Wikipedia

Gymkata

Gymkata is a 1985 martial arts film directed by Robert Clouse, based on Dan Tyler Moore's 1957 novel The Terrible Game. It stars Olympic gymnast Kurt Thomas as Jonathan Cabot, an Olympic gymnast who combines his gymnastic ability with martial arts to enter a deadly competition in a fictional country, Parmistan. Supporting cast members includes Tetchie Agbayani as Princess Rubali, alongside Richard Norton, Edward Bell, John Barrett, Conan Lee, Bob Schott and Buck Kartalian.

Gymkata
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRobert Clouse
Screenplay byCharles Robert Carner
Based onThe Terrible Game
by Dan Tyler Moore
Produced by
  • Rebecca Poole
  • Fred Weintraub
Starring
CinematographyGodfrey A. Godar
Edited byRobert A. Ferretti
Music byAlfi Kabiljo
Production
company
Distributed byMGM/UA Entertainment Co.
Release date
  • May 3, 1985 (1985-05-03)
Running time
90 minutes
LanguageEnglish
Box office$5.7 million

The film was released in the United States on May 3, 1985.

Plot

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Jonathan Cabot (Thomas) is approached by the Special Intelligence Agency (SIA) to play "the Game." The Game is an athletic competition in the fictional country of Parmistan, a tiny mountain nation supposedly located in the Hindu Kush mountain range. Parmistan forces all foreigners to play the Game, which is basically an endurance race with obstacles, all the while being chased by local Parmistan warriors. If a person wins, they are granted their life and a wish. The SIA wants Cabot to win the game so that he can use his wish to install a US satellite monitoring station, which could monitor all satellites in space and act as an early warning system in case of a nuclear attack. Cabot is told that the system could save millions of lives. As an extra incentive, Cabot is also told that his father (who went missing) was actually an SIA operative who was sent to play the game but was never heard from again.

After a training period with a martial arts teacher, a Japanese guru, and a beautiful Parmistan princess named Princess Rubali (Tetchie Agbayani), he is deemed ready and sent to the town of Karabal on the Caspian Sea for infiltration into Parmistan.

While in Karabal, he is attacked by terrorist agents who kidnap Princess Rubali. Cabot quickly raids the terrorist training center and, using his unstoppable "gymkata" fighting style that combines gymnastics with karate, easily disables dozens of terrorists before rescuing the Princess and returning to the salt mine where he is staying. However, when he returns, he finds out that his handler has betrayed him to the enemy. Luckily, the SIA arrives in the nick of time to save him.

Finally, Cabot and Rubali use a raft to float down the river into Parmistan where they are promptly seized by Parmistan warriors and, after a fight, Cabot is knocked out. When Cabot wakes up, he is in the palace of Parmistan's ruler, known as the Khan, and is greeted by other players of the Game who have also arrived to play it. While waiting for the Game to start, Cabot learns from the Princess that the King's right-hand man and manager of the Game, Commander Zamir, is actually planning a coup against the King and will attempt to sell the satellite rights to the enemy. Zamir also intends to marry Princess Rubali.

With all this in mind, Cabot starts the Game but soon learns that Zamir won't play fair and constantly breaks the strict rules of the Game to kill Cabot. Meanwhile, the Khan's forces have been overpowered by Zamir's private army in the coup attempt, which the Khan is tricked into believing is a set of security measures for his protection.

Fighting many obstacles, including a crooked, sadistic participant named Thorg, Cabot is the only player left in the game and is about to be killed by crazed villagers when he is saved by a Parmistan warrior who turns out to be Cabot's father, Colonel Cabot. His father explains that while playing the game he fell and disabled his arm, but was allowed by Parmistan warriors to live. As the two catch up, Zamir fires an arrow into Cabot's father, who in a hushed voice tells Cabot to go on and win the race. Cabot races off, chased by Zamir's army. He is able to make his horse jump a gorge and gets away while only Zamir is brave enough to follow. Seeing that Zamir won't let him escape, Cabot decides to take him on and after a prolonged fight Cabot's gymkata skills allow him to defeat Zamir.

Meanwhile, Princess Rubali finally convinces the Khan that Zamir is plotting to overthrow the monarchy. Using their combined fighting skills, the Princess and the Khan attack Zamir's men before encouraging the citizens of Parmistan to rise up and seize the rest. As the crowd takes down Zamir's army, a villager cries out that a participant is approaching the finish line. As the villagers run to see who made it, Princess Rubali is thrilled to see that Cabot is riding in on a horse, leading his father, arrow-punctured but still alive, on another horse. The crowd seizes on the champion and as the movie ends, the audience is informed that in 1985 the first satellite monitoring station was installed.

Cast

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Production

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The film is based on the 1957 novel The Terrible Game by Dan Tyler Moore, adapted for the screen by Charles Robert Carner (of Blind Fury fame), and shot in Yugoslavia.[1]

Casting

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Filipino actress Tetchie Agbayani was cast as the love interest to Kurt Thomas' character after she finished her scenes for the film The Emerald Forest, where she played a Brazilian tribal member. Having moved to the United States in 1982, she had originally intended to retire as an actress and "be a normal person" prior to receiving the two roles.[2] She would later return to the Philippines in 1987 to resume her film career in her home country.[2]

Release

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Gymkata was released in the United States on May 3, 1985.

In the Philippines, the film was released by Action Films Co. on February 10, 1988.[3][4] An unrelated Australian film, Day of the Panther, was later released in the Philippines as Gymkata 2 by Jadestar Films in February 1989 to capitalize off of Gymkata's success; actor Kurt Thomas is dubiously promoted as the film's original lead actor that had to be replaced by John Stazak due to breaking his spine from a failed somersault "on the second day shooting".[5]

Reception

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Gymkata earned a Razzie Award nomination for Thomas as Worst New Star. It has developed a minor cult following as an unintentional comedy for its dubious premise, poor production quality and strange setting. Maxim lists the film as the 17th "Worst Movie of All Time".[6]

The title became a common exclamation, along with "Hai Keeba!", on Mystery Science Theater 3000 when martial arts style fights took place in the films being riffed.

The 1993 Filipino comedy film Gin Kata, starring Herbert Bautista and directed by Nestor Arsenal, is titled in reference to Gymkata.[7]

DVD release

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After winning an Internet poll conducted by Warner Bros. and Amazon.com during June 2006, the film was released to DVD on January 30, 2007.[8]

References

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  1. ^ TREVOR MOSES! (2007). "GYMKATA (1985)". badmovieplanet. Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2007.
  2. ^ a b Pacula, Virgie (November 11, 1988). "'I can grow old alone' - Tetcha". Manila Standard. Manila Standard News, Inc. p. 25. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  3. ^ "The Most-Awaited Film Opens Today!". Manila Standard. Standard Publications, Inc. February 10, 1988. p. 10. Retrieved August 7, 2024. Warning: As of today eight video outlets have been closed due to illegal rental of the tapes of 'Gymkata.' The cases are now pending in the Manila and Quezon City courts.
  4. ^ "MTRCB Classification Guide for films reviewed 3-13 Jan". Manila Standard. Standard Publications, Inc. January 22, 1988. p. 10. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  5. ^ "Stazak: Another Van Damme". Manila Standard. Kagitingan Publications, Inc. February 21, 1989. p. 15. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  6. ^ "The 50 Worst Movies of All Time". Maxim. Archived from the original on April 16, 2007. Retrieved November 6, 2014. 17. Gymkata ('85) If you need a covert operative to work in a hostile environment that just happens to be littered with gymnastics equipment, Johnathan Cabot is your man. U.S. gymnast Kurt Thomas plays Cabot, who fights for America's right to build a missile base in tiny Parmistan. On the plus side, the cinematographer helps make diminutive Thomas look human-size.
  7. ^ SOLAR FILMS (October 8, 2023). GIN KATA | Full Movie | Action Comedy w/ Herbert Bautista. YouTube. Google LLC. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  8. ^ George Feltenstein (2006). "An Interview with Warner Home Video's George Feltenstein". Amazon.com. Retrieved December 22, 2007. The one film on here that particularly surprised me [...] that ii was to be selected to be in the promotion was the film Gymkata with Kurt Thomas the Olympic gymnast which was an MGM film from 1985. And I know there is a big cult following for that movie because films that necessarily were not box office blockbusters when they were released eventually gain like followings among kids as they would watch them on HBO throughout the 80s and 90s and suddenly there is you know fierce demand for these relative obscure films and they end performing very well when they do get released on DVD.[dead link]
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