Sunday, April 5, 2009

JCVD-Van Damme Rocks

JCVD starts off as  a typical Jean-Claude Van Damme movie.  Typical action movie, being attacked by the villains, and him having to use his martial arts to save the day.  However, we see that he is instead making a movie within a movie and how the directors of this new movie of his don't really care about him, and that it's just a movie to them.  JCVD comes off as showing Van Damme as a washed up action movie star who is making any movies he can to survive, and to help him pay legal bills in his ongoing custody battle.  As the custody battle does not go his way, he is shown as a beat down version of himself, and having major financial problems, going back home to Brussels.  There he comes into contact with 2 video store employees, who are huge fans of his and want to have their picture taken with him.  After the photos, he tells them that he shall return shortly, and this is where the main story of the movie starts off.  As Van Damme goes to the postal office across the street, it becomes a movie of him becoming a suspect in a hostage taking at this post office, to a reflection of his life and what has become of it.  We learn that the hostage takers use him to get what they want,in turn making him look like the main hostage taker.  As the movie reaches it's conclusion, we see a more human side to Van Damme, who it seems has used a lot of his real life problems and put them into this movie.  This movie should appeal to non Van Damme fans as it really shows him at his best acting, and not just relying on his martial arts.  A fine return to form, it shows a different side of Van Damme, one whom I hope to see more of.

4.5 out of 5

No comments: