IMDb RATING
6.2/10
42K
YOUR RATING
An Ex-French Soldier begins participating in underground street fights in order to make money for his brother's family.An Ex-French Soldier begins participating in underground street fights in order to make money for his brother's family.An Ex-French Soldier begins participating in underground street fights in order to make money for his brother's family.
Vojislav Govedarica
- Sgt. Hartog
- (as Voyo Goric)
Dennis Rucker
- Irish Legionnaire
- (as Dennis Wayne Rucker)
Featured reviews
Well, I wasn't expecting such a dramatic movie, but this one really
made me cry, especially at the ending scene. The movie begins in
Djibouti, where a legionary camp is placed. The casting is wisely done.
Especially the guys which were following Lion in US. Deborah Rennard is
very cool. I think she deserved better in Hollywood. Harrison Page
perfectly fits in his role. And Van Damme... Maybe he should have made
more drama movies, he proved he is good at it. You should have this on, if you are a fan of Van Damme, I think it is his best movie, even better than Bloodsport. Well we're expecting more drama movies from Van Damme.
made me cry, especially at the ending scene. The movie begins in
Djibouti, where a legionary camp is placed. The casting is wisely done.
Especially the guys which were following Lion in US. Deborah Rennard is
very cool. I think she deserved better in Hollywood. Harrison Page
perfectly fits in his role. And Van Damme... Maybe he should have made
more drama movies, he proved he is good at it. You should have this on, if you are a fan of Van Damme, I think it is his best movie, even better than Bloodsport. Well we're expecting more drama movies from Van Damme.
When i saw this film i was just 15 and it touched me how Leon wanted to fight for his brothers wife and kid.The films fight scenes are well staged and when i watched the film again recently i was surprised by how much i enjoyed it.Thats the thing,its a really enjoyable film,you can harp on all day about how Van Damme isn't the worlds best actor,how the sound mix is wobbly and the film looks as though it has been churned out for TV but its a good story well executed and that is the long and short of it.Van Damme has gone on to make many a film in a similar vein but i felt it was on this production that he came off best.The trainer played by Harrison Page helps lift the film too. 8/10
Vandamme in one of his
best movies.
The 90's vibe, the streets, everything fits in.
The fighting scènes are good.
One of my favorite 90's movies.
They never gonna make it like this.
Realy miss the 90's.
The 90's vibe, the streets, everything fits in.
The fighting scènes are good.
One of my favorite 90's movies.
They never gonna make it like this.
Realy miss the 90's.
I know this movie as "A.W.O.L Absent Without Leave" but I have also seen it called Wrong Bet and Lionheart. This was one of the first movies I saw in 1990 knowing who Jean Claude Van Damme was, after previously seeing "Blood Sport" and "Kickboxer". Along with those two this helped set him on the road to stardom. Watching it today, I still think it is one of his best performances and best movies in general. Sure it's cheaply made and some of the acting is a bit dodgy but it's a lot of fun.
Plot In A Paragraph: Leon Gaultier is a deserter from the Foreign Legion arriving in New York . He finds his brother at death's door in L.A and his sister-in-law without the money needed to pay for medical care for her husband and to maintain her child. To earn the money needed, Gaultier decides to take part in some very dangerous under ground fights.
Whilst Van Damme is the star, Harrison Page steals the show as his friend/manager Joshua, I think he is fantastic. Having previously starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sly Stallone, Brian Thompson stars opposite the new action star in the block (at the time) Deborah Rennard does a fine job as Cynthia.
Plot In A Paragraph: Leon Gaultier is a deserter from the Foreign Legion arriving in New York . He finds his brother at death's door in L.A and his sister-in-law without the money needed to pay for medical care for her husband and to maintain her child. To earn the money needed, Gaultier decides to take part in some very dangerous under ground fights.
Whilst Van Damme is the star, Harrison Page steals the show as his friend/manager Joshua, I think he is fantastic. Having previously starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sly Stallone, Brian Thompson stars opposite the new action star in the block (at the time) Deborah Rennard does a fine job as Cynthia.
Lionheart is clealry one of the best movies Van Damme made in his early days. The film had good fight scenes and a nice plot. Harrison Page as Van Damme's boy provides a lot of good one-liners and Van Damme kicks a lot of ass. I give it *** out of ****.
Did you know
- TriviaThis film was released under one of five titles, depending on the country it was released in. It was released under the names 'Lionheart', 'Full Contact', 'A.W.O.L Absent Without Leave', 'Wrong Bet,' and 'Leon '. The film was independently funded and so was sold to various distributors throughout the world. It is therefore assumed they just picked the title that had the most impact in their respective territories.
- GoofsDuring the fight in the pool, Lyon's lion tattoo is not on his chest.
- Alternate versionsAustralian releases rated M are edited for violence.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Sense8: What Is Human? (2015)
Details
Box office
- Budget
- $6,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $24,078,196
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $7,094,552
- Jan 13, 1991
- Gross worldwide
- $24,271,196
- Runtime
- 1h 48m(108 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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