LIONHEART (1990): Schlockmania's Favorite Van Dammage

For roughly a decade, starting with Bloodsport in 1988 and ending sometime around Knock Off in 1998, Jean-Claude Van Damme was one of the world's topaction film stars. He racked up plenty of fun programmers during this time but Lionheart is Schlockmania's favoritefrom this era: it boasts a solid story that allowed him to show he could act inaddition to providing the expected kicking and punching and shows a little moreambition than you might expect in more than one area.

Van Damme toplines as Leon, a soldier in the ForeignLegion who learns that his brother in the States has been seriously injured ina drug deal gone bad. When the Legion won't allow him to visit home, he escapesand makes his way back. Wanting to help his brother's wife Helene (LisaPelikan) and daughter Nicole (Ashley), he turns to an underground bare-knucklefighting syndicate to make some money. He finds a supportive friend instreetwise "manager" Joshua (Harrison Page) and attracts the interestof wealthy fight broker Cynthia (Deborah Rennard). However, the brokers don'tcare if the fight game breaks Leon - and he also has to contend with a vengefulsergeant (Voyo Goric) determined to bring him back to the Legion.

Lionheart isa satisfying watch because it knows what the viewer wants and gives it to them whilealso making room for a few surprises. If you're expecting a good old-fashionedbasher, this film delivers just that: it serves up fight scenes with metronomicreliability.  Director/co-writer SheldonLettich wisely varies the visual settings for these: interesting choicesinclude an empty swimming pool, a handball court and a garage where thebrawlers fight in a circle of headlights formed by the patrons' sportscars.

The fights themselves are filmed in a straightforward,effective manner, with judicious use of slow-mo and an effective tactic ofrepeating powerful hits from two different angles.  His work is also aided by the film's secretweapon, a fantastic score by John Scott: his expansive work here effectivelycombines heroic orchestral material with slick pop and jazz motifs for the cityscenes.

However, Lionheartimproves on its formula by giving the viewer a story worth caring about betweenthe fights. The main character has a richer-than-usual reason to be involved inthe action and dramatic obstacles - an inability to trust, a need to connectwith his lost family - that he must overcome outside the ring.

Lettich isn't afraid to lean into the melodrama, withthe result sometimes playing like an update of those boxer melodramas from the'30s (in a good way). This approach gives Van Damme, who had a hand in devisingthe story, a chance to develop his acting abilities. He handles the dramaticstuff well, particularly in the last half-hour, and you can see the roots ofhis later dramatic performance in JCVDhere.

Better yet, the story gives Van Damme a capable ensembleto bounce off of. Goric makes a properly stoic foe and Pelikan does effectivework as the sister-in-law who is slow to trust Leon. There's also a sly turnfrom underrated baddie Brian Thompson as Cynthia's sleazeball fixer and a goodkid-actor performance Ashley Johnson, who fulfills the boxer-melodrama functionof the sweet kid who looks up to the brawling hero.

That said, the best work in the support cast comes fromPage as the manager who becomes a trusted friend for Leon: he gives aphenomenal performance that delivers effective comedy in the early stretchesand grows more dramatic over time. His efforts combine with solid scripting totransform a potentially stock character into an important part of the film: hisfinal moments with Van Damme are genuinely moving stuff.

In short, Lionheartis a must-watch for anyone interested in the highlights of Van Damme's goldenera. It provides the expected action but the fact that everything's a littlebetter than you'd expect is what really satisfies.