Review of Gymkata (1985) by Troy F — 27 Apr 2014

The title alone spikes some inevitable curiosity. Such a cheesy ass title, and the fact they made an Olympic gymnast an action hero was something so absurd that I had to see to believe. To be honest, the concept of a dangerous game and a gymnast fighter sounds rather kick ass in a stupid but fun way, but the execution here speaks otherwise.

I'm sure Kurt Thomas is a nice guy in reality and he's got mad gymnast skills, but his acting here is stiff and the action is awfully redundant and his repetitive moves grow stale quickly. You suddenly realize how bad the idea of an Olympic star in a movie is when you watch this! There are some good laughs to be had though, from the strange editing transitions to the awful pacing of story and a handful of other things to pick at for your pleasure, and one particular sequence in a town full of crazies is so bizarre and strange you have to see it.

For a marathon of bad 80's flicks, Gymkata is a must! For general viewing though, avoid it, its a terribly mediocre sleeper for an action flick.