Lionheart - MVD Rewind 4K

The Ultimate Van Damme Movie

One of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s classics, Lionheart, gets the 4K treatment from MVD Rewind this week. Any fan should add it to their collection as MVD always gives Van Damme movies the love and care they deserve. 

Lionheart has always been a fan-favorite due to its simplistic structure that retroactively feels like an adaptation of a fighting videogame (I have no doubt that this film influenced the creation of Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat). I’ve always liked it, but I considered it middle of the road in the overall filmography. Watching it four times (I know, I need help) for this, it occurred to me that it might be the ultimate Van Damme movie due to the inclusion of so many mainstays in his films, and that could also explain why it’s a favorite of so many. 

The basic premise is certainly familiar as Van Damme is on a mission to help his brother. The brother is set on fire at the beginning during a drug deal, so the assumption would be that JCVD would be out for vengeance when he arrives. Surprisingly, aside from asking the doctor about it, he lets it go and instead focuses on helping his brother’s widow and child. But the catalyst of the story is still the familiar brother plotline used before and after this film in movies like Kickboxer and Maximum Risk. 

Of course, there’s the tournament-fighting aspect prevalent in many Van Damme classics. 

There’s also the AWOL plot point that was also used in Bloodsport, with two men constantly looking for Van Damme. This film also features him as a member of the French Foreign Legion, which he and writer/director Sheldon Lettich would revisit in Legionnaire.

Harrison Page provides the comedic relief as Van Damme’s guide in this world, which is similar to Kickoxer.

Speaking of Kickboxer, Tong Po actor Michel Qissi appears here (he was also in Bloodsport). Qissi’s brother Abdel plays Attila, and he would go on to play the big bad in The Quest, and show up in The Order, as well.

As Lettich gleefully points out in different special features segments, this is the first time Van Damme shows his bare ass on screen, and it certainly wasn’t the last.

Lettich is a Van Damme mainstay, too, working on Bloodsport (along with Frank Dux, whom Bloodsport is based on and who also worked on The Quest). Lettich went on to direct Double Impact, The Order, and The Hard Corps.

The Quest borrows a lot from this film beyond Dux and Qissi. That film also features Van Damme on a steamer ship (though it’s more period accurate in that one), and it also takes the “fighter from another country wearing a stereotypical outfit” gimmick from this with the Scottish fighter and fucking runs with it (the dude from Spain in The Quest is dressed as a bullfighter, for example). 

Then there’s the obvious Van Damme mainstay of broken English (“He was not enough strong!”). But that can’t be helped in any of his films.

There are only a few things missing that would make this the perfect encapsulation of Van Damme. He doesn’t do the splits. He does a much more toned down version of the roundhouse kick. And his brother isn’t his twin. If JCVD had played his doomed brother at the beginning, and if he had done the splits before hitting that dude in the balls (another similarity: punches to the balls!), then this would have been perfect. 

This is all a bit tongue-in-cheek, but a movie featuring so many common elements from Van Damme’s films makes it a fun, nostalgic watch. It’s easy to see why this is the favorite of so many. As for me, I appreciated it more this time around, though it’s still not among my all-time favorites.

Transfer

The blu-ray already looked great, but this 4K transfer provides the best experience for the film, restoring some of the grain and giving it an ‘80s feel right at home for such a movie. I did notice some imperfections here and there, but this is still the best way to watch the movie.

Special Features

The only new special feature is a moderated commentary with Sheldon Lettich. Lettich is always nice and candid in these things and that’s the case here. It’s not revelatory or anything, and I think I prefer the one he did with Harrison Page for the previous release (which is also included on this release’s blu-ray disc), but it’s certainly better than most commentaries these days which consist of two bloggers fanboying out about the film.

The main takeaway from this new commentary is how much of the film was ad-libbed, like most of Harrison Page’s shit-talking and the “I don’t know if I want fight you or fuck you” line. And he talks about how producer Lawrence Bender ended up in the movie. Bender was meant to just be a rich prick extra, but (surprise, surprise) he ad-libbed some stuff and ended up being a small part of the plot. 

The rest of the special features are from the blu-ray release a few years back, but this is the first I’ve seen of them, so I’ll give my two cents. 

There is a making-of doc that is largely talking head interviews from Lettich, Van Damme, and others. The odd thing about it is that there are a couple more featurettes that are taken from the same interviews used for the making-of. It would’ve been better if they had just made the doc feature length and included everything in one place. Regardless, there are plenty of good stories about the film that any fan would be interested in.

Oh, and I always enjoy the settings the interviewees choose, but Van Damme takes the cake, sitting in front of a fireplace and inexplicably having a rocket on his desk. 

There are a few archival promotional featurettes, as well, that are always interesting just for nostalgia’s sake.

The aforementioned commentary is on this disc and it’s the one to listen to if you’re picking between the two.

Speaking of the commentary, the most unique special feature is an outtake from the recording with Lettich and Page kind of warming up before it starts. I liked this just to see what one of these commentaries looks like behind the scenes.

It isn’t exactly a special feature, but the theatrical cut is only available on the blu-ray disc as the 4K only includes the international cut. 

On the physical side of things, this gets the usual MVD treatment with a slipcover with a distressed poster look, a reversible cover for the plastic case, and a mini-poster.

Overall, casual fans will probably be happy with the previous release. But if you’re like me, and if you’ve read this far I’m assuming that’s the case, then the upgrade to 4K is worth it.

Random Thoughts

The “international cut” is better but it’s not night and day. There are some cuts that are less jarring with the original footage still intact. Overall, it’s the version I would prefer to watch.

Does Street Fighter II or Mortal Kombat exist without Van Damme movies like this?

Especially that first fight under the bridge. Dudes wearing hardhats while watching a street fight is right out of Street Fighter II. 

I’ve never understood betting when it’s just a guy holding a fist full of cash taking bets without writing anything down. How the fuck does he ever pay out properly?

“Let’s do lunch some time” is not nearly as good a taunt as “I don’t know if I want to fuck you or fight you.”

The dude on roller skates taking bets during the Scottish dude fight is fucking hilarious. And you know Harrison Page ad-libbed that “Hey, don’t fall down on them skates, boy!” line.

Just saying “Scotland” does not justify a dude wearing a kilt for an underground prize fight.

Van Damme does a lot of cold acting in this. By that I mean he acts like he’s cold a lot, which usually just means holding his collar up (even though his sleeves are rolled up). It makes sense in the New York scenes, but he does it once in the L.A. segment, too, going jogging in the morning with a hoodie on and even blowing hot air into his hands. I’ve never been to L.A., but I just don’t think this is a thing, especially during the time of year in which he just had a fight in a half empty pool with most of the audience in bathing suits.

Double Impact - MVD Rewind 4K

I wrote about MVD Rewind’s excellent blu-ray release of Double Impact a few years ago, but when they announced a 4K release (out this week), I knew I had to revisit it. And what better movie to double dip than Double Impact. 

Before I get into the specifics of the release, I wanted to get into the movie itself. This is one of my favorite Van Damme movies of all time; it’s up there with Bloodsport and Kickboxer, and that’s the highest praise I can give a JCVD movie. I feel like it gets forgotten as “one of the twin movies” by fans, since he went back to the well two more times (Maximum Risk and Replicant), but this was the first and best effort (and Maximum Risk shouldn’t count as much since his twin dies at the beginning, and Replicant is technically a clone movie).

The twin aspect is a big selling point for me. I like good guy Van Damme well enough, but anti-hero or, better yet, evil Van Damme is even better. The darker twin in this, Alex, is not evil, but he’s pissed off most of the time, and he has some problematic tendencies like drinking, jealousy, and violence. It truly shows Van Damme’s range, and he would go on to give some of his best performances when allowed to be the bad guy (The Expendables 2, Replicant). Double Impact allowed him to have a bit of fun with his image. 

Double Impact was also a chance to move beyond straight martial arts movies. Bloodsport, Kickboxer, and Lionheart are all great, but how many times can Van Damme simply fight in a tournament (a few more, it turns out, but oh well)? This was meant to be a blending of the martial arts genre and a straight action movie with plenty of gunplay and explosions. The poster promises as much: “One packs a punch. One packs a piece.” It turns out both twins pack both punches and pieces, but the intent was there. And the hand to hand fights are still the highlight of the film, but the bigger action set pieces do not disappoint.  

Revisiting this new 4K release just confirmed how I’ve always felt about this movie: two Van Dammes are better than one.

The 4K Release

First off, MVD Rewind knocked it out of the park years ago with the blu-ray release for this film. It looked great, and the special features were abundant, with the stand out being the lengthy two-part documentary. All of that is still included here, along with the 4K disc. 

This isn’t one of those night and day or at long last releases, but this is obviously the best this film has ever, and most likely will ever look. Any serious Van Damme fan should consider the upgrade. And if you don’t already have the blu-ray release, then going with the 4K is a no-brainer.

MVD Rewind knows their audience. Beyond the specific special features for the film, they cater to the nostalgia of the time. The disc begins with a faux-VHS intro, and the slipcover has an old poster look. (For those who prefer a crisp image, both sides of the reversible case cover are crisp.) It seems almost silly to have these VHS affectations for such a technologically advanced transfer of the film, but I like getting the best of both worlds. I’m not one of those people that embrace VHS (though I am more into vinyl than digital music, so what the fuck do I know?), but I do appreciate little nods to the world I grew up in while I enjoy the classics of my childhood in full modern glory.

Random Thoughts

Chad's clothes are hilarious. I know they were going for an opposite situation, but god damn!

Only Van Damme would take someone out “stealthily” by roundhouse kicking them in the face.

This was Van Damme’s attempt to move beyond just martial arts and into more gunplay, and it shows when he does the rolling-on-the-ground-while-shooting thing. Always happy to see that pulled off unironically.

You know you're evil if you party at a place called the Klimax Klub.

Van Damme even fucks in slow motion.

“Brother? Why, because he looks like me? I’m going to change that because I’m going to fuck up his face.”

That boat at the end had video game amounts of exploding barrels on it.

And who the fuck was the electrician on that boat? Just backing into a fuse box electrocutes you? Hong Kong was wild back then.

Say what you will about Griffith and Zhang, but at least they’re the type of villains to get their hands dirty and not leave things up to their minions. They want to be near the action. I mean, it’s stupid as shit on their part, but still, good for them.

Container ships are always a good choice for the ending of an action movie.

“What about my father?” What about your mother, too, Alex? You know, she did take a fucking shotgun blast to the face in front of her infant children.

As Zhang falls to his death, you see a regular worker watching. Dude must’ve been showing up early for day shift and walked into chaos. Imagine just showing up to work to run a crane or whatever and some random twins just fucked up your entire workplace seeking justice for royalties on a tunnel. Do you get royalties for tunnels? What were they entitled to, again?

Knock Off - MVD Rewind

Knock Off, available for pre-order from MVD Rewind (releasing February 17) has evolved for me over the years. When I first watched this frenetic piece of Hong Kong cinema, literally filmed during the transfer of power back to China, I was very disappointed. I wanted classic Kickboxer / Bloodsport Van Damme, and I ended up with a silly film with rickshaw races and exploding baby dolls. To make matters worse, this was one of the last theatrical releases for Van Damme. I wrote this off as a late career misstep. Even when I re-visited it years later for this site, I was more negative than positive. Now, with MVD Rewind’s awesome 4K / Blu-ray upgrade, I finally get it.

A large part of my enjoyment of this film is the practical action of it compared to modern action movies. The stunts in this film are great and clearly practical aside from some explosions here and there. And the fight scenes, though chaotic, are also a lot of fun. When coupled with director Tsui Hark’s “go anywhere” camerawork (an early moment has the camera follow Van Damme’s foot into a knock off running shoe), Knock Off looks more impressive with each passing year.

I’ve also watched more Hong Kong cinema over the years, and knowing a little more what to expect from a Hong Kong film makes this easier to enjoy. With Hong Kong in mind, I know this is going to move quickly, literally and figuratively, and I might not know what the hell is going on from scene to scene, but it’s going to be entertaining. 

So while the plot involving nano-bombs, knock off jeans, Rob Schneider as a CIA agent, etc. might make little sense, it really doesn’t matter. This is a wild ride from start to finish, and you’re better off shutting your brain off for it and enjoying the inventive camerawork and stuntwork. 

This is not to say Knock Off is a classic. This will always be lesser Van Damme, but it certainly deserves another look if, like me, you dismissed it originally. Of course, the MVD Rewind treatment makes it all go down much smoother.

The Transfer

If you catch this movie on a free streamer like Pluto, it’s a tough watch. The sound mix is abysmal, and it just looks okay. The new restoration makes this a no-brainer in terms of quality. If you like this movie at all, this will be the definitive release to own.

Special Features

MVD Rewind is a dream company for Van Damme fans. They’ve already made the best versions of Double Impact and Lionheart (and I’m assuming Black Eagle, though I haven’t checked out that release yet), and they treat Knock Off with equal reverence. 

The slip-covers are nice, with the Blu-ray release getting the vintage VHS look, and the 4K getting a more traditional cover-art release. 

Each version also includes a mini-poster, which I hope to someday convince my son to hang up in his room. 

Beyond the great physical media aesthetics, the regular special features are nice, as well.

The archival making of is decent since it features plenty of on-set interviews. It's oddly promotional while also giving away almost all of the plot. But it gives a nice glimpse of what filming was like during the historic transition.

The 2020 interview with de Souza claims they were originally going to be able to film the transfer of power in Hong Kong with Prince Charles, and it would have implied that the explosions at the end would have threatened that. But the budget changed and they couldn't, so now you just get the TV coverage, and it doesn’t seem like anything happening in the movie has much to do with the transfer ceremony aside from being on the same day. To be fair, there is the moment when the boat gets too close and the gunships go to intercept, but the boat turns away and they stand down.

The interview with producer Moshe Diamant also brings up the transfer of power missed opportunity.

The new de Souza interview is half a career retrospective and half about Knock Off. He praises the stunts, and rightfully so. As action movies get more and more digital, the insane practical stunts of a movie like this make it better with each passing year. And de Souza is simply an entertaining storyteller, so going through his career leading up to Knock Off is interesting, as well.

Diamant and de Souza both seem a little too proud that nano-bombs kind of came true (mainly with the Hezbollah pager bombing thing from a few years ago).

Random Thoughts 

This has to be the first JCVD foot cam moment.

Also the first time he's been whipped in the ass with an eel by Rob Schneider…on film, at least.

“Thankness, god.” Clearly Van Damme was meant to say, “Thank goodness,” or “Thank god,” and, “Thankness, god,” is what came out. The fact that they just kept that in instead of doing another take is a perfect example of the tone of this film.

Rob Schneider is much more convincing as a sleazy jeans counterfeiter than as a CIA agent.

Sure, the very first time I watched this and there was a prolonged rickshaw race ten minutes in that featured an exploding shoe and Rob Schneider whipping Van Damme with an eel, I thought, “What the fuck is this shit?” But after nearly thirty years and at least five re-watches, I dig it now.

It’s worth upgrading for the sound mix alone. It makes it almost unwatchable on Pluto. I haven’t checked the sound on other streamers.

The stunt with the car landing on the water bottles is nuts. It looks like one stunt dude on the ground misses getting hit by inches.

After watching this three times in as many days, I think I finally understand the plot.

I think the giant Buddha blowing up would be a bigger deal, especially with the handoff going on. But no one even makes a comment about it.

The final set piece on the boat is too frenetic. There’s some good shit in there that gets lost in the editing. 

Paul Sorvino inexplicably survives two nuclear-level explosions, but I think he’s really dead with the third one. 

Schneider is still talking about the jeans at the end, saying “our jeans.” Was his role in the jeans company not a CIA front? Did the movie forget he was an agent? Did he forget?

The film ends with what has to be drunken ad-libs from Schneider, talking about forming the lingerie football league. And the film closes with him saying, “No action movie would be complete without sweat.” This is fourth-wall breaking, and what is he even referencing? That’s why I think it was a candid moment that Tsui Hark just left in.

Kickboxer - "Why Doze Guys Try to Huuuurt Me?"

I got the new 35th anniversary 4K edition of Kickboxer (featuring the badass lenticular slipcase seen above) this past Christmas, and after watching it six times since then, I feel like I can write something about it.

First off, I’ve written about a lot of Van Damme movies, but I’ve held off on this one. While Bloodsport is awesome, Kickboxer is what started my JCVD fandom. I’ve watched this movie too many times to count, and I will watch it countless times in the future. Because of this, I didn’t think I’d have much to say about it beyond, “Man, this is awesome.” It’s easier to write about Van Damme movies if they’re more outrageous (Street Fighter) or just bad (Double Team). But with this new release, it’s time to finally address my favorite Van Damme movie.

Man, Kickboxer is awesome. Seriously, this is all I want from a Van Damme movie: broken English, splits training, nonsensical training, montages with on-the-nose song choices, slo-mo roundhouse kicks, Van Damme dancing, Van Damme drunk acting, and revenge. I know this isn’t objectively good, but I love it.

Watching it over and over again allows me to notice new elements. This time, a couple things stuck out to me. First, there’s a scene I’m now obsessed with. The drunk dancing stuff and Eric being a dick and doing the “Can he move like me?” stuff is great, but it’s played out. This time, Van Damme being distracted by a bird cracked me up.

Van Damme and Eric are training in the park after they get to Thailand (and Eric has had a chance to catch gonorrhea from the local talent), and they begin talking about their respective childhoods. This is mainly used as an explanation for Van Damme’s accent and loose grip on the English language, but there’s a moment in which he tells Eric that their deceased father would have been proud of him. Eric agrees, looking down for a moment in contemplation while Van Damme, having heard a bird chirping in a cage a local is holding, wanders off to check it out. Eric, rightfully annoyed, calls Van Damme back and training continues. 

It’s just such a random little moment, and I’ve somehow never really noticed it. Now it’s one of my favorite scenes. I mean, Van Damme wanders over there and stares at that bird like such a dumbass that you wonder if he’s ever seen a bird before. Perhaps it’s just great acting, but I think Van Damme really got distracted during the scene and wanted to see the bird. There’s no callback to it later, and it’s not like Van Damme talks about his love of birds or anything. It makes no sense…or does it?

Watching this movie over and over again, you’re forced to pay more attention to the dialogue. While writing about the bird scene, a line from early in the film came back to me and unlocked an aspect of Van Damme’s character. While talking to reporters about going to Thailand to prove that he’s the best kickboxer in the world, Eric says Van Damme wants to be a vet (though Eric wants him to be a lawyer). It’s never brought up again, but there are animal elements later on that make a lot more sense with the vet stuff in mind.

First, Van Damme’s fascination with the bird makes much more sense, as he’s an animal lover and wants to check out a bird he’s never seen before. The scene still needs more of an explanation, such as Van Damme telling Eric that it’s a rare whatever bird native to Thailand or something, and then Eric can say something funny and disparaging about Van Damme wanting to be a vet. But I’ll let it slide. 

The other part that it unlocked for me I used to just write off as a silly trope of martial arts movies. As Van Damme focuses during his fight with Tong Po, he remembers his time training in the ancient ruins or whatever. He has a vision of fighters from the past and, more importantly, he hears and sees an eagle, which seems to give him the power he needs to defeat Tong Po.

Part of the reason I just dismissed this as a trope is the movie Hot Rod. In that film, Andy Samberg invokes the spirits of animals multiple times to give him the strength to perform stunts and/or fight his stepdad. I can’t find anything to confirm this, but I’m convinced this is inspired by Kickboxer. 

There are actually a few similarities between Hot Rod and Kickboxer. There’s the spiritual connection to animals, the fight scenes with Ian McShane, the training scenes/montages set to ‘80s music, the relationship between brothers, a family member with a serious medical condition, etc. It’s not a full on parody or remake or anything, but I think it’s safe to say Kickboxer, and films like it, were a big inspiration for Hot Rod. 

Or maybe I watched Kickboxer one too many times, and it’s time to shut up about it.

Special Features

International Cut

The international cut is a nice addition beyond being a new version because it's in 4x3 and not fully restored, making it more like the viewing experience most people had the first time they saw it.

If this was as cleaned up as the theatrical cut, it would probably be my preferred version. But there's not enough differences for me to consistently revisit it. Plus, I was hoping an “international cut” meant full frontal nudity, but there isn't any.

It’s really only required viewing for hardcore losers like me, which is what you are if you own this version.

I’ve seen people praise it for restoring Eric’s original voice, but the dubbing has never bothered me, mainly because the edited cut is what I grew up with. And I think that’s the main takeaway here: if you grew up with this cut, now you have the best version of it. If you grew up with the edited cut, it’s just nice to have the option to check out the international cut.

The Interviews

The director of photography has the longest interview, and he has some decent behind the scenes stuff about Van Damme blowing up on set one day, yelling “Stallone was right!” But my favorite fact was about the torches during the final fight; he said there was no way they could get away with that in America because they were kerosene torches and created a lot of smoke, “but it looked great on camera.”

The Tong Po interview is okay, but he just seems to be jazzed that people still give a fuck about this silly movie.

The JCVD interview is the boundless drivel you've come to expect from him at this point.

The Commentaries

The first commentary was okay, but it was largely just them praising the movie.

The second commentary was rough. It features one of the directors, David Worth, who is in his 80s. He sounds like a bad Biden impression throughout the whole thing. The moderator tries his best to keep things moving, but you mainly end up with interactions like this: “David, where did this scene come from?” David: “It was written.” Sure, not the most dynamic question, but the moderator didn’t have much to work with. And, of course, there’s the possibility that there doesn’t need to be any commentaries for this movie, much less two, and my dumbass didn’t need to listen to either of them, but it is what it is.

Random Thoughts 

First off, this might sound weird but it almost feels wrong for this movie to look this good.

Eric introduces Kurt as wanting to be a vet, but he wants him to be a lawyer. I wouldn't trust JCVD with my dog or my legal needs.

Eric Sloan is the fucking man. The first thing he does, after placating his loser brother and going for a boat ride, is pick up a hooker and bring her back to his hotel. “Hey man, the champ needs herpes if he's going to fight Tong Po!”

That said, who gives a prostitute flowers? I know Eric's the man, but that's some beta shit.

Kurt Sloan doesn't sound like the name of a guy with a thick Belgian accent speaking broken English, but at least they came up with a reason for JCVD to be from Belgium in this instead of just expecting the audience to go with it.

During a heartfelt conversation between the two brothers, Van Damme gets distracted by a bird and walks off to check it out. I fucking love this movie.

One of the best things anyone has ever done online is create a loop of Eric doing the “Can he move like me?” routine.

Eric gets his ass annihilated for a whole round, and his first comment is about the music driving him crazy. He has a point; that music is insufferable. 

Winston doesn't give JCVD a ride because there are two more fights. So the heavyweight champion from America fighting the best in the country is an undercard?

“You aren’t good enough!” You’re right, Winston, but how the fuck would you know?

You know that feeling you get when your brother's just been paralyzed in a kickboxing match, and you need to go sightseeing in Bangkok during a montage until you stumble across a kickboxing gym?

“But you are American.”

What are you talking about, Xian? Your English is better than his. Why would you make that assumption?

So much of the training is about making him flexible enough to do the splits. This is truly a JCVD origin story.

Eric's first words to Kurt after waking up from his injury: “This is Lo. He's teaching me how to ask the nurse for a blow job.” (International cut)

While I appreciate the international cut's inclusion of a scene with Eric breaking down and telling Kurt to get revenge on Tong Po and “fuck him up!”, I like the theatrical cut better because the first time we see Eric post-injury it's a dialogue free scene of him using a wheelchair and pinching a nurse’s ass.

“Kurt, put on your sluttiest tank top. You know, the one with the weird shoulder clasps? We’re going dancing.”

Wait…the dancing scene is longer in the international cut, making it undeniably better.

What was the dude who picked up the table going to do with it? He just picked it up, held it in front of him, screamed, and waited for JCVD to kick him into the water.

“Why doze guys try to huuurt me?” is still my favorite line reading of Van Damme's career.

“What are they saying?”

“Nok su kao. ‘White warrior.’”

Fucking racists.

I love JCVD, but if his blood got splattered on my face, taking a taste would be the last fucking thing I would do. I’d probably find the nearest bottle of bleach and douse myself with it.

God, I love the abrupt endings to movies like this.