Le Jardinier

JCVD is aging and obviously he can't deliver the action pack movies he once did, but this movie surprised me when it comes to action. There is a fair share and altough some are obviously body doubles well hidden by camera angles and fast cuts (still a lot more bearable than Steven Seagal's last fews), it entertained me well in that departement. The fights are also bloody and violent.

That said, the story and the humor it try to portrait is so ...weird ! French is my first language, but i am from Quebec, so even tough i had no issue understanding everything in the native french language, some of the jokes really didn't land. That said a few did. Got to give credit where credit is due.

I think the major issue is the actor portraying Sergio, the familly dad who is under attack. He is such a caricature i doubt anyone would really behave like this in real life. While a few of his lines or the situations he end up in did land, a lot didn't. And at times i rolled my eyes a bit wanting to yell "Shut the F up !" at him. Maybe it was the goal as it was a bit of an ongoing joke that he talked too much and Van Damme too less.

In conclusion this is basically a french "Die Hard" but almost as a spoof. The story is really just a pitch to have a movie, as the "list" is barely explained beside the minimal stuff to have a movie.

Want to see JCVD as a man in his 70s killing dudes violently with gardener's tools? Then you may enjoy that movie. But if you ain't into the weird French humor you may find the story/characters very unsettling.

Hard to really give a rating to this one. I enjoyed the action, i enjoyed Van Damme, i laugh a few times, but i rolled my eyes a few more. Yeah well 6 out of 10 seem fair.

After Darkness of Men i had very little hope for Van Damme flicks but this one gave me back trust that he can still do entertaining action, even if his age obviously do show.

Watched about half of this move and then walked, so maybe during the second half it completely turned around, but I don't think so. And my expectations weren't that high: I was expecting just another typical JCVD movie, but was disappointed badly. Even for a JCVD vehicle the characters were caricatures, and in case of Micheal Youn's character, simply annoying. The acting is flat, the lines delivered like they were red from a teleprompter.

It's trying very hard to be an action comedy and it is failing miserably. The level of comedy would maybe mildly amuse my 5 year old niece at some points, but even that is a maybe. If you want French comedy try a Louis de Funes movie, if you want action watch an older JCVD movie, but this one is best skipped.

In short: it is a waste of time.

Beware folks, beware, this film is a total waste, a comedy, nothing else, not a gritty, bloody, brutal action thriller as you could expect. And the worst of the worst, the most unbearable, the most awful, gruesome element of the whole, is the presence of the horrible, slap head Michael Youn. Each time I tried to watch a movie with the slap head Michael Youn, I left after a few minutes. So, if you did not know the Slap Head Michael Youn, first, you missed nothing, and second, you have to prepare yourself, psychologically, I mean. It will be a shock, far more cruel than a Chinese torture, the absolute sadistic refinement that you may imagine. So, if you really have nothing else to do, escape from this crap at all costs; and choose THE BEE KEEPER or UNDER SIEGE - the Cook - instead THE GARDENER. JCVD is not a deception, he is just himself. No comment. He is not a slap head, he gives slaps....

I don't know what happened in the commenters life, that didn't find this movie any fun or anything of the sorts, but if you can find a discount on humor, i suggest you buy it!!!

JCVD Is to most probably known as an action star, martial artist, but he has made comedy before, and to me, this movie was a sign of that combination, that JCVD still has, he is still in shape, and he can be funny, what's not to like!?

If you're a JCVD fan, then this is definitely one that should entertain you, it has some nice action scenes, lots of violence, some comedy, i really found the references to Rambo quite fun, subtle references, but if you've watched the latest Rambo, you'll easily spot it :)

I'm gonna have to give this a 7 / 10, because i found it pretty entertaining, a little slow start, but then it's quite smooth after that and throughout :)

...it turns out the movie is a mess.

It tries to walk that line between comedy and action but the thing is it's never funny - not once. I mean it, it NEVER has a funny moment. And, as far as the action goes it's pretty geriatric and slowpaced. It's hard to write this but - the action is boring.

I gave it a 3/10 because of JCVD but...I mean...that's being generous.

...it turns out the movie is a mess.

It tries to walk that line between comedy and action but the thing is it's never funny - not once. I mean it, it NEVER has a funny moment. And, as far as the action goes it's pretty geriatric and slowpaced. It's hard to write this but - the action is boring.

I gave it a 3/10 because of JCVD but...I mean...that's being generous.

...it turns out the movie is a mess.

It tries to walk that line between comedy and action but the thing is it's never funny - not once. I mean it, it NEVER has a funny moment. And, as far as the action goes it's pretty geriatric and slowpaced. It's hard to write this but - the action is boring.

I gave it a 3/10 because of JCVD but...I mean...that's being generous.