No Retreat, No Surrender
Tonight, He either fights for his life or he'll be running for the rest of it.
1986 | 94m | English
Popularity: 1 (history)
| Director: | Corey Yuen Kwai |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Keith W. Strandberg |
| Staring: |
| Young Jason Stillwell moves with his parents to Seattle, where local bullies harass them without mercy. Jason's father Tom does not believe in violence, so the family takes it on the chin. One day Jason enrolls in a martial arts class and quietly rises in rank to be a major contender. His mettle is tested in an international match against Ivan, a Russian champion. | |
| Release Date: | May 02, 1986 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Corey Yuen Kwai |
| Writer: | Keith W. Strandberg |
| Genres: | Action |
| Keywords | showdown, karate, training, bully, hoodlum, ghost, skateboarder, break dance |
| Production Companies | New World Pictures, Seasonal Film Corporation |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $4,662,137
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Feb 01, 2025 (Update) Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Kurt McKinney | Jason Stillwell |
| Jean-Claude Van Damme | Ivan Kraschinsky "The Russian" |
| J.W. Fails | R.J. Madison |
| Kathie Sileno | Kelly Reilly |
| Kim Tae-Jeong | Sensei Lee |
| Kent Lipham | Scott |
| Ron Pohnel | Ian Reilly |
| Dale Jacoby | Dean Ramsey |
| Peter Cunningham | Frank Peters |
| Timothy D. Baker | Tom Stillwell |
| Gloria Marziano | Mrs. Stillwell |
| Joe Verroca | New York Agent |
| Farid Panahi | New York Assistant #1 |
| Tom Harris | New York Assistant #2 |
| John Andes | New York Boss |
| Mark Zacharatos | New York Fighter #1 |
| Ty Martinez | New York Fighter #2 |
| Bob Johnene | Karate Fight Emcee |
| Dennis Casey Park | Karate Fight Referee |
| Charlie Sparks | Scott's Father |
| Lynetta Welch | Kelly's Girlfriend |
| Carin Badger | Kelly's Girlfriend |
| Tina Erickson | Kelly's Girlfriend |
| Corey Jordan | Dean's Friend |
| Neil Rozbaruch | Dean's Friend |
| George Mason | Bar Thug #1 |
| Robert Villeaux | Bar Thug #2 |
| Dave Robinson | Bar Thug #3 |
| Keith W. Strandberg | Bar Thug #4 |
| Ruckins McKinley | Disco Dancer |
| Roz McKinley | Disco Dancer |
| Michele "Mouse" Krasnoo | Karate Student (uncredited) |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Corey Yuen Kwai | Director, Screenstory |
| David Golia | Director of Photography |
| Thaddeus Hejker | Production Executive, Casting |
| Bob Biggart | Supervising Sound Editor |
| Lisa Greenberg | Wardrobe Supervisor |
| Frank Harris | Musician, Original Music Composer |
| Roxanne Wightman | Hairstylist |
| James Jih | Property Master |
| Mark Pierce | Editor |
| Paul Gilreath | Original Music Composer |
| James Melkonian | Editor |
| June Brickman | Makeup Artist |
| Sher Flowers | Makeup Artist |
| Paul Maslak | Casting Director, Casting |
| Neva Friedenn | Casting |
| Keith W. Strandberg | Screenplay |
| John Huneck | Director of Photography |
| Allan Poon | Editor |
| Gary Ng | Supervising Sound Editor |
| Dane A. Davis | Co-Editor |
| Lesley Levin | Wardrobe Supervisor |
| Kevin Chalfant | Theme Song Performance |
| Ng See-Yuen | Screenstory |
| Joe Satriani | Theme Song Performance |
| Dan Golden | Still Photographer |
| Mang Hoi | Choreographer |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Neva Friedenn | Executive Producer |
| Ng See-Yuen | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 24 | 31 | 18 |
| 2024 | 5 | 26 | 41 | 14 |
| 2024 | 6 | 22 | 35 | 15 |
| 2024 | 7 | 26 | 44 | 15 |
| 2024 | 8 | 22 | 32 | 15 |
| 2024 | 9 | 22 | 39 | 15 |
| 2024 | 10 | 24 | 42 | 14 |
| 2024 | 11 | 22 | 31 | 13 |
| 2024 | 12 | 18 | 23 | 12 |
| 2025 | 1 | 19 | 25 | 15 |
| 2025 | 2 | 15 | 24 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 7 | 23 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2025 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7 | 426 | 648 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6 | 923 | 958 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 391 | 743 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 656 | 763 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11 | 557 | 708 |
First of all, I believe the word for this is "Bruceploitation" and you can't walk into anything with a "sploitation" at the end of the genre title with expectations of things like production value, or great special effects or a decent plot. Mostly movies like this are void of those things and in ... the rare times that you actually get them they should be viewed as an added bonus. Technically speaking, the film is a train wreck, it looks bad, the writing is horrible, and the dialogue largely stinks... ...but all of that adds to the charm and ultimately what you have is a very dated and extremely entertaining piece of crap that will hold your attention throughout, even if it doesn't hold any nostalgia for you. No Retreat, No Surrender falls firmly into the "so bad it's good" category of films and the ghost of Bruce Lee only adds to the entertaining horribleness of the overall film. It could be far better, sure, no one is arguing that, but if it was better it wouldn't be nearly as entertaining to watch.