Jean-Claude-Van-Damme Movie Reviews

I recommend anybody who likes Van Damme movies to get "Nowhere To Run." If you aren't familiar with Van Damme's other movies, this would be a good movie to get to get you familiar. It doesn't have as much fighting in it as most of his other movies do, but it certainly doesn't lack in action. You'll see some great action sequences such as when Van Damme is trying to find a place to run from the police by riding a motorcycle. It has more drama than most of the other Van Damme movies, but it's still a good one.

This movie has all the makings of a cult classic: Engrossing characters, post apocalyptic plot lines, and a conflict between good and evil. The movie alone is worth watching for the final battle between Fender(Vincent Klyn) and Gibson Rickenbacker(Van Damme). It is the epitome of action movie battles, and immortalizes this fine production in the annals of martial arts/action history.

But hold on, the rest of the movie is just as good! Cyborg roars on the 5.1 dolby and the resolution is fantastic. When Fender removes his sunglasses on dvd, you will jump!

So, fan of Action or not; Fan of Van Damme or not, this movie deserves the respect and publicity it never received. It takes a great villian to make a great hero, and Fender is the best villain character to come along since...well...ever! Cyborg is a cult sleeper that you have to see to believe!

Then there's KICKBOXER, which, like BLOODSPORT, shows Van Damme as an apprentice on a vendetta with a Mike Tyson-esque Muy Thai champ. That movie is distinguished, if nothing else, by the final battle between Van Damme and Tong Po, who was played by Van Damme's close friend Michael Quissi (though he was still credited as Tong Po.)

Then came CYBORG. It was released it 1989, and starred Van Damme as a martial arts master named Gibson Rickenbaker living in the post-apocolyptic ruins of New York. He finds himself rescuing a cyborg codenamed Pearl Prophet (Dayle Haddon) from a murderous gang of hooligans led by the sadistic Fender Tremolo (Vincent Klyn). Seems Pearl has detailed information on how to sythesize a cure to the plague that has caused all the chaos and is on her way to Atlanta to give the info to the last scientists. Tremolo and his gang would do anything to get ahold of the information and rule the world. It up to Gibson to save Pearl.

Now, I'll admit that when I was short on cash, and I had a choice between buying CYBORG or TIMECOP, I went with the latter, but I almost immediately after ordered CYBORG over the internet, and it was well worth it. As another customer pointed out, the fights in CYBORG are amazingly realistic and show Van Damme getting hurt and taking just as much of an butt kicking as he dishes out. (In a particularly brutal scene, Gibson is battered and exhausted, and gets beaten to a pulp by Tremolo.)

The movie has sort of a ROAD WARRIOR quality to it, the bigeest difference being the budgets of the two films. The villians and even the good guys dress in ragged clothing, like THE ROAD WARRIOR. The land is basically deserted, and there is an utter feeling of helplessness and anarchy. That's the essence of post-apolyptic action films.

Bottom Line: CYBORG is a great movie in my eyes, because it shows that in any martial arts movie, what is at it's heart is the fact that the hero can have all the strength, speed, and power in the universe, but no matter what, the hero is always human. In other Van Damme movies, like STREET FIGHTER, UNIVERSAL SOLDIER, TIMECOP, REPLICANT, or DOUBLE TEAM, he was a righteous fighting machine, but he could still be hurt. Even in THE MATRIX movies, Neo was the Chosen One, capable of fantastic, inhuman feats, but he was still just a man, he could be beaten to the point where he would cough up blood, but he had the spirit to back him up.

And so it is with CYBORG. Gibson is a fantastic martial artist, but he could be beaten up almost to death by a bigger, stronger opponent. He got into certain situations where he would have to rely more on what he had inside than his blackbelt status. That's what truly makes a great karate flick, having a fighter who has fantastic fighting skils, or even superhuman powers who has the the heart and will to win. CYBORG is such a movie.

If the names Gibson and Fender sound familiar, it's because all the characters are named after guitars or accessories like Roland Pick, Marshall Strat and Pearl Prophet. Fender also possesses The Cyborg, an half woman/half machine who has the technology to wipe out the plague that infests the world.

For all fans of Joseph Campbell's "The Hero With A Thousand Faces," here is another cinematic entry that follows the ancient path of the mythic paradigm.

Director Albert Pyun (THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER) and screenwriter Kitty Chalmers (JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH) borrowed plot elements and styles from legendary filmmakers like John Ford, Akira Kurosawa and Sergio Leone -- and their films -- STAGECOACH, THE SEARCHERS, THE HIDDEN FORTRESS, THE SEVEN SAMURAI, A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS and THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. The film is essentially a western -- punctuated with droves of kung fu and savaté -- and dressed in the melancholy garment of post-apocalypse à la THE ROAD WARRIOR and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK -- only with 1/3 of each film's budget!

Don't watch CYBORG expecting state-of-the-art special effects, great acting or complex storytelling. This is a grade-B trashy sci-fi flick -- the 50s had 'em like MONSTER FROM GREEN HELL and THE GIANT GILA MONSTER -- and the 80s had just as many, such as CYBORG and COMMANDO. For a trash classic, the film's soundtrack boasts an above-average score by composer Kevin Bassinson "SMALLVILLE" (TV).

As far a trashy cinema goes, CYBORG stands at the top of the heap. Roger Ebert included the film in his pretentious book `I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie' -- all the more reason not to miss it!

This movie has all the makings of a cult classic: Engrossing characters, post apocalyptic plot lines, and a conflict between good and evil. The movie alone is worth watching for the final battle between Fender(Vincent Klyn) and Gibson Rickenbacker(Van Damme). It is the epitome of action movie battles, and immortalizes this fine production in the annals of martial arts/action history.

But hold on, the rest of the movie is just as good! Cyborg roars on the 5.1 dolby and the resolution is fantastic. When Fender removes his sunglasses on dvd, you will jump!

So, fan of Action or not; Fan of Van Damme or not, this movie deserves the respect and publicity it never received. It takes a great villian to make a great hero, and Fender is the best villain character to come along since...well...ever! Cyborg is a cult sleeper that you have to see to believe!

Then there's KICKBOXER, which, like BLOODSPORT, shows Van Damme as an apprentice on a vendetta with a Mike Tyson-esque Muy Thai champ. That movie is distinguished, if nothing else, by the final battle between Van Damme and Tong Po, who was played by Van Damme's close friend Michael Quissi (though he was still credited as Tong Po.)

Then came CYBORG. It was released it 1989, and starred Van Damme as a martial arts master named Gibson Rickenbaker living in the post-apocolyptic ruins of New York. He finds himself rescuing a cyborg codenamed Pearl Prophet (Dayle Haddon) from a murderous gang of hooligans led by the sadistic Fender Tremolo (Vincent Klyn). Seems Pearl has detailed information on how to sythesize a cure to the plague that has caused all the chaos and is on her way to Atlanta to give the info to the last scientists. Tremolo and his gang would do anything to get ahold of the information and rule the world. It up to Gibson to save Pearl.

Now, I'll admit that when I was short on cash, and I had a choice between buying CYBORG or TIMECOP, I went with the latter, but I almost immediately after ordered CYBORG over the internet, and it was well worth it. As another customer pointed out, the fights in CYBORG are amazingly realistic and show Van Damme getting hurt and taking just as much of an butt kicking as he dishes out. (In a particularly brutal scene, Gibson is battered and exhausted, and gets beaten to a pulp by Tremolo.)

The movie has sort of a ROAD WARRIOR quality to it, the bigeest difference being the budgets of the two films. The villians and even the good guys dress in ragged clothing, like THE ROAD WARRIOR. The land is basically deserted, and there is an utter feeling of helplessness and anarchy. That's the essence of post-apolyptic action films.

Bottom Line: CYBORG is a great movie in my eyes, because it shows that in any martial arts movie, what is at it's heart is the fact that the hero can have all the strength, speed, and power in the universe, but no matter what, the hero is always human. In other Van Damme movies, like STREET FIGHTER, UNIVERSAL SOLDIER, TIMECOP, REPLICANT, or DOUBLE TEAM, he was a righteous fighting machine, but he could still be hurt. Even in THE MATRIX movies, Neo was the Chosen One, capable of fantastic, inhuman feats, but he was still just a man, he could be beaten to the point where he would cough up blood, but he had the spirit to back him up.

And so it is with CYBORG. Gibson is a fantastic martial artist, but he could be beaten up almost to death by a bigger, stronger opponent. He got into certain situations where he would have to rely more on what he had inside than his blackbelt status. That's what truly makes a great karate flick, having a fighter who has fantastic fighting skils, or even superhuman powers who has the the heart and will to win. CYBORG is such a movie.

If the names Gibson and Fender sound familiar, it's because all the characters are named after guitars or accessories like Roland Pick, Marshall Strat and Pearl Prophet. Fender also possesses The Cyborg, an half woman/half machine who has the technology to wipe out the plague that infests the world.

For all fans of Joseph Campbell's "The Hero With A Thousand Faces," here is another cinematic entry that follows the ancient path of the mythic paradigm.

Director Albert Pyun (THE SWORD AND THE SORCERER) and screenwriter Kitty Chalmers (JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH) borrowed plot elements and styles from legendary filmmakers like John Ford, Akira Kurosawa and Sergio Leone -- and their films -- STAGECOACH, THE SEARCHERS, THE HIDDEN FORTRESS, THE SEVEN SAMURAI, A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS and THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. The film is essentially a western -- punctuated with droves of kung fu and savaté -- and dressed in the melancholy garment of post-apocalypse à la THE ROAD WARRIOR and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK -- only with 1/3 of each film's budget!

Don't watch CYBORG expecting state-of-the-art special effects, great acting or complex storytelling. This is a grade-B trashy sci-fi flick -- the 50s had 'em like MONSTER FROM GREEN HELL and THE GIANT GILA MONSTER -- and the 80s had just as many, such as CYBORG and COMMANDO. For a trash classic, the film's soundtrack boasts an above-average score by composer Kevin Bassinson "SMALLVILLE" (TV).

As far a trashy cinema goes, CYBORG stands at the top of the heap. Roger Ebert included the film in his pretentious book `I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie' -- all the more reason not to miss it!

A really good point to this movie was that it was really diverse in the martial arts in this movie. There was everything from both styles of Capoiera (Brazilian and Angola), Muay Thai kickboxing, Kung Fu and Karate and of course, how could you go wrong with the occasional brawler?

One thing that really ate as far as the movie was concerned was that there were some corny parts like how Van Damme gets left behind at "Muay Thai Island"? Why didn't they just say he gets left in Thailand, wouldn't that have sounded a little better?

Anyway, for a Van Damme movie it's pretty good and worth a rental. I wouldn't put too much hype into this one because like I said, you're not really watching this one because it's a great story or the acting is so great, it's because the action in this one speaks for itself.

Unlike what Van Damme movies are usually known for, "The Quest" does have a good plot, and it's even directed by Van Damme himself. He should make more movies like this. "The Quest" has a plot, the fighting is exciting, and it's a good movie. I recommend anybody who likes good fighting movies to get "The Quest." You'll be glad you went along on this quest.

Surprisingly, Van Damme is very good as Alain DuChamps, the boxer forced into the Legion. He is very believable in the role. The supporting cast for this movie stands out as above average compared to other Van Damme action movies. Nicholas Farrell is excellent as Macentosh, the ex-soldier with a weakness for gambling. I can't remember the name of Alain's friend, Luther, but he plays the role pretty well. Also starring are Steven Berkoff and Jim Carter. This is an excellent movie with grand landscapes in the African landscape, well put together action scenes, and believable characters. This movie deserved better than its straight to video release. The DVD offers widescreen presentation, a theatrical trailer and teaser, rare photographs of the Foreign Legion in action, and several behind the scenes documentaries and interviews with the cast and crew. There is plenty here for Van Damme fans and also action fans. Check this movie out!

I like movies about the French Foreign Legion. I like this movie.

All of the stock-characters and stereotypes are here, and the plot is as old as . . . well . . . as old as movies about the Legion!

Van Damme is, of course, the recruit seeking escape in the Legion from enemies on civvy-street. It is that preliminary background that rather drags ("Yes, yes, he's on the run . . . get on with it!"). The training stage in Africa is not particularly well done, either. But once the "bleus" get marching to that far-away, isolated fort-- and the Rifs-- the action picks up.

A number of reviewers do not like this film because it is not a martial arts film. That's their prerogative. But this was not billed as a "Van Damme martial arts film," so I think their criticism unfair.

Van Damme actually does some acting, here, and he is more at home in a besieged fort or boxing ring than in a night-club or romancing the "female interest" character. It's not high-art, but it's entertaining, so pass the wine ration and quit your grumbling!

Surprisingly, Van Damme is very good as Alain DuChamps, the boxer forced into the Legion. He is very believable in the role. The supporting cast for this movie stands out as above average compared to other Van Damme action movies. Nicholas Farrell is excellent as Macentosh, the ex-soldier with a weakness for gambling. I can't remember the name of Alain's friend, Luther, but he plays the role pretty well. Also starring are Steven Berkoff and Jim Carter. This is an excellent movie with grand landscapes in the African landscape, well put together action scenes, and believable characters. This movie deserved better than its straight to video release. The DVD offers widescreen presentation, a theatrical trailer and teaser, rare photographs of the Foreign Legion in action, and several behind the scenes documentaries and interviews with the cast and crew. There is plenty here for Van Damme fans and also action fans. Check this movie out!

I like movies about the French Foreign Legion. I like this movie.

All of the stock-characters and stereotypes are here, and the plot is as old as . . . well . . . as old as movies about the Legion!

Van Damme is, of course, the recruit seeking escape in the Legion from enemies on civvy-street. It is that preliminary background that rather drags ("Yes, yes, he's on the run . . . get on with it!"). The training stage in Africa is not particularly well done, either. But once the "bleus" get marching to that far-away, isolated fort-- and the Rifs-- the action picks up.

A number of reviewers do not like this film because it is not a martial arts film. That's their prerogative. But this was not billed as a "Van Damme martial arts film," so I think their criticism unfair.

Van Damme actually does some acting, here, and he is more at home in a besieged fort or boxing ring than in a night-club or romancing the "female interest" character. It's not high-art, but it's entertaining, so pass the wine ration and quit your grumbling!

Surprisingly, Van Damme is very good as Alain DuChamps, the boxer forced into the Legion. He is very believable in the role. The supporting cast for this movie stands out as above average compared to other Van Damme action movies. Nicholas Farrell is excellent as Macentosh, the ex-soldier with a weakness for gambling. I can't remember the name of Alain's friend, Luther, but he plays the role pretty well. Also starring are Steven Berkoff and Jim Carter. This is an excellent movie with grand landscapes in the African landscape, well put together action scenes, and believable characters. This movie deserved better than its straight to video release. The DVD offers widescreen presentation, a theatrical trailer and teaser, rare photographs of the Foreign Legion in action, and several behind the scenes documentaries and interviews with the cast and crew. There is plenty here for Van Damme fans and also action fans. Check this movie out!

I like movies about the French Foreign Legion. I like this movie.

All of the stock-characters and stereotypes are here, and the plot is as old as . . . well . . . as old as movies about the Legion!

Van Damme is, of course, the recruit seeking escape in the Legion from enemies on civvy-street. It is that preliminary background that rather drags ("Yes, yes, he's on the run . . . get on with it!"). The training stage in Africa is not particularly well done, either. But once the "bleus" get marching to that far-away, isolated fort-- and the Rifs-- the action picks up.

A number of reviewers do not like this film because it is not a martial arts film. That's their prerogative. But this was not billed as a "Van Damme martial arts film," so I think their criticism unfair.

Van Damme actually does some acting, here, and he is more at home in a besieged fort or boxing ring than in a night-club or romancing the "female interest" character. It's not high-art, but it's entertaining, so pass the wine ration and quit your grumbling!

Surprisingly, Van Damme is very good as Alain DuChamps, the boxer forced into the Legion. He is very believable in the role. The supporting cast for this movie stands out as above average compared to other Van Damme action movies. Nicholas Farrell is excellent as Macentosh, the ex-soldier with a weakness for gambling. I can't remember the name of Alain's friend, Luther, but he plays the role pretty well. Also starring are Steven Berkoff and Jim Carter. This is an excellent movie with grand landscapes in the African landscape, well put together action scenes, and believable characters. This movie deserved better than its straight to video release. The DVD offers widescreen presentation, a theatrical trailer and teaser, rare photographs of the Foreign Legion in action, and several behind the scenes documentaries and interviews with the cast and crew. There is plenty here for Van Damme fans and also action fans. Check this movie out!

I like movies about the French Foreign Legion. I like this movie.

All of the stock-characters and stereotypes are here, and the plot is as old as . . . well . . . as old as movies about the Legion!

Van Damme is, of course, the recruit seeking escape in the Legion from enemies on civvy-street. It is that preliminary background that rather drags ("Yes, yes, he's on the run . . . get on with it!"). The training stage in Africa is not particularly well done, either. But once the "bleus" get marching to that far-away, isolated fort-- and the Rifs-- the action picks up.

A number of reviewers do not like this film because it is not a martial arts film. That's their prerogative. But this was not billed as a "Van Damme martial arts film," so I think their criticism unfair.

Van Damme actually does some acting, here, and he is more at home in a besieged fort or boxing ring than in a night-club or romancing the "female interest" character. It's not high-art, but it's entertaining, so pass the wine ration and quit your grumbling!