Release Date:
11/07/2008
Directed by: Mabrouk El Mechri
The Skinny: In this ultra-meta film, Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as himself: An aging action hero with a resume full of crap, tax problems, and a multitude of divorces and family issues. Back in Brussels to sort his life out, he enters a bank only to become the centerpiece of a robbery and the ensuing media circus.
The Good: We have to applaud Jean-Claude for taking the piss out of himself. This is a comedy-slash-confessional, and the Muscles from Brussels opens up about his wayward life, drug problems, and anything-for-a-paycheck career pathand it's actually pretty funny, too. Those who only know his English-mangling "acting" from Bloodsport will be surprised at how natural and comfortable he comes across speaking in his native language (it's a subtitled film). In an age where Sly and Bruce can't seem to completely let go of their action hero past, it's refreshing to see JCVD do some real soul-searching.
The Bad: The movie has a neat idea behind ithow would Jean-Claude Van Damme react if he found himself in a situation right out of a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie?but it ultimately has too many balls in the air and has to drop a few. Whenever the film veers away from the main man, it has problems maintaining any form of realism, or your interest. And the ending is abrupt and, well, kind of unsettlingly dour.
JC and the Fat Man: More than once, the movie makes a snide comment about Jean-Claude's rival in crap cinema, Steven Seagal. We know where our sympathies lie in that battle. We don't see the ponytail man admitting he's washed up.
Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? This is an odd and certainly engaging movie, but it won't lose anything on a smaller screen. Rent it.
The Skinny: In this ultra-meta film, Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as himself: An aging action hero with a resume full of crap, tax problems, and a multitude of divorces and family issues. Back in Brussels to sort his life out, he enters a bank only to become the centerpiece of a robbery and the ensuing media circus.
The Good: We have to applaud Jean-Claude for taking the piss out of himself. This is a comedy-slash-confessional, and the Muscles from Brussels opens up about his wayward life, drug problems, and anything-for-a-paycheck career pathand it's actually pretty funny, too. Those who only know his English-mangling "acting" from Bloodsport will be surprised at how natural and comfortable he comes across speaking in his native language (it's a subtitled film). In an age where Sly and Bruce can't seem to completely let go of their action hero past, it's refreshing to see JCVD do some real soul-searching.
The Bad: The movie has a neat idea behind ithow would Jean-Claude Van Damme react if he found himself in a situation right out of a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie?but it ultimately has too many balls in the air and has to drop a few. Whenever the film veers away from the main man, it has problems maintaining any form of realism, or your interest. And the ending is abrupt and, well, kind of unsettlingly dour.
JC and the Fat Man: More than once, the movie makes a snide comment about Jean-Claude's rival in crap cinema, Steven Seagal. We know where our sympathies lie in that battle. We don't see the ponytail man admitting he's washed up.
Theater, DVD, or TNT in Five Years? This is an odd and certainly engaging movie, but it won't lose anything on a smaller screen. Rent it.