Monday, August 20, 2018

LIONHEART: EARLY VAN DAMME DONE RIGHT



MVD Rewind once again dips into the vaults of the mom and pop video stores to bring back a movie that was found on the shelves there for fans to enjoy when they wanted. LIONHEART stars Jean-Claude Van Damme at the top of his game early in his career when he was heating up the box office with his action films. When looking up his timeline on imdb. com I was stunned to realize that his best movies and the time he was topping the box office only lasted 10 years. Yes, he’s continued to make movies but their popularity has dwindled over time and like Steven Seagal he’s found himself in the straight to DVD market. Fortunately movies like this have found their way to disc showing how good he was.

In LIONHEART we start off with the death of a man torched with gasoline by a gang. With no money to pay his doctor bills his wife Helene (Lisa Pelikan) and daughter Nicole (Ashley Johnson) are left with an increase debt and she writes to his brother. That brother is Lyon (Van Damme), a member of the French Foreign Legion and stationed in Africa. Asking for leave to be with his family he is denied and thus escapes and runs for the US followed by Legion members intent on his return.

Landing in New York with no money Lyon hears a commotion under a bridge and comes across a bare fist fight for money taking place. A lower level gambling operation run by Joshua (Harrison Page) Lyon sees this as a quick opportunity to make a few dollars. The find end quickly and Joshua realizes he has a fighter that can get him back in the big time again. A quick meal later and he’s Lyon’s manager and they set off to make enough money to get him to LA where his brother and his family are.

Joshua takes Lyon to a fight organized by Cynthia (Deborah Rennard) and her right hand man Russell (Brian Thompson). Cynthia is at the top of the illegal fight food chain. She too sees the potential in Lyon and they begin scheduling fights that pay well. Once he has enough money he lets them know he’s going to LA. Cynthia lets them both know she’ll see them out there.

Lyon and Joshua arrive to find that his brother has passed. Feeling obligated he tries to give Helene money but she refuses, angry that he didn’t make it back before his brother passed. We also learn that Lyon took the fall for his brother years ago resulting in his having to leave. Consulting with Joshua he agrees to more fights and sets up a way to get the money to Helene without her knowing.

While the fights progress Helene’s place is being watched at the same time by the Legion members who followed him to America in hopes of capturing him and taking him back. Now Lyon not only has to be concerned about himself as each fight moves him to a more deadly opponent but he has to worry about his family’s safety as well.

As is most often the case all of these fights lead to the big one, the one with the massive payoff and the most danger. Cynthia has set up a fight she thinks Lyon can’t win and has bet all on his opponent. Joshua, remembering what Cynthia did to him in the past which left him crippled and unable to fight, must decide between betting the right way or trusting his friend. And at the end will Lyon be able to remain with his family or will the Legion members take him back?

For an action film of this kind it has a simple and yet effective story. That’s one thing that is missing from so many films like this being made today. It doesn’t have to be overly complicated or involve drug cartels and Russian mafia big wigs. Instead this tells a story that fulfills the need for action while having a heart at its core. It also doesn’t rely on its lead actor, Van Damme, to be an incredibly talented thespian but he still manages to pull off a solid performance here.
I was surprised when the movie began to realize that it was released by Imperial. This was a main video supplier back in the old mom and pop video days that has since disappeared. But they specialized in films like this with most not being as high a quality as this one is. Even more surprising was to realize that the Ashley Johnson who plays the young Nicole is the same Johnson who now stars on TV’s BLINDSPOT. How time flies.

In the end the movie entertains and that’s one of the most difficult things to do for an action film that focuses on a main character with an actor who hadn’t been around all that long. Looking back at his list of credits Van Damme solidified his stature as an action star in just 3 years with this film being one among the films he made. The others (BLOODSPORT, CYBORG and KICKBOXER) all worked to make him a superstar in the same mold that the early films of Seagal did. Unfortunately his career didn’t stay in high gear although his output did. His movies are still coming out with regularity but nowhere near as good as his earlier films, this being one of his better ones that’s worth revisiting.

MVD has done an amazing job here recreating that feel of the old video store with their packaging as they have with all of their Video Rewind Collection. The sleeve for the film has printed stickers for “2 day rentals” and “Bee kind remember to rewind”. Kids today might not understand the reference but those who loved going to the video stores in the 80s will get a kick out of the labels. The extras included here are more than one would expect as well. They include both the theatrical release of the film and an extended cut, an archival audio commentary track by director/writer Sheldon Lettich and Harrison Page on the extended cut, a new featurette LIONHARD: THE INSIDE STORY with interviews including Van Damme, Lettich, producer Eric Karson, Page, Rennard and Thompson, a new featurette INSIDE LIONHEART WITH THE FILMMAKERS AND CAST, a new featurette LIONHEART: BEHIND THE FIGHTS, an archival making of featurette, an archival interview with Lettich, an archival interview with Page, 5 promotional TV clips, a behind the scenes photo gallery, the original theatrical trailer and a collectible mini-poster.

Fans of Van Damme will find this a must have to add to their collection. Fans of action films will find an entertaining film worth revisiting. And fans of the old mom and pop video stores will want to pick this one up as well. It’s a lot of fun and worth doing so.

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