Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)

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Universal Soldier: The Return (1999)

Van Damme revisits the scene of his most popular picture in a last chance attempt to rekindle the same magic. This would prove to be his last theatrical release for a number of years, and the result is disappointing: cheap, clichéd and, although action packed, void of any genuine excitement. The patchwork story moves at breakneck speeds for short attention spans. Regenerated cyborg hero Luc returns in the even-more-distant future as the head of a Unisol plantation monitored by a master computer. Acquiring human form, S.E.T.H. (White) is a superior intellect and mighty fighter with intentions on world domination. But …

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Desert Heat (1999)

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Desert Heat (1999)

Avildsen’s loose remake of Yojimbo is a tame B movie with an abundance of charm; an ideal slice of sex and violence before bedtime. A dusty tale of revenge set in the scorching desert heat of the mid-west, Van Damme plays the survivor of a mugging which forces him to seek refuge in a secluded town, causing tension among the locals. All too quickly, our traveling cowboy finds himself at the epicentre of a violent feud between two rival families whose reign of terror over the sleepy hollow is about to come to an abrupt, high-kicking end. Bravo.

AKA: Coyote Moon; …

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Double Team (1997)

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Double Team (1997)

Tsui Hark’s Hollywood debut is an action adventure besieged by the usual MTV exploits of fast editing, snappy dialogue and hyper-violence, not forgetting obligatory product placement (the heroes escape a landmine explosion by creeping behind a Coca-Cola vending machine). But even with all of its B movie failings, there is still a great deal of fun and excitement to be found.

The story lifts from The Prisoner to James Bond to Hark’s beloved comic books following special agent Jack Quinn (Van Damme) on his quest to bring down top terrorist Stavros (Rourke). When a ploy to capture Stavros goes tragically wrong, …

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The Quest (1996)

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The Quest (1996)

The thought of Van Damme directing his own picture would be enough to make most viewers run to the hills. There is no escaping the fact this is ultimately a vanity project, but The Quest is still a fantastic martial arts adventure, one which heralds back to the star’s best films Bloodsport and Kickboxer only with more of an expensive, epic touch. This is an exotic period film littered with surprisingly vivid imagery and smart location shots which take full advantage of the Tibetan scenery, and the rousing Randy Edelman soundtrack offers a glossy shine to proceedings.

We’re taken back to …

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Knock Off (1998)

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Knock Off (1998)

Set in Hong Kong during the 1997 hand over, this less than satisfactory thriller sees fashion designer Van Damme and the CIA trying to bust a counterfeit jeans operation involving local mobsters and some Russian heavies. Miniature explosives the size of a watch battery are being disguised within the goods, so let’s hope our crack team of western superpowers can save the world, and themselves, from total disaster.

They won’t be able to save the film, however, which is long dead by the time the stupid story kicks in. Given all its rapid editing and experimental camerawork, one would expect more from a …

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The Order (2001)

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The Order (2001)

Dumb fun from Sheldon Double Impact Lettich in which Van Damme travels to Israel to recover his kidnapped father, an archaeologist whose discovery of an ancient map of Jerusalem attracts attention from a group of religious extremists known as ‘the Order’. Despite the tall tale, this is lighthearted throughout, and works all the better for it. Van Damme has perfected his cheeky rogue persona and hones up on his martial arts skills in a stocky bulk of action scenes, all of which make great use of the film’s middle eastern locations. And to prove the film’s comedy merit, there are even a few outtakes chucked in …

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Burning Paradise (1994)

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Burning Paradise (1994)

Ringo Lam, in a swift departure from contemporary crime thrillers, offers his insight into the period kung fu movie and produces an intensely brilliant portrayal of loyalty and brotherhood in the most trying of circumstance. Brutal, morbid and deeply sinister, Ringo’s cynical gothic film focuses on the misrepresentation of religion in the context of martial arts and centres on a set of longing characters void of virtue or righteousness.

Apart from our young hero, Fong Sai-yuk (Chi), an upright Shaolin monk whose overall blandness is compensated for by some electrifying kung fu skills. This vivid tale heralds back to the Manchu purges of …

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Profile: Ringo Lam Ling-tung

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Profile: Ringo Lam Ling-tung

Date of birth: 1955, Hong Kong

Date of death: December 29, 2018 (aged 63), Hong Kong

Occupation: Director, producer, writer, actor

Other names: Lam Ling Dung, Lam Ling Tung, Ringo Lam

Biography: Noted for his gritty directing style (in contrast to the balletic ‘heroic bloodshed’ of his contemporary John Woo), Ringo Lam is one of Hong Kong’s most celebrated ‘new wave’ action filmmakers.

Born in Hong Kong, Lam initially trained as an actor at Shaw Brothers’ television division, TVB, where his class friends included Chow Yun-fat. Lam soon rejected the idea of becoming an actor and accepted a position as a production assistant at the company. …

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Maximum Risk (1996)

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Maximum Risk (1996)

Starting with a car chase through the bustling market streets of southern France, a driver is killed and the police are quick to the scene. The body resembles that of Jean-Claude Van Damme, a twin no less, causing his French detective brother (Van Damme, again) to investigate. A trip to New York uncovers his brother’s ties with the Russian mafia and corrupt FBI agents, while a fling with girlfriend Henstridge adds a rather sexy edge. But this isn’t rocket science, and you get the impression it’s trying to be something that it’s not. A shame, really, because this was Ringo Lam’s Hollywood …

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Replicant (2001)

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Replicant (2001)

Sci-fi nonsense involving a genetic replica of sadistic serial killer Van Damme, manufactured by a secret branch of the US government to combat terrorism (!) and used as an experiment to gain a valuable insight into the mind of a murderer. Reckless cop Rooker takes in the replicant, developing his human side while simultaneously investigating his other self – a killer who targets single mothers.

In a dual role as both the clone and the killer (a murderer known as The Torch), neither of the characters are particularly endearing, and the fact Van Damme is surrounded by equally inept actors doesn’t help. …

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