Van Damme's best movies that aren't "the hits"

[Guestx]

We all know that Van Damme did most of his best work in the late 80s and early 90s. That's when he produced most of his classics, like Bloodsport, Kickboxer, Double Impact, etc.

But what Van Damme movies do you enjoy that don't fall into this category? What are some of his lesser known films that you thought were pretty good?

To kick things off, I'm going to go back to around the turn of the millennium.


Legionnaire (1998)

I remember ignoring this movie for quite a while because I just assumed that it wasn't any good. Considering that this was 1998, I was also puzzled about why Van Damme was appearing in a direct-to-video movie. He was still a big star in my mind at the time.

Eventually I did sit down and watch this one though and ended up enjoying it quite a bit. Van Damme as a soldier in the French Foreign Legion in the 1920s was different from the kinds of roles I was used to seeing him in and the film was actually pretty well made.

 

[BisexualMMA]

JCVD was a very good performance.

We've talked about Universal Soldier: Regeneration.

Expendables 2 was shit, but he was by far the best part of it.

In Hell was...decent for a straight to video prison martial arts movie. And did you know it was DIRECTED BY RINGO LAM. RINGO LAM. RINGO LAM.

 

[moreorless87]

The best film he's ever been in was probably JCVD from 2008....



Actually suspiring how good he is in it as well, he's not just some Hasslehoff like "LOL 80's" reference that's being poked fun at but giving a very fun dramatic performance.

 

[Jimmy Jazz]

 

[DaleBoca]

He had a small role in it but Black Eagle was enjoyable as a kid.

 

[Guestx]

JCVD was a very good performance.

The best film he's ever been in was probably JCVD from 2008....



Actually suspiring how good he is in it as well, he's not just some Hasslehoff like "LOL 80's" reference that's being poked fun at but giving a very fun dramatic performance.

This one actually got Van Damme recognized by Time Magazine in 2009:

http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1870281_1870283_1870297,00.html

 

[Guestx]

Expendables 2 was shit, but he was by far the best part of it.

Totally agree. It was a disappointing film, but Van Damme's villain turn was exquisite. It's a shame the rest of the movie couldn't live up to his character and performance.

 

[Guestx]

Actually suspiring how good he is in it as well, he's not just some Hasslehoff like "LOL 80's" reference that's being poked fun at but giving a very fun dramatic performance.

The thing about Van Damme is that I never thought he was a bad actor. I thought he gave a great performance in Double Impact, especially as the morally complicated brother Alex.

 

[BisexualMMA]

This one actually got Van Damme recognized by Time Magazine in 2009:

http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1870281_1870283_1870297,00.html

Yes, there was a fair amount of buzz around that movie.

I watched it almost grudgingly, as I had long been...less than impressed with his acting. But he had used the years leading up to that movie well, in terms of improving his game.

Hard to believe that was almost a decade ago now.

 

[Zer]

This is definitely one of my fav JCVD films

 

[sloppypie]

I personally like the quest. I always liked the idea of internationals tournaments and different fight styles competing (which is why I started watching MMA in be first place).

He also directed that movie and it wasn't bad actually. It's not gory though and its a little weird in places, but I always watch it if I see it on tv.

 

[Guestx]

Yes, there was a fair amount of buzz around that movie.

I watched it almost grudgingly, as I had long been...less than impressed with his acting. But he had used the years leading up to that movie well, in terms of improving his game.

Hard to believe that was almost a decade ago now.

Yeah, I still remember going to the theater to see it--it was only playing at this tiny, single-screen theater and I had to walk several blocks to get there--and it really is hard to believe that was almost a decade ago now. Where in the FUCK did that time go?

I was hoping that this film was going to put him on the map a bit more as an actor. I really wish that a big-name director like Scorsese or someone else of that calibur would take a chance on the guy. You don't have to make him the lead, but find something for him to do and give him his chance to do a non-action role in a big film.

 

[BisexualMMA]

I personally like the quest. I always liked the idea of internationals tournaments and different fight styles competing (which is why I started watching MMA in be first place).

He also directed that movie and it wasn't bad actually. It's not gory though and its a little weird in places, but I always watch it if I see it on tv.

Isn't that the one that opens with him doing weird clown and mime shit?

 

[rj144]

I know a lot of people like his stuff, but all his movies sucked for me. He can't act for shit and all the movies had horrible plots.

 

[Guestx]

I personally like the quest. I always liked the idea of internationals tournaments and different fight styles competing (which is why I started watching MMA in be first place).

He also directed that movie and it wasn't bad actually. It's not gory though and its a little weird in places, but I always watch it if I see it on tv.

The Quest is pretty good. That was like the tail end of Van Damme's theatrical run. I still remember going to see that one in the theater. I was like 15 and had to go by myself because no one wanted to go see it with me.

Kind of weird to see Roger Moore in a movie like that.

A writer for Forbes magazine actually wrote up a retrospective article on the film last year. It seems like a very strange film for a mainstream entertainment writer to do a retrospective on, but here it is nevertheless:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/daniel...ing-on-the-quest-20-years-later/#5cca9bd416bf

 

[Guestx]

I know a lot of people like his stuff, but all his movies sucked for me. He can't act for shit and all the movies had horrible plots.

 

[Guestx]

This is definitely one of my fav JCVD films

It's silly as shit, but entertaining in a very cheesy, holy-shit-Van-Damme's-career-is-going-down-the-drain kind of way.

 

[bowened]

I'd say it's arguably his best film.

 

[MaureenCretis]

Hard Target is, by some distance, his finest hour.

 

[Guestx]

Hard Target is, by some distance, his finest hour.

Hard Target definitely falls into the category of "the hits."