The Hard Corps

This film just lets itself down towards the end. From the start I thought maybe this one was going to be different and not the same as Vann Damme has been doing for the last 5 years, which has been in most cases disappointing. But these films seem not have the stamina to finish the race, and the plot seems a little hard to swallow. But I do like Vann Damme's idea of moving away from the action, more for the acting but he needs to find the right material or its just a waste of time. In closing quite a lot of things were bad from the make-up to the acting. Vivica A. Fox who did your make-up girl, they need shooting. Your not missing anything new by missing this one.

I have to admit that around Maximum Risk and Knockoff (late 90's era JCVD), Jean-Claude lost me. I found no enjoyment in either of those films, and while I absolutely loved Double Team (1997), anything after went straight to home video, which usually means low-quality films, and that's just never a good sign. I did try a few of his films here and there, but I could never sit through one completely. They just weren't any good. So I pretty much strayed from him films until 2008's JCVD. But even then, with his career seemingly at a resurgence, nothing that came after that was any good either. In fact, the only thing I actually liked from him in the last 20 years is easily the Amazon show pilot for Van Johnson, where he was just absolutely brilliant. I haven't heard anything new about it yet, but I do hope it gets picked up for a series.

Philippe Savauge (JCVD), an army vet suffering from PTSD, is hired as a bodyguard for local boxing champ Wayne Barclay (Razaaq Adoti). When a local drug kingpin, Terrell Singletery (Viv Leacock) is released from a prison stint, he sets his sights on exacting revenge on Barclay from a long-running feud. Savauge soon realizes he has his work cut out for him and things get even more complicated when it seems like Barclay's sister and manager Tamara (Vivica A. Fox) might have a thing for Savauge.

The Hard Corpse reunites Van Damme with his Lionheart and Double Impact writer/director Sheldon Lettich, and honestly, that was the only selling point for me to actually make the effort to watch this. Sure it had been many, many years since either of them had a hit, but I went in hopeful. And you know, it wasn't bad. Not at all the kind of film I was expecting, but it wasn't terrible either. It was shockingly able to keep my attention even though it ultimately ended up being the kind of film that I don't necessarily seek out. And after having seen it, it's not a film I will probably ever watch again and won't go down as one of Jean-Claude's better films.

There's really not much motivation for you to actually check this out, unless you're a die hard completest of JCVD films. There's really not a lot of action, and you only ever see him use his martial arts skills during one scene in the film. Even then, it comes across so "blah". You'd never know these two (Lettich and Van Damme) were the same team behind some of his earlier classics like Bloodsport, Lionheart and Double Impact (a personal favorite). But still, it's not a bad film. Just not a good or enjoyable one. Sheldon Lettich, while one of the few who spearheaded the whole martial arts/action movement in the late 80's to early 90's has clearly lost his mojo by this film. While he would only ever direct 8 films in his career, this would be his last. What makes the experience more trying is that Van Damme just looks so tired and uninterested here. He literally looks like he couldn't give a damn anymore than he already does and comes across as completely bored and unmotivated. Sad day indeed. Not one of his worst, but you can certainly find a better way to spend an hour and a half of your time. www.robotGEEKSCultCinema.blogspot.com

The picture concerns an Afghanistan/Irak veteran (Jean-Claude Van Damme) , he's living at hospital when is hired as a bodyguard . He must protect an ex-heavyweight champion , now a building magnate (Adoti) and his sister (Vivica A. Fox) against a dangerous rapper recently out of prison . The war veteran sets up an experienced team (Mark Griffin , among others) called ¨Hard Corps¨ to save menaced ex-boxer .

This movie direct to video packs violent action , suspense , shoot-outs , boxing and martial art fighting and results to be quite amusing . Suffering Van Damme plays finely a sad and affected veteran , splendid Vivica A. Fox as enjoyable sister who falls in love for him and the brother played convincingly by Adoti who acted along with Jean-Claude in his former film ¨Second-in-command¨ . The movie is pointlessly energetic , occasionally fun and entertaining and for that reason will appeal to real devotee Van Damme . It's produced in middling budget by Pierre Splenger who produced last films of Steven Seagal and Van Damme . The movie was professionally directed by Sheldon Lettich. He spent several years in the US Marines Corps , including a time in Vietnam war . Lettich is filmmaker of Van Damme previous hits such as ¨The order¨ , ¨Double impact¨,¨Lionheart¨ ; furthermore , he is author of hunk men vehicles such as Daniel Bernhardt : ¨Perfect day¨ , Dolph Lundgren : ¨List patrol¨, and Mark Dacascos : ¨Only the strong¨. Rating : Acceptable and passable .

The movie is not that bad. It's probably one of the best Van Damme did since (the Van Damme mania time). But it doesn't beat the time when he was everywhere. The money is one reason for sure. They are all B-Movies so the money's not in it that much so. But VD does play well and most of the cast too. I do miss the AMAZING VAN DAMME but who knows, maybe he lost it a bit. He's not that young so...I don't know I'm just saying he doesn't fight like BLOODSPORT,KICKBOXER or DOUBLE IMPACT time. The action is more like street fighting,shooting or boxing. There isn't any VD karate extra moves in it so...Don't look for that. He fight but...Streetfighting kinda moves.

Give it a try it's still worth watching. I've see a lot worst. Still..I give a 7/10.

(2006) The Hard Corps ACTION

After my second viewing after some years, this one is quite a downer even though the plot consists something never-seen before co-written and directed by Sheldon Lettich about former soldier, Philippe Sauvage (Jean Claude Van Damme) coming out of from a psyche ward, employed to be part of a group called "The Hard Corps" as he plays one of few bodyguards for ex-boxer turn wealthy mogul, Wayne Barclay ( Raz Adoti). The situation and premise of this story is not bad 'but' the action is miniscule and unmemorable with some very bad acting from most of the cast including Van Damme for the exception of Vivica A Fox! Watch this for the curiosity at best to thought up your "own" way on how to remake this.