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Lionheart (1990)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
8/05, 3/20, 9/21
8/05:
Before there was the Ultimate Fighting Championship, there was Lionheart.
I like the plot which is somewhat endearing although the acting is often average. Jean-Claude Van Damme may be the star,
but Harrison Page as Joshua steals the show.
Sadly, it's the fight sequences that kill the movie. Some of the guys throw shadow punches and kicks. The more times I see
them doing it, the more annoying the whole thing is. However, the battle locations are interesting which
take place on a tennis court, an underground parking lot, a drained pool, and a racquetball court.
All in all, I wish the fights looked more real in Lionheart.
3/20:
Lionheart is one of the better Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicles.
Believe it or not, the most memorable performance comes from Harrison Page who plays Joshua. He puts a lot of effort
into his character, and it works well. It's a surprise that he bet against Lyon for the final fight. I thought Joshua
believed too much in him to do the unthinkable.
Jean-Claude Van Damme is fair but seems to go through the motions. He has nice choreographed fights. On the other hand,
I like Deborah Rennard as Cynthia who's ruthless for a female and has a great sartorial taste. I thought Brian
Thompson would fight, but he's only a bodyguard. The actor who played Moustafa is Michel Qissi, and he was Tong Po in
Kickboxer. His brother, Abdel, is Attila.
All in all, Lionheart is enjoyable.
9/21:
Lionheart is still enjoyable with a terrific storyline.
It's sometimes slow-paced, but there's plenty of action. Lots of movies have tried to do the same thing, but this is the only
one that gets it right. Harrison Page and Deborah Rennard are excellent as Joshua and Cynthia, respectively. It's one of the
best performances by Jean-Claude Van Damme. He plays an interesting, likeable character with more depth than usual.
All in all, it's hard to go wrong with Lionheart.