Six Bullets

Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in another above-par DTV outing, and proves that he's still relevant (at least more relevant than Steven Seagal). There's nothing too special about the story, seeing as it's been done before in various forms (e.g., TAKEN). Even the cinematography isn't too unique, and has a washed-out palette that is all-too-common in these types of movies. But unlike TAKEN, this movie actually takes the time to develop its characters and give you reason to care about them. In other words, it's not all ass-kicking and one-liners (and in fact, there really isn't any humor). The run time is a little overlong (by about 15-20 minutes), but it's spent with characters you can identify with and a story that has some dramatic impact. Definitely for JCVD fans, but also for anyone looking to branch out beyond the middling action fare that Hollywood churns out nowadays.

Finally ! Van Damme seems to be getting his act together and putting out a better product. This is one of the best "straight to video" movies he has done, kind of on par with Desert Heat and Legionaire, and dare I say almost good enough that it could have had a theatrical release. The plot borrows heavily from "Taken" and a few other movies but is pulled off well and JCVD is in good physical shape for this film, despite his haggard face. Could have used a bit more hand to hand fight scenes, but what we are given is filmed well. Definitely worth a view if you are a Van Damme fan, something that couldn't be said for most of his movies made in the 2000s. Let's hope he can maintain this momentum and have a bit of career resurgence like Stallone.

Unlike the pathetic Steven Seagal, JCVD's recently movies all turned out to be quite good, and this 6 Bullets is no exception. I have no problem to give this movie a 6/10 rating, could even give it a higher one, if these flaws were not so obviously serious:

1) Usually, a guy so well-experienced like JCVD played, the first thing when he infiltrated the enemy compound was to neutralize the CCTV system. But the guy simply overlooked it to accommodate the scenario. 2) The 14-year girl's finger was cut off, but she didn't seem to pay too much attention to her finger wound. Usually, when we carelessly cut our finger, even it's a tiny hairline cut, the wound would drive us crazy, the throbbing pain would be non-stop even the bleeding stopped. We'd keep raise our arm and keep our wounded hand or finger upward and high enough to reduce the throbbing pain. But this director and the young actress just overlooked this important detail, making the movie suddenly became quite fake. 3) There seemed to have no refrigeration in the butcher shop, front and back. If the weather temperature was not sub zero, then what the hack?

But none of the above-mentioned flaws would devalue this movie's watchable value. It's actually pretty good, as most of the reviewers said.

Let me be as direct as possible: this movie rocks!!! I know most people are expecting a cheap movie with flat dialogues and average acting but this film will certainly surprise many.

OK, you won't have Academy Awards performances but the actors did a good job. The action is well executed and the plot line captivating enough.

I believe that Joe Flanigan made his character believable and convincing enough. Plowman was also decent as the mum looking for her kidnapped daughter.

Overall I give "6 Bullets" a solid eight. It is good fun. Van Damme is BACK!!!

To be honest, I didn't expect a lot when I was invited for the screening at Cannes. Another Van Damme movie shot in a East European country with the same director of Assassination Games (AG), a good and standard action movie with a cheap look and some solid but basic action.

And that is exactly what you get with Six Bullets but even more. This movie starts of interesting with a big actionscene with JCVD on a motorcycle..and the movie is filled with good directed fights. Joe Flanigan, who is basically the next big name in this movie, is great as Van Damme's co-star. The only thing that is annoying that the rest of the cast is filled with unknowns and Van Damme "talented" son Kristopher Varenberg. He plays, how surprising, the son of JCVD in the movie. Also some of the locations in the movie were recycled from AG. The openingsscene is shot at the same manor from AG ( the one were Scott Adkins kept his wife) It all feels very save (not mindblowing, but very watchable) and it is great to Van Damme doing some action again. Ernie Barbarash is developing as a solid director and seems to get the some good movies out off Van Damme, who seems to step of his basic moves and shows some new stuff. This movie was shot prior to The Expendables 2 and it shows. Van Damme seems to be very motivated. Not like he was in AG. Although his character has a dark secret and is kinda depressed.

Six Bullets is a fun movie. Overall people didn't like it that much. Lots of complaints about the cheapfactor in this one and comparing it to Van Damme's Cannes classic "JCVD". But Six Bullets is nothing like this movie.. It is your standard but good DTV.. Nothing more nothing less 6/10