishes” that came true. I can’t remember when it was that I made a wish for this movie to be released on DVD, but it’s making me wonder who the heck reads these posts. Whoever you are, your new name is “aguilera” because you are my genie in a bottle.
I have to admit, I’ve never seen this movie. But OBVIOUSLY that unfortunate slight can now be remedied with a trip to the Netflix queue. I can’t tell you how enticing that trailor makes the movie sound. I’m gonna pull a Troi here and sense that a night filled with Papa John’s, LOADS of smoresy goodness, and some extra chocolate to boot with this movie in the DVD player is in order. All are invited.
How handy for the hero that there just happens to be an ancient pommel horse in the exact mountain location where he needs to kick ass.
For even more Gymkata fun, check out Roger Ebert’s review online or in his book “I Hated, Hated, HATED This Movie!”
Oh my god, that was excruciating.
Possibly the best late night cheese movie ever!
The Crazy Town sequence was awsome…..not only was there a pommel horse scene but there were parralel bars all over taht screwy country! As a kid I learned all my fight moves from this movie…..and of course got my rear kicked.
ok…this is exciting.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=sutsNiT8ano
lol
there was no pommel horse. it was a water well that just happened to have those hand things on the side. there is also a scene where there is a straight bar connected b y two trees in the middle of nowhere and when Thomas uses it there suddenly is white powder on his hands. this movie is a joke and an insult to those who see it.
Allllright!!! I thought I was the only one who thought this movie was awesome!!
OMG! I loved this movie as a kid, but not as much as Revenge of The Ninja!!!
Ok, Kurt Thomas married a girl he went to college with, who just happened to be from my hometown. He actually came to my high school and helped the gymnastics team. I can’t tell you how psyched all of us teenage girls were that this very cute, VERY flexible world famous gymnast was in OUR SCHOOL!!!! Then, this movie came out!!! OMG!!!!!! It was like we were in our very own John Hughes movie! Believe me, in my little piss-ant town, that was HUGE. That’s as close to orgasmic as a lot of us ever got…..sigh….I miss the 80’s.
i PAID to see this movie TWICE in the theaters!!!!
Lol. Any movie with a guy kicking someone’s a.s using a pommel horse has to be cool. Now we need a movie that involves catapaulting Tonka Trucks.
Harry-
I loved Revenge of the Ninja. That’s the one where the hot chick kills off all the cops who had shot the ninja spirit who inhabits her costume right?
Man, I miss the ninja craze of the 1980’s. “The Tick” had a hilarious issue dedicated to the over commercialisation of the ninja.
From my recollection, Gymkata came out during the height of the martial arts movie craze.
OMG, thank you for that American Anthem clip. All I have to say is Come On Becky!!!!
Whew,
I thought my buddy Frank and I were the only two people in the Western Hemisphere that saw this movie. It is a running gag between the two of us and I can hardly wait to send him a copy. My question is when does MegaForce come out on DVD. By the way, I have seen Revenge of the Ninja and this movie is no Revenge of the Ninja.
Am I the only one besides the great Roger Ebert who considers this movie to be one of the worst films of all time?
I never saw the movie, but I do remember the trailer. I didn’t even remember the name of the movie, but that scene in the village with the pommelhorse (fake as it may be) has always been my standard for ridiculously-convenient-painfully-contrived-battle-equipment.
Bookend “American Anthem” with “Ice Castles” and you have possibly the best/worst pseudo-Olympics sports movies ever made. Pure genius.
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mr oliver, je suis ravi de voir gymkata, l’acteur que je connaissais depuis mon enfance.
ah gymkata l’acteur préféré depuis mon enfance