The Quest
![Watch film The Quest — The Quest (1996) - Theatrical Trailer [HD] - VAN DAMME, ROGER MOORE](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EaCbSlAsQoE/sddefault.jpg)
Short description
In 1920s New York, street performer and small-time thief Christopher Dubois leads a band of orphans until a robbery gone wrong forces him to flee. He stows away on a freighter and ends up in Asia, where he is captured and sold into servitude. A pirate captain, Lord Edgar Dobbs, recognizes Dubois's fighting ability and steers him toward a secret martial arts tournament held in a lost city in Tibet. There the world's best fighters compete in an ancient contest whose prize is a golden dragon, and Dubois must rely on more than brute strength to survive it.
The Quest was released in 1996 and runs 95 minutes. It was directed by Jean-Claude Van Damme, his first time behind the camera, from a screenplay he wrote with Frank Dux and Steve Klein, and produced by Moshe Diamant. Van Damme stars as Dubois, with Roger Moore as Dobbs, James Remar as Maxie Devine, Jack McGee, Louis Mandylor and Ryan Cutrona among a credited cast of 23. Made for about 30 million dollars, it took in roughly 57 million worldwide, a modest return.
On IMDb it holds 5.6 out of 10 from around 30,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.2 from roughly 820. Critics rated it notably lower, 3.9 out of 10 across 22 reviews, so audiences have been kinder to it than reviewers were.
What's left behind the scenes
- The tournament features representatives from the following countries: USA, Soviet Union, Siam, Turkey, Scotland, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Brazil, Japan, Mongolia, Korea, China, as well as Africa and the islands of Okinawa (tote style). It is interesting that Japan, Okinawa, and Korea, which were essentially one country in the 1920s, are listed as three different states; and the numerous states and colonies of Africa are represented by a single fighter.
- The fight in which a sumo wrestler, who seemed almost invincible, loses by brutal knockout to a Mongolian practically replicates the scene of Van Damme's hero defeating a dangerous opponent from Japan in the film "Bloodsport" (1988).
- When Roger Moore introduces himself in the film "Dobbs, Lord Dobbs," he does so in the style of the James Bond films he is known for.
- When the budget allocated to the film ran out, the creative team was asked to continue working on the project for free, but the filmmakers only laughed in response and threatened to go on strike, after which the producers immediately found additional funding.
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