La Vengeance sous la peau

Deacon (Van Damme) helps Anna (Charlotte Peters) from being mugged in an alley, they have drinks, go to his room and later he wakes up in icy water. Still later he realizes he was drugged and he is missing a kidney. Whaaaat? Oh, and he wants his kidney back. Wouldn't you?

The fight scenes are good, but lasted way too long. By Hollywood's thinking, the fight scenes need to go on forever to make sure you understand and appreciate the talents and skills used by the players. See?

I know you are wondering if Van Damme does a split across a hallway or some-such. Well, he does something, not that but you won't be disappointed. Hey, he's not a spring chicken any more.

Along with Van Damme, the real winners in here are the supporting cast and even the bad guys led by Darren Shahlvavei as Drake were spot on. We enjoyed this cast as they contributed quite a bit in dialogues and facial expressions. Good guys Ana (Charlotte Peters), Deacon's brother George (John Ralston), and Kung (Aki Aleong) Deacon's contact in Singapore made this more enjoyable as they believed in what they were doing helping Deacon.

Here's the thing: there are quite a few twists in here and some may surprise you and they don't stop until the very end. When you think you know something up comes something else to consider. So basically, it's surprise, surprise, surprise.

Once you get past most of the twists you may know how this is going to end. Hey, if I can figure it out, so can you. (7/10)

Violence: Yes. Sex: Yes, briefly, one time in the beginning. Nothing is seen. Nudity: No. Language: Brief soft stuff.

The premise of "Pound of Flesh" is interesting to say the least. It's difficult to describe the plot without any spoilers. It unfolds in every scene. It's not a "mystery" per se, but if you think you have the usual revenge type b-seagal-movie you are mistaken.

Overall it is good for what it is. I liked the pace (not too hasty or abrupt), I liked the direction and editing, and the plot/script is good enough.

Van Damme got old, as it was expected. We see his trademark feet open 180 degrees as in many of his movies, but the stuntman was obvious in a few scenes. The green screen used in many scenes, including many scenes inside a van are distracting but I wouldn't insist on that as a serious flaw.

The newcomer (her 1st movie) Charlotte Peters has an interesting look that maybe give her some good roles in the near future but she need lots of training in her acting (despite the fact that she went to Drama Studio London, a prestigious drama school based in England).

The conclusion, that I won't spoil you, is satisfying, something that lack many movies nowadays.

My recommendation: Check it out. Is better than the 5 average you see here. I gave it a 8 to boost it a little. Might not worth such a high score but I think is better than other recent movies of Jean-Claude.

Let me start by saying that this was a fun action movie, Van Damme is, I felt really cool in this film.

He plays Deacon Lyle, a sort of french special forces contractor, who is on vacation in (I think it was the Philippines), I've seen it a few times but forget where it's set. While there he wakes the next morning to find that his kidney is missing and preparing to get it back.

I have to admit that the story to this film is very simple but I still found it enjoyable.

Jean Claude Van Damme is very good in this as Deacon, but I always enjoy watching his films.

Charlotte Peters is pretty good in her role I think this is her first film role but I found her performance exceptional. And she is very sexy too, she is a gorgeous Irish woman very attractive.

As for the rest of the cast they were good too. The action scenes are pretty good as well, all of the fighting was done in a way I feel was fresh and inventive, I realize that some of you complain about noticing Van Damme's double in the fights, well to be clear, couple years ago he suffered a mild heart attack on the set of "Assassination Games", so that's self explanatory, I am in no way shape or form bothered by this, besides he is getting older.

Anyway overall I liked this film, it's one of those sit back, relax and enjoy the body count type of films.

I give it a 6/10. A fun little action film and if your a Van Damme fan I recommend this to you.

this is one of hell good comeback Van Damme witch is great before last terrible release of movies with van Damme like Alien Uprising, Swelter pointless movies ever made with Van Damme i Mean Enemies closer was good Pound of Flesh is mix Crank and John Wick because like Crank (2006)Jason Statham been poisoned buy gangs he has to run to keep blood pumping, find guys who did it and like John Wick (2014)Keanu Reeves when John Wick dog is been killed then he goes out there killing these bad guys who killed his dog.

Plot: Pound of Flesh (2015) Jean Claude van Damme (Deacon) come to Manila, Philippines to donate his kidney to his dying niece he was black ops agent he was spending his vacation and have found mystery woman getting attacked from and find Goran (Darren Shahlavi) was bushing Ana (Charlotte Peters)you have great fight with Jean Claude and Shahlavi fight each another didn't went for long but with strange picture to movie Deacon went to club with Ana had spending each in bed that night Deacon wakes up at bathtub frozen he kidney is gone big cut on his back someone toke his kidney he needs it back. his brother George(john Ralston)witch is annoying character an annoying Religious/Brother why is he part of movie ? he is just guy i wanna say leave movie your fired. that's good point of saying it to actor. Deacon is looking for his brother George who has daughter with Kidney Problem he needs his brother for what ? i thought Deacon was a Black ops special agent i thought he deal everything on he's own Deacon has person he knows and working with him long time Kung (aki Aleong) Deacon remembers he went to nightclub went back wants answers from Asian Girl saying threat saying i am going to hit you with bible i laughed

Deacon was at club start bushing and kick people in club getting bible start hitting the guys not of them the fights were good one shot single camera no cut to cut scene really reminds me of John Wick but it didn't do the best scene like that movie low budget very low budget.plenty doubles of Jean Claude like i mean like you see him fighting but in background you can't see his face just back of him fighting like double stunt i think lame idea still sucked idea i mean Claude is still fit he doesn't need stunt double why ? i had problems with movie when movie is not even Finished like poor green screen while driving in cars, gunshots were very fake specially background when you see Jean Claude that fake staff on his hair like white staff i can't even explain it well but it's like background of movie while they were in club and driving cars and gun shooting is not even completed. that happens sometimes still good movie but still worth of fun ride very easy story line still not bad as Swelter this is not best Jean Claude movie but i have seen better this. there's not much to say about this movie one of stunts when Deacon does the splits in Timecop, Blood sport, Cyborg this is one of amazing Splits does it while car is moving one of action scenes were low budget very low $7,500,000 but the fights were not too bad one of action scenes were very good but ending was just eh eh i don't want to spoil it i don't think this is one of best Jean Claude movies i have ever seen. but i thought it was better movie then Swelter (2014) trash movie, this is a lot better but with some problems with movie Darren Shahlavi sadly past away 5 August 1972 – 14 January 2015 i like him as great villain sadly past away so soon, he did great job in this movie as villain fighting with van Damme in 3 scenes in movie a lot of gore and pound i have enjoyed it 6.10 expect it's van Damme movie not like Swelter or Alien Uprising trash this is one of main role of Van Damme movie and you see him a lot more kicking ass all the way to end of movie that's it.

'POUND OF FLESH': Three Stars (Out of Five)

Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in this martial arts action flick; about a man trying to get back his stolen kidney, in order to save his dying niece. It was directed by Ernie Barbarash (who also directed Van Damme in the B-action films '6 BULLETS' and 'ASSASSINATION GAMES') and it was written by Joshua James. The movie costars Darren Shahlavi (another martial arts B-action film star), John Ralston, Charlotte Peters and Akie Aleong. It does have some decent fight scenes but it tries to be a little too emotional, and overly dramatic, as well (which it doesn't quite have the resources for).

Van Damme plays Deacon; a man who just arrived in China, in order to donate a kidney to his deathly ill niece (Adele Baughan). He rescues a woman (Peters) from her attacker (Shahlavi), nearby the hotel he's staying at. She asks to buy him a drink, as thanks, and he wakes up the next morning with a kidney missing. With the help of his extremely religious brother (Ralston), the father of the dying little girl, Deacon decides to track down the criminals that robbed him, and get his kidney back. It helps that Deacon is an expert martial artist and former black-ops agent, of course.

I used to be a huge Van Damme fan (he was my favorite actor, briefly, as a kid) and I still enjoy watching his movies. He doesn't deliver a very good performance here though, because it seems like he really didn't want to be there (he can be a pretty good actor, when he's passionate about a role). Shahlavi, Ralston, Aleong, and a few others, do give decent performances though (on the other hand). The fight scenes are entertaining as well; and there's a decent story hidden in there too. The melodrama, and cheesy production values, do make the film a little hard to bear though, at times. It's not one of the best Van Damme films, but it's not one of his worst either.

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