"No Retreat No Surrender" is typical teen Kung Fu Fun. It's a low budget version of "The Karate Kid" but still packs a punch & is quite entertaining. The main difference between "No Retreat" & "The Karate Kid" is that this time round we don't have a mentor in the same mould of Mr. Miyagi but instead we get the ghost of Bruce Lee.
A bullied youngster, Jason Stillwell (Kurt McKinney), in desperate need, manages to communicate with the ghost of Bruce Lee (Kim Tai Chong). Bruce's spirit becomes his guiding force & trains him to do battle with the local creeps in his town. Jean Claude Van Damme co-stars, as the villain, (in his first major screen role) the vicious & deadly Ivan the Russian, reminiscent of Dolph Lungren's portrayal of the Russian beefcake, Ivan Drago in Rocky IV.
The film features some very entertaining training sequences & the explosive finale, fought in the ring between Kurt Mckinney & Van Damme is well worth the wait.
"No Retreat No Surrender" is a fun entry into the Kung Fu genre & should be enjoyed by all teens looking for action-packed entertainment. Especially recommended for fans of "The Karate Kid" or those who want to get a glimpse of international star Jean Claude Van Damme in his pre-glory days.