Who said Jean Claude Van Damme can't act? This movie is really good. It really shows all the prejudice people have against Van Damme after all his bad action movies in the past. He wants to put all that behind himself and move on. And this movie really shows how great he really is.

JCVD is not just a bizarre film chronicling Jean Claude Van Damme's fall from celebrity and to a certain extent, grace, but it is a film that cleverly mounts the boundary between tense thriller (something Van Damme is familiar with) and satirical comedy. The film follows Van Damme as he travels to Belgium to visit his parents following a nasty custody battle regarding his daughter. One morning he decides to transfer some money at the local post office unaware that the place is being robbed by three menacing but inept robbers. The film is both knowledgeable of Van Damme's career and reputation but also his ability as an actor. The film is surprising in the fact that it is utterly ludicrous but it is grounded by a powerful central performance by JCVD (That is something I never thought I would write). The film manages to balance the need for thrills and the need for comedy while also injecting some deep emotion into the movie. The film, due to the subject matter, is inherently dark but it is populated by characters who are good even if they do bad things. This provides an interesting view of morality in the film. Finally the films end allows for both the stereotypical Van Damme take down but also the ending that is grounded in reality, the one where things aren't perfect and Van Damme is still a thing of the past. I for one have found a kind of respect for the Muscles from Brussels through his powerful performance of a man extremely broken but constantly trying to do the right thing, even if at times he doesn't quite know what that entails.… Expand

The film opens with an aging, depressed, desperately-broke Jean Claude Van Damme dealing with the disappointment and drudgery of his disappointing life, when suddenly he's stuck in the middle of a hostage situation. The whimsical, self-depreciating, semi-autobiographical writing is a welcome change to Van Damme's catalogue, which had for so long suffered due to him taking his (mostly) crappy movies so seriously. I love the "imaginary" moments where he jaw-jacks the bad guys and saves the day, only to cut back to the stark reality of him being just another helpless hostage. Unfortunately, the pacing is tortoise-speed and it proved lethal to my interest in the film as the minutes ticked by. Also, during Van Damme's long monologues, given directly to the audience, he speaks French(?) and is dubbed over by a different voice actor. This phenomenon is unexplained in the film and is grating. Mildly recommended.… Expand

A surprise and a very good one. Stallone did Copland Roarke did The Wrestler and Van Damme dis JCVD.

Surprisingly honest, JCVD proves he can act too! - very enjoyable.

Probably is his best movie and hence I gave a full 2.. DULL DULL DULL! Cannot believe folks think it is a 9 or 10.. Maybe I watched a different movie ?

This movie is deeply flawed, mostly by way of poor editing. But overall, I enjoyed it. It's different, unpredictable, and takes risks.

Probably his best movie ever, hopefully the start of a new phase in his career.

Hands down the best movie Van Damme will ever be a part of. The sincerity and honesty behind it was very refreshing.

Funny as hell! Classic!

Another good JCVD movie. Anyone who thinks he's "Just" a martial arts actor doesn't know what there missing!

A very refreshing action movie, with a heartbreaking performance by Van Damme itself. The monologue's great!

I watched this movie at a screening at my school and was really impressed by it. It was an interesting way to tell a story and is unlike anything I've seen Jean Claude Van Damme do. The main story is fictional, but Jean Claude basically plays himself. Very well made film. Excellent acting. I would recommend this to just about anyone.

JCVD sheds much needed light on the humanity of Jean-claude. His performance was amazing-- easily up there with the years best.

Wicked smart.

I was extremely surprised by how good this was. I was expecting something like a mockumentary, but it's more of a dramatic heist movie. Jean-Claude knocks it out of the park, I highly recommend catching this in the theater if it's in your area.

Wow! He almost had me in tears at one point. I was so incredibly blown away by his performance in this movie that I went to see it twice. I've been a huge JCVD fan for as long as I can remember. I knew he could act ever since I saw him in Wake of Death. Now he finally had his chance to prove it to the world. I'm glad that JC is finally getting the respect he deserves.

I grew up watching JCVD in movies like, "Blood Sport,

Histerical and moving. It forces audiences to take Van Damme seriously for the first time in his storied career. Gotta give the guy major props for being gutsy and putting himself out there and telling it like it is. Nobody is perfect and JCVD's uplifting story asks the audience to consider that through all the fame and fortune, all movie stars are human, just like us.

Happy to see that this rare treat is released in the US! I saw it here in Germany at the Fantasy Filmfest and enjoyed it enormously! Jean-Claude Van Damme plays himself with so much self-mockery, I would have never expected that from him! Normally, German audiences are very rarely applauding during a movie, but here the audience erupted into applause and laughter a bunch of times. Go see it if you still remember who JCVD is! ;-)… Expand