No comments about Sinav (Dvd).

5 comments about Legionnaire.

1. Definitely a good movie, Legionnaire, brings to the screen the story of a French boxer, who refuses to take part in a rigged match resulting in his joining the Foreign Legion.
   It is the 1920's. France's North African colonies are experiencing Arab national revolutions and the French Foreign Legion is looking for new recruits in Europe as they sense their hold is weakening.
   The movie is action packed, the special effects are great, the acting is excellent and the cast are wonderful.
   Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Berkoff, Nicholas Farrell, and the rest of the cast have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are outstanding to say the least! All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is AMAZING)! Consequently, they have done a superb job of providing an entertaining film that can be watched over and over again.
   There is a wonderful feel of History; the clash between the French and Arabs is as fascinating as the interaction between the different nationalities found within the Legion, and both are presented very well in the film.
   History, Battles, Intrigue, Duty, and Honor are all about.
   The setting, the plot, the dialogues, the costumes, and the music are all wonderful!
   The film combines romance, drama, action and adventure making it a movie definitely worth watching and one to seriously consider adding to your movie collection!



2. This is NOT one of Jean-Claude Van Damme's better efforts. Lots of special effects, blood and gore, but very light on acting. Historically, I'm sure the members of the LEGION ETRANGERE (French Foreign Legion), are laughing themselves silly, or rolling in their honorable graves.



3. love this movie jean claude van damme at his best great fun for all action fans do not miss this one



4. Was that even a Van Damme film ? ... oh well , that's how I would discribe this Van Damme film .
   
   Great sets , Great locations , Great costumes , Great props , ok acting ... this is Van damme after all !
   
   The only 2 things I could complain about is the fact that Van Damme was a little bit cheesy about being proud to be a LEGIONAIRE and the ending ( I wont spoil it) .... it just seemed prodictable to me .
   
   All in all , this is a good film and I recommend this as one of the best Van Damme films .



5. 
   I think this is direct to TV, I certainly never heard of it in the theaters.
   
   Jean Claude Van Damme stars as a boxer who is supposed to throw a fight. When he meets his old girlfriend who he stiffed at their wedding he decides to run away with her. This doesn't work out and he decides to run away to join the French Foreign Legion. He knows that it is going to be bad going in but has to do it. I wish they would have explained a little more of exactly why he joined but that is really the only major flaw in the movie. The interaction between the main charcters who Jean Claude meets is the shining point in the movie. Adewale Akinnouye-Agbaje's(Oz, Lost) southern accent was odd to hear. It didn't fully work for me but it is always great to see him on screen. Everybody is great and they stick by each other no matter what and everybody just does a brilliant acting job overall. Jean Claude's facial expressions looked stiff for the most part but he was the worst of the bunch and still did pretty good for himself.
   
   While fighting battles with no of chance winning, some of Jean Claude's past catches up with him but the heart of the story is between the main characters and the story remains that way until the end which was a good choice.
   
   I was completely surprised this wasn't your standard B-action flick. It is actually a very good movie with great sets and superb battle scenes. The cinematography in the desert is one of the finer points of the movie. No stylized action and the movie is all the better for it. We don't need to see Jean Claude doing super kicks and taking out everybody who has a gun with his bare 2 hands. We have seen that way too many times. You could tell it was right at this point in his career that he wanted to start doing better movies and he has put out about 4 good movies since this. Things are definitely looking up for the man who's first starring role was in Ng See Yuen's 'No Retreat, No Surrender'(AKA Karate Tiger). The movie gets a 3.5 from me but I can only pick a 3 or a 4. I don't know if I would watch it again since I am a hardcore action junkie but it was damn good movie.
   
   This is a great DVD release from Sterling Entertainment. Picture is widecreened in a letterboxed format. Only 2-channel sound but still pretty good.
   
   Special features include a 7 minute behind the scenes. It has an interview with one of the producers where he talks about Jean Claude. It also has an interview with the director and you get a little bit of a look behind the scenes.
   
   There is a French Foreign Legion section and has a good interview with an historian. This is very good information wise and briefly tells how the Legion came to be and a bit about what happens after this movie. Best special feature on here. Also in this section is a very brief recent look at the FFL, text given on descriptions of weapons used, and a still gallery of filming the movie.
   
   There is also a commentary with the writer of the movie.
   
   The back of the DVD case also says that it has a commentary from a FFL expert and I was very disappointed not to find that on the disc.

5 comments about Monaco Forever.

1. I bought this video as a joke. However, the joke was on me when I was forced to watch it with the recipient. Unfortunately, this movie was NOT what I expected it to be. In another aspect, IT WAS WORSE. Not only does the movie steal from other movies, but its choppy, inconsistent in its scenes, and all together BAD. If I was in a movie theater I would have demanded a refund, and some TUMS, for the sour feeling in my stomach.



2. its a jean claude van damme movie. it cant be bad.



3. For one the movie came out in 1984 and for two its not even a Van Damme movie. He plays a small five minute roll in a gay guy and the whole movie is in French. All though he does throw a few kicks into thin air after grabbing some guys wang. The movie sucks. The thew his picture on the cover and re-released it in 1993 hoping to make a few bucks.



4. Any film with Michelle Bauer is worth seeing, and the kick-boxing scene with Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme is interesting.



5. Not a great movie but a special item for colletor. That's the first movie of JCVD. For the real fan.

3 comments about Path Of The Dragon (Bruce Lee).

1. this is a short (about 45 min) documentary of on the films of bruce lee. the production value is low and the content is merely ok. it's valuable only to the fan of bruce lee (it does give a good list of all his movies, not as many as you think). i bought it in a two pack with another Lee documentary, The Intercepting Fist, a documentary on the style of martial arts he created, and is a truly good documentary. If you can find the 2-pack, go for it, otherwise, i'd probably pass on this one.



2. "Path" provides a very intelligent examination of how Bruce Lee
   and the martial arts, in general, crossed cultural and racial
   barriers for positive impact. Thoughtfully narrated by the
   actor's daughter Shannon Lee, the documentary is highlighted by
   interviews of current luminaries in movies and martial arts such
   as Richard Norton and Jackie Chan. Commentaries on Lee are
   also provided by his "Enter the Dragon" co-star John Saxon, James
   Coburn and George Lazenby, a former James Bond. The historical
   origins of the martial arts, with vintage footage from Asian locations, are examined to lay the foundation for the bases of
   Lee's global success. Students and film fans alike will enjoy
   this remarkable hour that is, in equal parts, an enjoyable history lesson and a retrospective on the importance of Bruce Lee
   to film and to international popular culture.



3. Excellent footage of the master, Bruce Lee and some footage I never seen before. So, for the bruce lee fan a must have...

5 comments about Street Fighter.

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 have seen Street fighter way back when i was a kid. Now they play it on cable all the time. and to this day, i still wonder why the hell they made a movie out of it. Its only good to look at when you don't have nothing else to look at or you just winding down to go to sleep.

5 comments about Cyborg.

1. 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!!



2. 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!



3. The Jean Claude Van Damme Review Matrix (JCVD-RM)
   
   1.Who is he? Gibson Rickenbacker, a post-apocalyptic fighter who helps people affected by the plague
   2.Which family member/friend must be avenged? His entire family was murdered
   3.Does he take his shirt off? Yes, in the rain.
   4.Does he have sex with a C-List actress? Yes, some cute brunette (Dayle Hadden)
   5.Is there a tournament? No, just a battle for survival
   6.Is training needed for this tournament? No tournament here, but judging by how badly he beats down the enemy lackeys, it doesn't appear that training is needed.
   7.Does he do the splits in training or in the tournament? Several times
   8.Does he punch someone in the balls? No, but he engages in a little five-on-two grab move during one fight
   9.Does he do a series of flying or 360 kicks? Constantly
   10.Is his enemy unbeatable? Fender Tremolo (Vincent Klyn) is a cyborg who has nearly glowing eyes and a robotic voicebox similar to that of a tracheotomy patient. He also has a gang of cyborgs at his disposal.
   11.Does he overcome an injury or other hindrance? Yes, at one point he literally gets crucified
   12.Does he win? Despite the fact that he's absolutely pummeled by Fender, and a car door, he somehow manages to win via meat hook.
   
   Perhaps the most violent of JCVD's flicks, the action in this one is pretty good. The fight sequences are a little choppy at times, with the mega-pause between hits, but overall the choreography is solid. A few gory scenes are a bit of a shocker, specifically the crucifixion scene. Amidst the post-apocalyptic setting, however, everything seems oddly appropriate for a movie approaching B-Movie status. Classic JCVD, it's great.



4. I just bought the DVD and haven't seen Cyborg for 15 years or so.
   
   This movie despite the 1980's MTV band costumes is a great movie for having a couple of hours of fun.
   
   best move: the nail out of JCVD's boot as he does a jumping spinning hook kick.
   
   the cheese: the bad guys popping out of the mancover -- sort of like a Monty Python skit.
   
   But good stuff!



5. Using costumes and some effect intended for a sequel to the live action MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE, CYBORG is a bleak and apocalyptic film best known for securing the film career of Jean-Claude Van Damme. The film takes place in a future United States that has been decimated by a plague and internal violence. The film begins in New York City. A female cyborg named Pearl Prophet (Dale Haddon) has retrieved information stored within her memory that when brought back to Atlanta (former headquarters of Centers for Disease Control) should bring about a cure for the plague that has killed and is killing so many others. Unfortunately, Pearl runs into a group of pirates led by Fender Tremolo (Vincent Kyln) a big and ugly villain who grunts a lot and who has scary-looking eyes. While running away from Fender, Pearl runs into Gibson Rickenbacker (Van Damme). Gibson is a wandering do-gooder who has spent the last several years of his life training for the day when he would meet Fender again and get his revenge for killing his loved ones. In their first encounter, Gibson is left for dead. Of course, he's not dead but is just unconscious under a pile of rubble. After crawling his way out, Gibson follows the path of Fender, determined to save Pearl and get his revenge. Also, while following Fender's path, Gibson rescues a young woman named Nady Simmons (Deborah Richter). Gibson eventually meets up with Fender again and battle and mayhem ensue.
   
   CYBORG was directed by Albert Pyun. Pyun has gained a reputation as being a modern Ed Wood. He's directed over forty movies, usually on a shoestring, and will probably be forever infamously known as the man who directed the CAPTAIN AMERICA movie that was never released in U.S. theatres. There are some people who are huge Pyun fans. If you know what you are getting into and are in the right mindset, then a Pyun film can be bearable to watch. But there's a reason besides the huge amount of projects and cheap budgets that Pyun is compared to Ed Wood. His movies have terribly written scripts with bad dialogue and nonsensical plots, usually full of holes. His films usually also have a huge amount of violence. CYBORG has all of those elements as well as a cast of characters named after guitars and other musical instruments.
   
   There's only one reason that I watched CYBORG. Several years ago while flipping through the channels late at night I came across the most memorable scene in the movie. I won't give that scene away, but I was so mesmerized by what I saw that I decided to rent the movie and watch the whole thing. The rest of the movie pales in comparison to that scene, but the scene is worth watching.
   
   CYBORG isn't a good movie. It's a bad movie, but not quite bad enough to be campy. If you enjoy fighting movies and can get past the weak plot, cheesy costumes, musical instrument-named characters, and terrible dialogue, then you might enjoy CYBORG. For everyone else, I would recommend only out of curiosity.

5 comments about No Retreat, No Surrender.

1. How can Van Damm be the star of the movie, when he's only in it for about 10 minutes??? Kurt is in most of it. Kurt is the main character and makes the movie along with RJ, The Fat Burger Kid and the other young guys and girls in it. Van Damm is nothing more than a guest role at best. Yes, he went on to become a bigger star, but McKinney has also done well since, appearing in a wide range of TV shows and making a couple more movies since, right up to the present day. He also won an award for his acting in the 1990s. Kurt is #1.



2. Some people might think the movie was too cheesy or whatever but I personally think it is good and quite interesting, another reason why 1980s were good, at least for me



3. We got this movie in 1980-somehting when I was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. We had five kids who were raised watching this movie as Okinawa had no US TV and we had to get Videotapes for our entertainment. As the kids grew, they remade this movie several times using their own equipment. They had the lines and acting down pat - just like the original - it was so easy to imitate. Anyway, as I get older, I wouldn't trade my original copy of this movie with my kids remakes for anything in the world. To this day, we take this stuff out and watch it every Christmas. Ah the memories it brings back is so sweet and all the grown kids still get the biggest "kick" out of it. What fun! Try and start your own memories with this and your own small kids.



4. No Retreat No Surrender is a classic martial arts movie from the 80s. It's classic because it follows the 80s formula of "screw it, put it in there, people will enjoy it regardless of how unbelievable it is".
   
   The movie "stars" a runt named Jason (Kurt McKinney), who looks like the guy perpetually gets his lunch money stolen. All is well in his sheltered life until one day he skips into his father's dojo just in time to see his father getting a beatdown from a Russian mobster henchman named Ivan (Jean Claude Van Damme). Evidently, the Sherman Oaks Karate School is prime gangster real estate, and the Russian syndicate simply must have it.
   
   After his dad gets a can of ***-whoopin' from Ivan, and a broken leg, the family is forced to move to Seattle to regain any semblance of pride. It's in Seattle that Jason meets RJ, a black guy who wears a jheri curl to distract others from seeing how lame he really is. But, hey! He can breakdance, and he sure can dribble a basketball while riding a bicycle like it's nobody's business!
   
   Anyway, Jason and RJ get bullied by karate thugs, and afterwards Jason is visited by Bruce Lee's ghost. (seriously) Lucky for Jason, it's just in time to meet up with Ivan, who is yet again applying a beating to an unprepared opponent. This time, however, Jason has had a few months of training behind him and is more than prepared for the final battle.
   
   The final battle is classic. And by classic I mean most atrocious choreography for a fight scene in movie history. There is one bright side, and that is the fact that we get to see the genesis of Jean Claude Van Damme's patented move: the splits. Jason uses it on him during the fight with deadly effectiveness, and JCVD hasn't forgotten the lesson to this day.
   
   I can't recommend this movie highly enough. Watch it for the laughs, the bad acting, and the beginning of the phenomenon known as Jean Claude Van Damme.



5. Not a great movie but that's good for see JCVD yesterday. When you see this movie, you understand JCVD is today a very best actor.

5 comments about Universal Soldier.

1. 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



2. 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.



3. 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.



4. My husband loves this movie so for his birthday I got it for him. The DVD arrived quickly and was in great condition!



5. The Jean Claude Van Damme Review Matrix (JCVD-RM)
   
   1. Who is he? Luc Deveraux, former US soldier in Vietnam who, when killed by friendly fire, becomes part of a military medical equivalent to Frankenstein, the Universal Soldier (UniSol).
   2. Which family member/friend must be avenged? As a humanitarian soldier, Deveraux considered friendly Vietnamese his friends. It's just too bad his Sergeant didn't.
   3. Does he take his shirt off? It's probably because he's dead, but JCVD is shirtless in a faux cryogenic, stasis in bubbling water scenes stolen straight from comic books, as well as whenever the UniSols are back in the mobile lab or in a vat of ice. I'm sure the ice thing was written in specifically so he could take his shirt off.
   4. Does he have sex with a C-List actress? Thankfully he didn't...otherwise this movie would have involved necrophilia.
   5. Is there a tournament? There is no sanctioned tournament, just UniSols going about their mission.
   6. Is training needed for this tournament? Quoting the awesomeness of Stripes, "Aaaaarmy training, sir!" (Which is odd considering both movies are about ridiculous military situations)
   7. Does he do the splits in training or in the tournament? Even though it's not explicitly part of the plot, he nonetheless manages to form an upside-down "T" during a fight scene.
   8. Does he punch someone in the balls? Although it's slightly off camera, it appears JCVD delivers three solid punches to the jewels of Sergeant Scott (Lundgren). Given JCVD's propensity for nut-shots, it's safe to assume knuckle met scrotum.
   9. Does he do a series of flying or 360 kicks? Not only does he fulfill his normal helping of spin kicks, but he adds a few new versions into the mix.
   10. Is his enemy unbeatable? It sure seems that his enemy is unbeatable. In the final battle, Deveraux kicks Scott in the face five times in a row, and the only thing Scott does is laugh.
   11. Does he overcome an injury or other hindrance? Well, technically he's dead, and there's some sort of combination of UniSol injection and ice water bath requirement for keeping a soldier recharged, but otherwise he's good to go.
   12. Does he win? With the help of a wood chipper - and a final line of, "You're discharged, Sarge" - Deveraux literally tears Scott apart.
   
   With some great wire work in some fight scenes, and tons of head shot gun play, the action is top notch for this JCVD iteration. The plot is interesting enough to have spawned more than one sequel. And Dolph Lundren makes a solid appearance in the meeting B-action superstars. What's great is that both main characters are supposed to be resurrected cyborgs, and each of their respective robotic acting ability just happens to be perfect for the role. Nothing new here; just JCVD being awesome yet again.

5 comments about Black Eagle.

1. Could someone tell me who Sho Kosugi is? This guy plays the main character of this crummy movie, "Black Eagle," where he goes up against Jean-Claude Van Damme while defending America against the Soviets in a plot so ludicrous that the people confused by "Mission: Impossible" would gnaw off a limb from utter boredom and confusion. Now, Van Damme's not a great actor. He's decent in most of his films, but he's not great. Heck, I wouldn't even call him good. However in this film he does a terrific job for a few reasons. A) He has about three lines, B) He only needs one facial expression through the whole film, and C) No one else in this film can act!!! What we get are blank stares, monotone deliveries, and very uninteresting dialogue. Now the action scenes: they stink too. There are a gazillion chases in this movie, all of them uninteresting (I fell asleep during a car chase, woke up and it was still going on), the much-hyped one-on-one fighting between Van Damme and this Kosugi guy is great at first, but the final battle loses the edge and just can't seem to get very innovative. "Black Eagle" may have been a good choice for Van Damme so early in his career. Now if they would've made an entirely different movie, perhaps there would've been something there to enjoy.



2. From the end of the Cold War comes a movie that was probably written at the height of the Cold War, went through several years of production and finally came out right at the end of the Cold War and this probably killed any chance it had at success. I mean, who wants to watch a movie about Russians spies fighting US spies when you can get down with that sexy East German girl in your chem class while listening to the Scorpions' song "Winds of Change" or that cool Jesus Jones ditty, "Right Here, Right Now"? As a result, this enjoyable action movie is a hidden gem that few people remember. On to the plot...
   
   SHO KOSUGI, Star of tons of Japanese Ninja films, plays a CIA spy who is called into action when a secret US plane, an F-111, goes down in the waters off Malta. This sequence is probably the cheapest of the entire movie as we only get to LISTEN to the plane going down instead of WATCHING the plane crash. Guess they had to spend that extra money on Jean-Claude's body wax. Speaking of JC, Mr. Van Damme plays the Russian martial arts expert/ body guard who is brought in by the KGB to try to steal the top-secret warhead off the F-111 before the CIA can get it. The only catch is, first they both have to find where in the ocean the plane crashed...
   
   Along the way, Sho kills multiple Maltese citizens and various KGB agents all while Jean-Claude romances a young lady on the KGB's tugboat. In fact, all of the killing makes JC's character a lot more sympathetic than Sho's, which I'm sure the producers did not intend. Anyway, lots of action and things blowing up later there is the final showdown with Sho and JC which...well, you'll have to watch the movie to see what happens. Take my word, though, it's a great fight scene.
   
   As the movie progresses, the viewers are treated to scene after scene of the gorgeous Maltese countryside: churches, forts and of course lots of the beautiful blue Mediterranean. Malta is the real star of this movie. However, almost all of the actors are attempting to speak English as a second language and as a result of the conflagration of Japanese, Belgian, Maltese and fake Russian accents, entire sections of the movie are almost unintelligible. I challenge even someone with a digital comb-filter, mondo-sound TV to understand what the heck Sho and JC are saying to each other in the final fight scene. But, since I'm here trying to defend this film, let's just call that a "minor production glitch."
   
   All-in-all this is a good action movie that can be bought for a cheap price. Sounds like a great combo to me. Since this is an international production, watch out for bootlegs that are floating around. Also, don't buy the SLP tapes churned out by "GoodTimes" movies back in the 90's. Awful quality.
   
   Those of you who read my other review of a Malta-filmed movie, "Final Justice," be on watch for a couple of actors and locations featured in that movie. The evil bar-owner has a big role in this movie as does the heroic cab-driver. Where the heck is Hellena Abella? Ah, well, only Malta knows and Malta ain't telling...



3. If you are a Van Damme fan, beware! He is barely even in the movie so don't let the DVD box cover fool you. Actually, he isn't even the star of the movie!! I'm not sure what advice he was given post Bloodsport from his agent, but when you go from being the main star in a very good martial arts movie to having a very tiny role in a very bad movie, I think that would raise some questions as to his choices in roles. Likewise, he is playing the stereotypical "bad Russian"--much like he did in his brief cameo in No Retreat, No Surrender. With the exception of 3-4 fight scenes and a romance scene, Van Damme is no where to be seen. Trust me though, this DVD is cheap enough (or can be found cheap enough) to warrant buying just for those fight scenes (for the true Van Damme fan).
   
   Plot - D
   
   Typical '80's plot with a downed jet fighter with a top secret device onboard that the Russians want and the CIA wants to get back. The CIA sends Asian martial artist Sho Kosagi after it and the Russians send Van Damme after it. The two have several confrontations, most ending in a draw. The martial arts choreography is very good and Van Damme performs his trademark splits and jumping spin kicks. There is a slight side story about Kosagi's kids and a female agent, but it isn't very detailed and not all that interesting. Again, the main reason for renting or buying the movie is for the fights between Van Damme and Kosagi.
   
   Acting - D
   
   Terrible acting from everyone. There really isn't any redemption for this category. The wooden acting of Van Damme playing a Russian is fine and expected, but the lifeless acting of the rest of the cast is just aweful.
   
   Music/Soundtrack - D
   
   I assume there was a soundtrack and some music, but it was so forgettable that nothing stands out.
   
   Cinematography - C
   
   Very nice location shooting in Malta (or a location doubling as Malta). Other than that, the camera angles are all standard and nothing to set it apart or make it very memorable.
   
   DVD - F
   
   Some DVD's claim to have the making of featurette. BEWARE - I have never seen it or found it on a DVD of this film. The extras are standard with an original trailer and some back story bios. The quality of the image transfer is subpar and is full screen only.
   
   Overall - D
   
   Perhaps Van Damme's worst movie of all time. Only for the true die-hard Van Damme fan and one who will pay $5 for 5 minutes of fight scenes.



4. Black Eagle was released a few months after Van Damme became a star with Bloodsport. The film could have made Van Damme a wash up but luckily it didn't. The martial arts chorography in the film is very sloppy and the fight scene between Sho Khogusi and Van Damme is weak. Skip this one



5. The Jean Claude Van Damme Review Matrix (JCVD-RM)
   
   1. Who is he? Andrei, a knife throwing KGB agent sent by the Russians to steal the top secret U.S. equipment
   2. Which family member/friend must be avenged? This early in JCVD's career, the mandatory paint-by-numbers plot pieces like this were not in place yet.
   3. Does he take his shirt off? Half of the movie is on a ship in the water. You think he'd miss the chance for some rays?
   4. Does he have sex with a C-List actress? JCVD goes for a little anonymous redhead in this one.
   5. Is there a tournament? Perhaps if a race is sport, and all tournaments are sport, maybe it's a tournament. Otherwise it's just the Americans versus the Russians
   6. Is training needed for this tournament? Only acting training
   7. Does he do the splits in training or in the tournament? This may be the only movie in which a character not only does the splits while wearing a suit and a tie, but he also does it in khakis.
   8. Does he punch someone in the balls? To be honest, I can't say I remember it happening. However, given the fact that I dozed off during several scenes, it's entirely possibly that JCVD performed a fistectomy.
   9. Does he do a series of flying or 360 kicks? In every single fight.
   10. Is his enemy unbeatable? Hardly. He's just a little Asian guy with big hair and a black belt.
   11. Does he overcome an injury or other hindrance? Aside from being a Belgian, acting as a Russian, and speaking in broken English...not really.
   12. Does he win? It doesn't matter - the viewer loses.
   
   Some planes go down over the Mediterranean, and three were carrying top secret laser guidance systems. The rest is a race to get them before the Russians. Somehow, a Japanese guy codenamed "Black Eagle" goes in for the United States and a Belgian guy goes in for the Russians. And that's probably the movie's biggest problem; it's nearly incomprehensible the majority of the time because of various language barriers that aren't overcome.
   
   A fan of JCVD, action, or good movies will be severely disappointed. He's barely in the movie, and the rest is just bad. When you begin to crave the acting talents of JCVD, then you know the rest of the movie is slop. This is definitely a blemish on his career; I'm just not sure if it's wart or a zit.

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