O Legionário

I bought the DVD off the sales rack at Wal-Mart, thinking I could pawn it off after once viewing it. . . .not expecting much of it, even though I am a fan of Van Damme. BUT, it surprised me as Van Damme expresses his DRAMATIC skills! Not his usuall puncher-kicker film, he tells the story of how it is for a legionnaire watching people he knows being picked off one-by-one in the heated Hell of war! Although it's not a true story, it IS, however, true to the way it is with any heartfull man who joins the Foreign Legion and gets caught up in such Hellish realities of hatred in combat. Leaving behind all he's ever known & felt comfortable with and fighting for a whole different cause, and finding out later the trespasses that happen which can result in hatred. You can feel the loneliness he felt as the Arabs ride away & he's the only one left standing there in the death, rubble, and smoke of what was his fort in Northern Africa. Certainly a welcomed change from Van Damme's usuall martial arts mayhem. It's a keeper!

This has to be one of the oddest, yet best Van Damme films ever. It's not chop-socky martial arts kickboxing crud, and it isn't mindless sci-fi action... it's a war drama. And a surprisingly good one. Van Damme plays Alain, a boxer who is paid to take a dive, but who instead flees and joins the French Foreign Legion, where he learns about friendship, honor, and fighting to the last. Sound like a normal Van Damme movie? Far from it. Sheldon Lettich's script, while somewhat cliche, is very well put together. The acting is surprisingly top notch, with even Jean-Claude Van Damme himself turning in a good performance. What a shame this movie never made it to theaters. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys an exciting, epic war film. I give it 8/10.

I like history movies, so I like this one. Nice change for Van Damm he plays a different role. The film is interesting to follow. We have the reasons why people joined, and the harshness of being one. A solid 6, and I would watch this film when they show it on TBS.

Most Jean Claude Van Damm films consist of a martial arts contest of which he must over come great odds to win (Lion Heart, Kickboxer, etc). This film only has one hand to hand fight scene at the beginning, and the rest is a film about the French Foriegn Legion. A must see for any fans of military history as it is actually quite accurate to the times.

And who says Jean-Claude Van Damme can't act? Huh? This excellent film of survival and friendship shows all the anti-Van Dammers where they stand. In my opinion, Jean-Claude deserves an OSCAR for this one. I rate this one a definite 10 on my KICK ASS SCALE!