5 comments about Universal Soldier (Special Edition).

1. This edition is really perfect. It is anamorphic widescreen. You can see the movie as you were in the theater. Veryyyyyyyyyyy Gooooooooooooood. Excellllllllllllent!!!!!!!!



2. NOW I COULD EASYLY SAY THIS WILL GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE GRATEST MOVE EVER MADE IN THE WORLD THAT IS SO FOR SHORE & THAT IS PUTTING IT LIGHTLY



3. Universal Soldier DVD
   
   It all began in the jungles of Vietnam. Two dead soldiers were rescued from death in a secret governmental program. Unfortunately some memories still linger. This movie pits Jean-Claude Van Dame against Dolph Lundgren. Who do you think will win?
   
   Recommended for fans of Jean-Claude Van Dame and Dolph Lundgren.
   
   Gunner April, 2008



4. Looking at it now, the film was pretty corny but it still is a scary thought! Not to get political but don't think someone in Washington, DC hasn't thought about doing what they did in this film!
   
   Back to the movie, it stars Jean Claude Van Damne and Dolph Lungren. For me, Dolph made this movie more than Van Damne! I actually found his character funny as well as sinister. Van Damne's character was definitely a straight shooter here.
   
   Overall, it has good action, a few cheesy moments but also a few memorable catch phrases (some of which I can't repeat here). It isn't the best movie for either action actor but its okay overall.



5. I said it then and I say it now, boys just want to have fun. Okay since when are guys not allowed to enjoy macho soldier movies? And ladies keep in mind when our toys are taken away yours will follow shortly thereafter. Sure this movie may not have any great acting, but actually the directing, costumes, sets, effects, and music aren't bad. Van Damme and Lundgren play soldiers that died in Viet Nam while fighting each other over killing a prisoner. The next thing you know it is thirty years later and they wake up in a special refrigeration truck with the latest in war toys and they are part of special unit designed to go in and perform miraculous fetes of physical endurance and prowess. You know, run down dams and things so they can rescue hostages. Probably why most guys enjoy this still. This is actually probably at the top of the heap of movies made by Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren. Although I must admit I love "Timecop" and "I Come in Peace". I actually cracked up when they commented on Van Damme's accent in the movie and asked if he was French. So it goes to show they even had a sense of humor. If you like action packed without alot of redeeming societal morality and political correctness then welcome to fun time with macho men fighting, shooting lots of bullets, and blowing things up. Great quality DVD with some special extras, decent replayability.

5 comments about Timecop [HD DVD].

1. Time Cop DVD
   
   Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as a time-traveling law enforcement officer whose mission is to prevent and/or apprehend anybody from traveling back in time for their own personal gains. You know that as soon as humans invent Time-Travel someone will be abusing the invention.
   
   Highly recommended for fans of Jean-Claude Van Damme and the book The Time Machine (Signet Classics)
   
   
   Gunner March, 2008



2. I love this film when it first come out on the big screen, i have owned the VHS version aswell as the DVD too but when i found out this was coming out on HD DVD, i was baffled as i thought maybe this film would look good in quality as old film transfers dont look the best in 1080p, however, this film looks brillaint in detail, obviouslt dont expect modern HD quality images but for a classic film turned HD, it looks brilliant, better than most old film transfers!
   Only grudge is that it doesnt have any special featured :(



3. A time cop races through time to right the meddlings of a corrupt politician in the past. Van Damme is a cop whose wife has died and becomes a time cop. A corrupt politician is messing with the past to get enough money for his political campaign. The movie has pretty good fight scenes which are basically showing off Van Damme and his body. It has an interesting premise for the time it was done (1994) although the special effects were not that good, even for the time. The acting is better than other Van Damme movies though.



4. All in all, Timecop held up pretty good. There are a few FX shots that don't look as good as they should but for the most part the film looks real good on HD-DVD. The only real bad part is that, like the first dvd's that came out, there are no extras. Also, it was delivered to Canada in about 4 days(with 2 of those being the week-end) and I am not in a major city!!! Gotta love that.



5. If you were a Van Damme buff like me when you were younger, then you swear by and worship films such as Bloodsport, Kickboxer, and Lionheart. Timeless late 80's early 90's films that were immensely popular at the time and quite enjoyable as action movies during that era. However, Van Damme's reputation quickly faded because he was type-cast as the brute karate guy who was hell-bent on just kicking you in the face at an 120 degree angle.
   
   Timecop is Van Damme's glory film in his acting career. A wonderful and entirely believable futuristic story of time travel that with a little better directing and production could have been a darn good action flick. Van Damme plays a futuristic cop who witnesses his wife's murder and is determined to do something about it. Coincidentally, he's the top time travel cop for the time travel program that the government currently has implemented for national security reasons. Of course he's going to use that to his advantage. What ensues is a mixture of other time travel movies all brought into one but with that Van Damme flair. While the overlying message is that the past is a terrible thing to alter, Van Damme's life has never been the same since the loss of his wife. The only way to survive his mundane existence and to save the country in the process is to go back in time, alter it, and kill a few bad guys in the process. Van Damme is not over the top here, however. He plays a darker character who displays believable emotion as a result of his surroundings. If you're a fan of time travel movies ala Back to the Future, The Butterfly Effect, The Time Machine, then Timecop should be right up your alley.
   
   Time travel will always be an interesting topic of conversation or subject of a major motion picture.

5 comments about Double Impact.

1. NOW I COULD EASYLY SAY THIS WILL GO DOWN AS ONE OF THE GRATEST MOVE EVER MADE IN THE WORLD THAT IS SO FOR SHORE & THAT IS PUTTING IT LIGHTLY



2. This is not necessarily my favorite genre of film, but I must say that it is a VERY impressive entertaining film. Jean-Claude Van Damme is SO believable as twin brothers that it is so easy to think that Van Damme has a twin in real life starring in a movie with him.
   The martial arts and action is great, as well as a very unique storyline.
   I especially enjoyed the (always) great Geoffery Lewis in this. He is a perfect casting choice as the body guard of the twins' late parents, then years later as a friend/partner/protector of the adult twins.
   I've never even been a big fan of Van Damme's, but he is great in this. And, as two completely different people! It's very well scripted and very well directed, and the acting is very well done by everyone in the film.
   The story is that, as imfants, the baby brothers are orphaned when their parents are murdered by a Chinese businessman and his American associate. Years later, the boys are now grown men, living completely seperate lives, unaware that the other exists until Geoffery Lewis' character brings them together to exact revenge on the people who murdered their parents, and to take back what is rightfully theirs.
   This is a film I would highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of this genre of film, and/or anyone who just wants to sit back, eat some popcorn and enjoy some great kick a** action and some awesome martial arts. This is definetly in the same league as any Bruce Lee flick, or any Jackie Chan film, if not better. It has all of the ingredients that this genre of film calls for: Action, adventure, martial arts fighting, murder, betrayal, double crossing, double dealing, revenge, and double Van Damme.
   Not a movie that I would own, but one I would highly recommend. My only complaint was there were way too many head-butting scenes. Other than that, well, let's just say that this is a rare gem for the fans of martial arts/action films. Thank you.



3. Double Impact stars actionstar Jean-Claude Van Damme in his prime. The movie follows two brothers who are united after being separated as baby's by a tragedy. Together they will have to team up to get the guy who is responsible for that event.
   
   The fun part about Double Impact, is that it stars Jean-Claude Van Damme in a double role. With some nice computereffects he is able to interact with himself in the same room. This is a joy to see.
   Being an actionfilm, Double Impact sure has alot of action, but in my opinion it was a bit underwhelming. It is all a bit lame and could have been way better. Van Damme is known for being a karatestar and does some kicks in this film, but it just isn't worked out well. A fight against one of the badguys, where both opponents get the change to take off their shirts, was a real letdown and is finished way too quickly and easily.
   As for the rest of the action, which features alot of shooting and explosions, the same thing: Alot of it, but not that spectaculair filmed.
   
   Still, if you are a Jean-Claude van Damme fan, add two stars to this review immediatly, cause you won't be dissapointed. That is certainly the main fun of the film: Jean-Claude van Damme times two. Van Damme manages to create two totally different characters, which is a nice job and once again, fun to see. He does it with alot of humour mixed into it. At the beginning of the film I really had the feeling that I was watching Jean-Claude van Damme times two. But after a while I saw them as totally different characters, meaning that Van Damme did a good job.
   
   So a bit of a letdown in action for me, but it has some nice humouristic moments of the two brothers interacting and annoying each other. And if you are a Van Damme fan and you haven't seen this one yet: shame on you and buy this one right now!
   For other action fans: rent it sometime, and see if you find it worth buying.



4. Thank you so much for the speedy delivery as it did arrive in time for the holidays. Would do business with again anytime. Thank you!



5. To me, one of Van Damme's best movies....check it out you won't be dissapointed, and keep in mind I only like a few of his movies so I'm not one of those guys that like all the crappy movies he made.

5 comments about Cyborg.

1. Funny how people write and say how aweful this movie is--they apparently aren't fans. This movie is exactly what a fan would expect to seen--lots and lots of martial arts and fighting. Think of this movie as a post-apocalyptic Bloodsport. This movie is a pure '80's cult movie. If you are looking for Oscar caliber acting and screenwriting, you are looking in the wrong place--Van Damme movies have never been intended for that and never will be.
   
   Plot - C
   
   A very overused post-apocalyptic plot is used where most of society is dying (or is already dead) from a plague and those that aren't dying are either searching for a cure or have resorted to barbarian-like creatures who rape and pillage every little town or city they come to. Enter Van Damme. He plays Gibson who is a freelance mercenary type who is payed to escort people through the city. He encounters the Flesh Pirates who are lead by a menacing leader named Fender. The cure to the plague has been placed into a cyborg (hence the name) and through a chance encounter, Gibson must escort her to Atlanta (which is apparently the headquarters of humanity--at least for the U.S.). Along the way, Gibson meets a female mercenary and they have a brief interlude. She claims to be a able to help Gibson, but really interfers with his progress (the typical damsel in distress). As he jouneys with the Cyborg, he has flashbacks of the life he used to lead before his life was shattered by a tragedy. With the Flesh Pirates after the cyborg (because apparently they don't want humanity cured) and Van Damme protecting her, it is a constant struggle to get the cyborg to Atlanta.
   
   Van Damme is actually very convincing as the reluctant hero. He has hardly any dialogue in the movie, yet is able to express a range of emotions through expressions and actions (something very good for someone who is always being accused of having no acting ability). The fights are very well choreographed and all of the martial arts you would expect can be found in the movie. Perhaps the best fight is at the end in the rain with Gibson versus Fender. This is pure '80's Van Damme.
   
   Acting - C
   
   Van Damme is surprisingly good as Gibson. Though virtually no dialogue, his actions seem to mean more anyways. As for the rest of the cast, I can't say much. Most of it is either very underplayed or overplayed--no happy medium. But if you wanted a drama you wouldn't be watching this movie anyways, right?
   
   Music/Soundtrack - B
   
   It is basically techno-like music, but interestingly enough, it works quite well in this movie and embarrassingly I have to admit to owning the soundtrack.
   
   Cinematography - C
   
   Very bleak and apocalyptic. There are lots of deserted locales and marshes and warehouses (filmed in Wilmington, NC--as a NC resident, I can tell you that NC does not look anything like that for the most part). The lighting and camera work for the last fight is very good (it is night time and raining).
   
   DVD - C
   
   No real extras. It has the original trailer and some bio information. It does have a widescreen presentation which is nice. The image transfer is average and the sound is average. A basic DVD all around.
   
   Overall - C
   
   If you want action, it has it. If you want drama, skip it. If you want martial arts and to see Van Damme at his best, buy it. This is a cult movie, pure and simple.



2. Cyborg is a typical Van Damme movie. All the action you can handle and none of the quality you desire.
   You get the typical splits and man-'ttocks sweetness from Van Damme.
   Some how Van Damme on foot is faster than a tug boat. Also, open fields in a grass covered savannah-like areas have man-holes and massive labyrinths-like systems below.
   You do get an unexpectedly nice mullet on the main villain, as well as some top-notch dialogue.
   All in all, if you're forcing yourself to watch the entire Van Damme catalogue, you'll have to watch this one too! Generally shipping is going to be about 25% higher than the price of the movie, so you win on all fronts!
   Be a man, give yourself what you deserve, watch Cyborg.



3. Post apocalyptic movies always tend to be a mixed bag for several reasons. Since you can build the sets on a low budget it seems just about everyone has tried to make a movie set in a wasteland, and end up making a weak film. So here's another post apocalyptic film that seems to have a look and feel that's a cut above most of them, however it ends up not having much more to offer. It has the good stuff technically, but the script is rather basic, the characters are two dimensional, and there just isn't enough to truly stand out as one of the great wasteland movies.
   
   The premise is interesting enough and it does get the movie started on the right direction. The problem is it doesn't really get any deeper than what you find out in the first 20 minutes or so. All the movie does is have Rickenbacker (Van Damme) run around chasing after the bad guys, getting into fights with them repeatedly. Sure they try to put a sub-plot about Rickenbacker's past and how it ties together with what's going on, and yes it does offer some depth to the story. But ultimately it doesn't do much to really be considered a strong back story. Even more disappointing is the fact the cyborg the movie is named after hardly does a thing at all besides being the hostage everybody wants. Kind of misleading if you ask me.
   
   What gives Cyborg its graces are two things: some of the directing and some of the fight scenes. Jean Claude Van Damme is of course known for his martial arts movies so of course you get some pretty impressive fight scenes. Though none of it would be considered a strong caliber of choreography you still get some decent action. I will give director Albert Pyun some credit for taking what he had and giving it a polished look. Cinematography, camera angles, lighting, they all definitely set Cyborg apart from your standard B-movie type post apocalypse movie and kick it up to A-caliber status on production values alone. Unfortunately the rest of the movie wasn't as well done.
   
   The acting is serviceable and works well enough, but isn't anything to write home about. The main bad guy looks really awesome and intimidating. I was hoping he was a cyborg too just because of the fact he looked so cool and was so amoral. The problem is the character doesn't go anywhere aside from wanting everybody to suffer. This sort of limited character depth hurts the movie's virtues. If they did more with these characters other than have them fight all the time there could have been a better movie coming out of this.
   
   Martial arts fans might like this movie as long as they don't expect merely good fight scenes and not great ones. Van Damme fans will definitely like this one as he does get a chance to play a character different than any other he has done before or since. If you like post apocalyptic movies I supposed it's 50/50 for you. The wasteland concept is there and they establish it, but it doesn't fill you with that atmosphere like The Road Warrior or The Postman. To be honest this is a 50/50 shot for most of you. It really depends on what how good you want a movie before you turn away. Cyborg isn't really bad, but it's borderline weak.



4. This was one of Van Damme's earlier movies in his career.
   Van Damme is one of the better action heroes in my opinion.
   This movies has non stop action, if your a fan of Van Damme
   this movie is a must have!!
   I rate this movie a 8 from 1to10!!



5. Here we go again! Another love it or hate it film. "Cyborg" is notable for a number of reasons. It is a showcase for Van Damme's considerable Martial Arts talent. It shows a world totally devoid of the concept of mercy. Since no one in this film can act their way out of a paper bag, the lack of dialog doesn't hurt it either.
   
   Back before his run-in with Cocaine, Van Damme was trying to tap into the Martial Arts film genre as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris did. He almost succeeded, were it not for the Coke. Since then, he has been seen in a number of films that only die-hard Martial Arts fans would know, or care about. The last film I saw him in that had very little to nothing of Martial Arts in it was "Legionaire".
   
   "Cyborg" is a tale set in the somewhat near future, where a plague has decimated the Earth's population down to a few scattered camps of humanity. Albert Pyun inserted a bit of unorthodoxy, in the form of character names. Van Damme's moniker is Gibson Rickenbacker, and his nemesis goes by the moniker of Fender Stratocaster, played by Vince Klyn, who's only claim to fame is this film.
   
   A cure has been found by a group of Scientists in an underground bunker. It is worthless, however, unless they can get it to another lab located in Atlanta, Georgia. A woman (Dayle Haddon) who, by all intents and purposes, is another Scientist, volunteers to undergo a transformation to turn her into a "Cyborg", hence, the title of the film. Presumably this is done so she cannot contract the plague, and possibly die before reaching Atlanta.
   
   Gibson Rickenbacker is a loner with a dark past. He plays a "Slinger", or hifalutin' future-talk for mercenary. He meets "Pearl" (the Cyborg), while fighting off "Flesh Pirates" (catchy, huh?). She tells Gibson of her plan to go to Atlanta, but Fender has other ideas. He is the BMOC of the "Flesh Pirates", and He's not diggin' that Gibson or Pearl wants to save the world, so he goes to Atlanta to destroy the cure, and the Scientists with it.
   
   During this period in Hollywood, there was a small contingent of filmmakers who contracted Custom Knifemakers to create some of the most beautiful knives ever seen in film (these were not dime-store specials, but real custom collector pieces). The film "First Blood" started the craze with "Survival Knives", and the trend just took off. You still continue to see them, they're just not the center of attention as they were before. They are all over this film. Every piece you see is a custom creation!
   
   "Cyborg", while far from perfect, is a first-rate Action/Sci-fi/Martial Arts film. Great for a boring afternoon!

5 comments about Street Fighter -- Collector's Edition.

1. By no means is this a good movie, but for a mindless action flick it is not too bad. There is a bunch of over action and groan outloud lines, but at the end of the movie you don't feel robbed in anyway. There are some really fun moments, on-liners, and some of the fighting is not done that bad.
   
   Sad note this is still a bare-bones DVD, just the movie and nothing else. You wished for maybe getting Van Dam to do some commentary or something by now.



2. man i tell you.i see alot of problems in this movie.
   i can make a better street figher.thats to whoever produced this movie and directed this movie.



3. This is an entertaining live-action comic book and based on the source material, the cast is borderline good. Raul Julia, Wes Studi and Van Damme were all casted well. It has good sets, exotic locales and comedy. The film is more of an action comedy than anything. May I add that I liked Guile more here than I did in the game. Not quite up to the funny entertainment or quality par of say Live & Let Die or It's a Mad Mad Mad World but it was better then some claimed, and some people just should not watch these types of films. I feel sorry for film based some of these public judgements of the film so i'm adding another star. Its refreshing to see these older types of adventure/comic book serials without the use of dreaded CGI (I'll take Street Fighter over Spiderman any day). Van Damme is the man but not quite on Chuck Norris' caliber in terms of hip factor, skill and gritty manliness. I got to add that I do like this film more than I did when I first saw it as a lad. One of the few movies that seems better now than it did.



4. I still think they should have stuck more to the video game. Some of the costumes are off but it was still an Okay flick. Would recommend but only to those that can enjoy the concept of the game.



5. I used to watch this movie a lot. In 1994, I was thirteen years old. And you know what that means. To paraphrase Christopher Walken, that means I had a fever. And the only prescription... was Street Fighter II (the video game, not the movie; durr). While I was truthfully more in the Mortal Kombat camp, I did love Street Fighter II and played it regularly. I knew all the characters, their background stories, the moves, etc. Then it was announced that a movie would be made. Totally awesome, dude!
   
   "Worker ants scurrying about with their pitiful weapons! Afraid of the purity of un-armed combat!"
   
   I'm pretty sure the only video game based movie made before this was Super Mario Bros. in '93; Double Dragon was released a year later (along with this one). Video game movies weren't off to what the common man would call a great start. But it's Street Fighter, man! It's gonna rule! And I still think the trailer makes it look like a tasty action flick.
   
   So, I went to see it. Came out of the theater and didn't really feel one way or the other about it. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't great. Bad guys were good guys and good guys were bad guys. Bison was a wimp. This guy didn't do this move and that guy didn't do that move. Whatever. Came out on video and I watched it a few times just because it was Street Fighter. It was something for my 13-year-old self to watch. Nothing more, really. I eventually kind of forgot about it and didn't watch it for years (due to what Tibetan monks refer to as "growing up").
   
   Last week, I was feeling nostalgic and ordered it off Amazon for the heck of it. Good price and it's a Collector's Edition. Why not? Watched it earlier and I find myself more critical than I was fourteen years ago. Bad lines. REALLY bad dubbing in spots. Some of the fights are kind of lame. Bison's still a wimp. Overall a fairly amateur movie (though few movies will ever de-throne Mortal Kombat Annihilation for all-time most amateur). But by God, whether intentional or not, this movie is kind of funny! How over the top is Raul Julia here? He's a blast to watch.
   
   "This? This is merely super conductor electromagnetism. Surely you've heard of it. It levitates bullet trains from Tokyo to Osaka. It levitates my desk where I ride the saddle of the world. And it levitates... me. NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!"
   
   Right on, Raul. Despite the critical bashings this movie got, you were the diamond in the rough. RIP, dude.
   
   Van Damme's okay as Guile. "Are you mon enough to faaight vith me?" Yeah, he's American to the core (or should I say Corps?). Guile is the main hero, but Chun Li is my favorite good guy here.
   
   "That's great news, General! Congratulations!"
   "On the contrary, I mourn him."
   "Okay."
   
   My peers thought this movie was corny in 1994 and they were right. But, if you're in my age bracket and liked Street Fighter, it's worth watching again for the nostalgia factor and Raul Julia.
   
   "General Bison is a bad guy? If you know this, then why do you serve him?"
   "Because he payed me a freaking FORTUNE, you moron!"
   "... You got... paid?"
   
   Recommended.

5 comments about Kickboxer.

1. 
   So, everyone knows that if you have seen one Jean Claude Van Damme film you have seen them all. So if you must pick, get this one. From pathetic dancing to crazy training, it's good for more then just one laugh. Oh yeah and of course you have some very good montages featured throughout the film. I also recommend Bloodsport as an equal. Enjoy!



2. This has always been a favorite movie of mine. I was disappointed that I had picked a movie that was the wrong region. I put it in one DVD and it came up wrong region. Then I put it in another DVD player and beauty away it went. The picture quality was exellent. Like I said before one of my favourite Van Damme movies and there where no hic ups with the recording.
   Thanks Amazon you came through for me again when I couldn't find it in the shops here in Australia.Kickboxer



3. Excellent martial arts movies a bit corney but my girlfriend loved van damme body. guess i got my work cut out for me.



4. On the heels of Bloodsport and the weird sci-fi flick Cyborg came Kickboxer. Here, Jean Claude Van Damne plays Kurt Sloane, the manager and younger brother of kickboxing champion Eric Sloane (played by real-life fighter Dennis Alexio).
   
   While fighting a Thai fighter named Tong Po, Eric gets injured and Kurt vows revenge on him. To this end, he meets a former fighter named Xian Chow and falls in love with his niece Miley.
   
   While much of the film is corny/cheesy but there are some funny parts too. The most funny (to me) is when Xian gets Kurt (Van Damne) drunk in a bar, has him dance (which is one of the funniest things that I have ever seen) and then fight some guys in that bar! Its priceless!
   
   Also, some of the training made me cringe, especially when he made him kick the tree with his injured shin! My friends thought when he did get the tree down and fell to the ground, that was the funniest thing! Even I chuckled a bit because basically he was trying to show Xian he wasn't weak! That's what "machismo" will get you!
   
   Overall, not a bad film!



5. Jean Claude Van Damme pumps out yet another indistiguishable movie in which he inevitably beats a guy who would clearly destroy him in real life.
   
   Kurt Sloane (JCVD) is in Thailand for the big fight between his brother - think a pumped up Luigi from Super Mario Brothers - and the baddest, meanest, most deadly kickboxer on the planet, Tong Po. I'm sure there is a verbal play-of-words there with the name Tong Po, but I can't figure it out right now. Naturally, as all JCVD movies go, someone close to him has to suffer before he grows a pair; in this case, his brother gets a beatdown of monumental proportions and is permanently crippled.
   
   Up next for Kurt is training with the master. He must prepare his body to fight Tong Po, and you guessed it, one of the training methods is an intricate pulley system that allows someone to do the splits. Aside from that, a defenseless tree suffers as a result of the training, and Kurt risks becoming a gelding when his master-trainer drops a massive ball from high above onto Kurt's stomach to show how hard and strong his abs had become.
   
   Meanwhile, an convoluted plot takes place where Tong Po's people terrorize a woman Kurt has taken a fancy to, kidnapped the master, and made the leadup to Kurt's battle with Tong Po hell. Luckily for Kurt, every punch in the fight clearly missed his face, and there was no risk of danger or pain whatsoever. It's also especially helpful that Tong Po blatantly shows Kurt the method by which the beatdown will ensue in the upcoming round. It really is the most pathetic defensive fight in history, each blow telegraphed like it's in the Farmer's Almanac. The whole thing is a joke. Tong Po growls, Kurt kicks and/or punches, Tong Po recoils and spits blood, JCVD flexes unnecessarily. One scene is particularly hilarious, as Kurt kicks Tong Po in the face about 43 times - left, right, left, right, ad nauseum.
   
   It's typical JCVD, and if you are like me, going into the movie expecting nearly nothing, then you'll be entertained.

5 comments about Lionheart.

1. While Lionheart is basically an 80's action flick, it's full of genuine charm. Jean-Claude Van Damme tries out his dramatic acting chops here and does very well. This is one of the rare action movies where guys can get their kicks from a great display of martial arts and the wife/girlfriend will enjoy the touching backstory involving a man trying to help his dead brother's family find a new life.



2. Let me say right off that Jean Claude Van Damne isn't a great actor nor a credible looking fighter. That being said, this is easily his best effort on both fronts.
   
   Here he plays Lyon, a solider in the Foreign Legion who learns that his brother in America was killed in a drug deal gone bad. He left behind an estranged wife and a little girl who is in desperate need. Wanting to help, he escapes the Legion and secretly gives her money through winnings he gets from various illegal underground fights.
   
   Let me say that this story has a lot of heart (no pun intended) for an R rated film. While there is language in it, the family element in the movie is unmistakable. It would ALMOST be apporpriate for family viewing if not for the language as the violence is kept to a minium until the final fight. There is some suggestive sexuality in it but that, also, is kept very brief.
   
   Overall, this is worth a view for older teens to adults. Unless you see it on TV or find an edited version of it, I would not recommended it for young viewers.
   
   That all being said, its one of Van Damne's finest movies.



3. I am a big Van Damme fan. I was excited to finally get this widescreen edition. Not only is widescreen not available as described, my old vhs tape has better video quality than this.
   
   For 7 bucks I'll keep it for now and replace it when it (hopefully) comes out on Blu Ray.



4. It's unreal how talented Jean Claude Van Damme (JCVD) is at making this type of movie. While incredibly corny, somehow the entertainment value isn't lessened. If it were anyone other than JCVD, I think that the movie would be much worse. It's almost as if his poor acting ability and general monotony makes this type of movie better. JCVD is like epicac; under normal circumstances, it's not a great idea to chug a bottle, but when mixed with the consumption of something sure to turn your stomach otherwise, it's the perfect fit to make everything feel better.
   
   Leone (JCVD) escapes from the French foreign legion in Africa after finding out his broher is ill and being denied leave. What he finds is that his brother is dead and has left a sister-in-law and niece in LA. In little time at all, he realizes that he is worthless in America without cash to help out his relatives. Somehow he makes is way to the underground fight game, where he takes on a guy who appears to be homeless as his trainer. On top of that, it just so happens that this bum is associated with some very high-profile fight fans who stage various elaborate fights for their wealthy friends.
   
   It's classic JCVD, with every punch and kick telegraphed from a mile away, and with an extra scream-pause-flex after each successful blow. In the final battle, Leone must battle a huge man named Atilla, a man clearly thawed after thousands of years of being entrapped in a block of ice while modeling as the one-step-to-the-left guy on the Evolutionary chart. Oh, and I can't say for sure, but I'm fairly sure JCVD does the splits in this one.
   
   Turn your brain off and enjoy some quintessential JCVD!



5. Great movie!
   
   If your a Van Damme fan, you've already seen it!
   
   It was the "Fight Club" of the late 90's!
   
   Recommended to all men!

5 comments about Timecop.

1. Time Cop DVD
   
   Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as a time-traveling law enforcement officer whose mission is to prevent and/or apprehend anybody from traveling back in time for their own personal gains. You know that as soon as humans invent Time-Travel someone will be abusing the invention.
   
   Highly recommended for fans of Jean-Claude Van Damme and the book The Time Machine (Signet Classics)
   
   
   Gunner March, 2008



2. I love this film when it first come out on the big screen, i have owned the VHS version aswell as the DVD too but when i found out this was coming out on HD DVD, i was baffled as i thought maybe this film would look good in quality as old film transfers dont look the best in 1080p, however, this film looks brillaint in detail, obviouslt dont expect modern HD quality images but for a classic film turned HD, it looks brilliant, better than most old film transfers!
   Only grudge is that it doesnt have any special featured :(



3. A time cop races through time to right the meddlings of a corrupt politician in the past. Van Damme is a cop whose wife has died and becomes a time cop. A corrupt politician is messing with the past to get enough money for his political campaign. The movie has pretty good fight scenes which are basically showing off Van Damme and his body. It has an interesting premise for the time it was done (1994) although the special effects were not that good, even for the time. The acting is better than other Van Damme movies though.



4. All in all, Timecop held up pretty good. There are a few FX shots that don't look as good as they should but for the most part the film looks real good on HD-DVD. The only real bad part is that, like the first dvd's that came out, there are no extras. Also, it was delivered to Canada in about 4 days(with 2 of those being the week-end) and I am not in a major city!!! Gotta love that.



5. If you were a Van Damme buff like me when you were younger, then you swear by and worship films such as Bloodsport, Kickboxer, and Lionheart. Timeless late 80's early 90's films that were immensely popular at the time and quite enjoyable as action movies during that era. However, Van Damme's reputation quickly faded because he was type-cast as the brute karate guy who was hell-bent on just kicking you in the face at an 120 degree angle.
   
   Timecop is Van Damme's glory film in his acting career. A wonderful and entirely believable futuristic story of time travel that with a little better directing and production could have been a darn good action flick. Van Damme plays a futuristic cop who witnesses his wife's murder and is determined to do something about it. Coincidentally, he's the top time travel cop for the time travel program that the government currently has implemented for national security reasons. Of course he's going to use that to his advantage. What ensues is a mixture of other time travel movies all brought into one but with that Van Damme flair. While the overlying message is that the past is a terrible thing to alter, Van Damme's life has never been the same since the loss of his wife. The only way to survive his mundane existence and to save the country in the process is to go back in time, alter it, and kill a few bad guys in the process. Van Damme is not over the top here, however. He plays a darker character who displays believable emotion as a result of his surroundings. If you're a fan of time travel movies ala Back to the Future, The Butterfly Effect, The Time Machine, then Timecop should be right up your alley.
   
   Time travel will always be an interesting topic of conversation or subject of a major motion picture.

2 comments about Van Damme Action Pack Quadruple Feature (Timecop / Hard Target / Street Fighter / The Quest).

1. And it's about bloody time.
   
   My only purpose in writing this review is to confirm that at long last, we have a Region 1 version of Timecop in true anamorphic widescreen format. If, like me, you've been waiting for it for years, then I guess that'll be good news to you.



2. I gotta say... I am very happy I bought this set... I did buy it primarily to get Timecop in widescreen... and I admit I was apprehensive about this... Frankly, I was afraid they would take the full screen version and simply cut off the top and bottom, like so many companies have done to "create" a widescreen version of their movies... but this version is true 2:35:1 widescreen AND it is dual layer and very good quality - even on the big screen plasma! I haven't watched the other films in the set yet, but I don't care... Timecop is excellent and finally it is here in widescreen... I recommend this highly and say thanks to the people who decided to give us true quality for the money we spent on this!

5 comments about Bloodsport.

1. Hello B fans, Sid the Elf is back to review Bloodsport. We mean this in the straightest way possible when we say that the most impressive thing in the movie was when Van Damme does the splits. No, actually, this film was wonderful. We picked it on the spur of the moment and it didn't disappoint. It had everything we could ask for. There was horrific acting from everybody involved. This even includes Forrest Whittiker from 35,622 buckets of fried chicken ago. You have Jean-Claude Van Damme in his first starring role and he hit this one out of the park on the first try. Although we're not quite sure why they chose a local special needs fry chef to play the young Frank Dux, but it was more than made up for when we heard the kid talk and saw him get kicked in the chest by the little Chineese kid. Then you had Ray Jackson, the big cross-eyed guy, who was nothing short of hillarious. Finally, there was the one, the only Chong-Li. Here you had a jacked, utterly insane Korean who instead of pounding hot dogs like Kobyashi, ate 34 egg white omelettes in 8 minutes while training for the Kumate. He just has a presence. When the screen showed his name opposite Ray Jackson's Sid the Elf froze. It was momentous.
   
   Bloodsport is actually a true story-seriously. It is about Frank Dux, the only American to ever win the Kumate. When he was a kid, Dux was taken in and trained by his Asian master. In a hilarious sequence, we see Young Dux(sounds like a rapper doesn't it?)learning all the awesome tricks he would later unleash in competition. When his master is on his death bed, Dux goes AWOL from the military to see him. After his death, Dux decides to honor his master by entering the Kumate. So, he not only has to fight insane opponents, like the completely frightening Chon Li, in the Kumate, he also has to elude Military Police who know he's at the Kumate and want to bring him back home. What makes Bloodsport such an awesome guy's movie is that the majority of the movie revolves around either karate fighting or training to karate fight. There are just too many cool or funny happenings in the movie to recount them all. As we, Sid the Elf, like to do when there's just too much to go over, we'll break this one down Joe Bob style and let you use it as a guide when you watch Bloodsport. Here are the Drive-In totals:
   
   3 bricks broken, 1 with a head-butt
   
   1 compound leg fracture
   
   2 tazerings
   
   1 skinny Forrest Whitiker falling off a boat
   
   1 partially nude Van Damme
   
   1 pair of red bikini briefs worn by the Muscles from Brussels
   
   1 Mr. Fuji style eye salting
   
   56 hilarious facial expressions
   
   1 ref beating courtesy of Chong-Li
   
   1 homicide in the ring
   
   32 crushed beer cans by Ray "ABC 123" Jackson
   
   1 Van Damme Flock of Seagulls hair do
   
   4 inappropriately placed romantic songs from the soundtrack...
   
   ...ALSO HE'S A NINJA!
   
   Definitely 5 stars. Partially for the terribly done fighting scenes. I mean, most of those blows could be stopped by Cecila Dux, Frank's grandmother. Easy recipient of the Sid the Elf Seal of Approval. I have put all my knowledge into you. Watch Bloodsport!



2. i orded a dvd from gohasting i wanted to return it n when i called them back to have my money refuned they refuse to give it back they will lie to u n take your money i dont recommend anyone to buy anything from them.



3. I am perfectly aware there is no good acting of any kind and the fighting is sub par. This doesn't change my opinion for some reason. I can watch this movie again and again, more so that any modern day action film. When it comes on TBS or TNT I simply can't turn it off and 2 hours of my life go by. When I was a kid i used to watch this every weekend over my friends house on VHS. You simply can't beat a classic and anyone from the age of 19-30 knows they feel the same way I do.



4. This is one cheesy movie that anyone can enjoy and wont ever forget.
   It is so stupid, yet it comes off fun and hilarious to the point where if you even watch 10 mins of this movie you will see it to the end everytime. Even people who take movies seriously will enjoy this.



5. "Bloodsport" is a milestone for Jean-Claude Van Damme: much like "Conan the Barbarian" for Arnold Schwarzenegger and "Rocky" for Sly Stallone, the dramatized kinda-maybe-true tale of Frank Dux's winning of the enigmatic Kumite tournament proved to be his stepping stone into mainstream cinema, and would help secure him as one of the biggest action heroes of the late-80s/early-90s period.
   Like most action films of its time, "Bloodsport" is technically and theatrically flawed, but unlike most other action films, it fails to cover for its mistakes effectively; leaving cool, violent combat outweighed by an unpolished story and some of the worst acting seen this side of the 80s.
   
   Like any tournament-centred action film, the weakness of "Bloodsport" lies in the fact that all of its fighting is restricted to pre-assigned "fight times" and appears nowhere else in the movie. Granted, the choreography and intensity of these fights is infinitely superior to many a commercial beat-`em-up flick, but the fact that they are so very designated leaves the rest of the film without much excitement at all, because you know that nothing is going to happen until Van Damme steps into the ring.
   
   And concerning Van Damme...
   The film begins with several shots of the diverse fighters training for the contest: a monkey kung fu fighter chops coconuts in half, a giant tosses huge sacks, bad-guy Bolo Yeung ("Enter the Dragon") breaks blocks of ice, etc.; I can't help but imagine what this film would've been like if it followed the paths of more participants than just Van Damme, whose personal odyssey is just a tad boring. Would it have been better than the star's early attempts at acting, the meaningless love story between him and Leah Ayres ("The Burning"), or the absolutely atrocious flashbacks of Dux's supposed childhood? - I don't know, but nothing about the given plot, besides the fighting, is in the least bit intriguing, even for an action movie.
   
   To be fair, this is a genuine cult film, and is standard viewing for any fan of action movies...if only for the rough half hour devoted to the fights. Give it a rent if you haven't seen it, and buy it if you're a fan of Van Damme or Bolo Yeung...but if you have a phobia of lousy acting or melodrama, steer clear.