Jean-Claude Van Damme co-wrote and starred in this picture in which he plays Lyon Gaultier, a soldier in the French Foreign Legion who deserts military service when he hears that his brother has been murdered. He makes his way to the States, where he makes all the money that he needs by grudgingly participating in a variety of street fights. His ultimate opponent will be a genuine animal named Attila (Abdel Qissi, "The Quest").
First off, I would NOT say that this story consists of "fights staged ad nauseum" and little else. Co-writer / director Sheldon Lettich ("Double Impact") does have a tale to tell here, which helps to add some impact to the incredibly, effectively brutal fights. Instead of actually getting revenge for his brother (the criminals responsible did get picked up), Lyon is determined to be more of a presence in the lives of his sister-in-law (the lovely Lisa Pelikan, "Ghoulies") and his very young niece (Ashley Johnson, "The Avengers"). Adding a lot of heart & humor himself is Harrison Page ('Sledge Hammer!') as Lyons' sidekick Joshua, the man who causes him to get into the fight game in the first place. The very sexy Deborah Rennard ('Dallas') co-stars as the affluent, conniving, cold lady who appreciates the amount of cash that Lyon brings in.
While this wouldn't rank as one of my personal favorite Van Damme efforts, it basically does its job well without pretensions of any kind. The action is well-choreographed and the cast all suit their roles just fine. Look for other familiar faces like Brian Thompson ("Cobra"), Vojislav Govedarica ("Rambo: First Blood Part II"), Michel Qissi ("Kickboxer" 1 and 2), Billy Blanks ("TC 2000"), Stefanos Miltsakakis ("Maximum Risk"), and Jeff Speakman ("The Perfect Weapon") in supporting roles and bits.
One highlight is definitely the thunderous, rousing music score by John Scott.
Six out of 10.
First off, I would NOT say that this story consists of "fights staged ad nauseum" and little else. Co-writer / director Sheldon Lettich ("Double Impact") does have a tale to tell here, which helps to add some impact to the incredibly, effectively brutal fights. Instead of actually getting revenge for his brother (the criminals responsible did get picked up), Lyon is determined to be more of a presence in the lives of his sister-in-law (the lovely Lisa Pelikan, "Ghoulies") and his very young niece (Ashley Johnson, "The Avengers"). Adding a lot of heart & humor himself is Harrison Page ('Sledge Hammer!') as Lyons' sidekick Joshua, the man who causes him to get into the fight game in the first place. The very sexy Deborah Rennard ('Dallas') co-stars as the affluent, conniving, cold lady who appreciates the amount of cash that Lyon brings in.
While this wouldn't rank as one of my personal favorite Van Damme efforts, it basically does its job well without pretensions of any kind. The action is well-choreographed and the cast all suit their roles just fine. Look for other familiar faces like Brian Thompson ("Cobra"), Vojislav Govedarica ("Rambo: First Blood Part II"), Michel Qissi ("Kickboxer" 1 and 2), Billy Blanks ("TC 2000"), Stefanos Miltsakakis ("Maximum Risk"), and Jeff Speakman ("The Perfect Weapon") in supporting roles and bits.
One highlight is definitely the thunderous, rousing music score by John Scott.
Six out of 10.