Jean-Claude Van Dammeis among the most iconic action stars of all time, whose vast career includes some truly incredible movies. From his breakout role asFrank Dux inBloodsportto poking fun at his own legacy inJCVD, Van Damme’s career has included incredible action, comedy, and sci-fi that were injected with an enjoyable martial arts twist. Whether playing a dual role as twins seeking revenge for their murdered parents or kicking butt at kickboxing competitions, Van Damme has earned his status as an action movie legend.
While many ofVan Damme’s best movies were released in the 1990s,the man dubbed the Muscles from Brussels has continued to make fast-paced action films to this day. From box office hits that have grossed over $100 million at the box office to little-known direct-to-video releases, Van Damme has consistently delivered fun films that make him one of the most beloved action stars there has ever been. While contemporaries like Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger may be better known by mainstream viewers,Van Damme actually has the martial arts credentialsto back up the fighting figures he’s portrayed.
Double Impactstarred Jean-Claude Van Damme in the dual story of identical twin brothers who were separated after their parents were murdered. However, Alex and Chad Wagner reunited 25 years later to seek their revenge against the Hong Kong Triad squad that tore their lives apart.Coming from theBloodsportwriter andLionheartdirector Sheldon Lettich, while this reunion did not manage to reach the lofty expectations of their previous collaborations, it still stands as a solid action movie from Van Damme.
As a firm showcase of the fact that two is always better than one, this was just the first of several movies where Van Damme played two roles, with later films likeMaximum Risk,Replicant, andThe Orderalso falling under that category. With a screenplay co-written by Van Damme himself,Double Impactwas a prime example of the actor’s increasing involvement in his own movies, as he also acted as producer and fight choreographer for the film.
As the second of three films Van Damme made with director Peter Hyams, which also includedTimecopandEnemies Closer,Sudden Deathwas yet another fast-paced, action-packed thriller. With Van Damme playing a lone fire marshal taking on a group of extortionists during the Stanley Cup Finals, this film essentially attempted to replicate the success ofDie Hardwith another one-location action thriller. With NHL fans and players all being held hostage, Van Damme went into full action hero mode as he sought to save the day.
While it’s true thatSudden Deathlacked some of the wit that madeDie Hardsuch a classic, the outstanding set pieces on display here were actually superior to that Bruce Willis film. As a box office hit that’s maintained a strong fan base, althoughSudden Deathisn’t the most iconic release in Van Damme’s filmography, it’s still a solid addition to the fantastic work he did throughout the 1990s.
Jean-Claude Van Damme played a homeless drifter helping a woman locate her missing father in New Orleans inHard Target. This was Hong Kong action movie legend John Woo’s first American film and the movie that would open the door to him making later classics likeFace/OffandMission: Impossible IIin later years. WhileHard Targetrarely gets recognized among Woo’s more well-known work, the truth is that it featured the same intense action and stylized aesthetic of those later hits.
Even though Van Damme was one of the biggest names in action movies during the 1990s, his work was rarely taken seriously by contemporary critics.Hard Targetwas harshly judged by reviewers who took issue with Van Damme’s acting style, but looking back, it’s clearly a top-tier release that deserves to be more widely discussed. With solid action sequences and a compelling villain played by Lance Henriksen, who hunts homeless former soldiers for sport,Hard Targetis one of Van Damme’s most slept-on movies.
Although it’s easy to criticizeNo Retreat, No Surrenderas an amalgamation ofThe Karate Kid,The Last Dragon, andRocky IV,that was also part of its charm. Starring Kurt McDinner as a daydreaming young karate student, his teenage fantasy of being a martial arts hero starts to feel possible after the ghost of Bruce Lee becomes his trainer.Van Damme was the villain Ivan Kraschinsky, a Russian working for a crime syndicate that’s determined to take over every dojo in the country.
No Retreat, No Surrenderwas a wild copycat film that borrowed heavily from some of the biggest hits of the 1980s. As a love letter to the bizarre nature of Hollywood martial arts cinema at the time, some epic fight sequences helped this from feeling like a total farce.No Retreat, No Surrenderwas campy and cheesy in all the right ways; by managing to be both awful and fantastic at the same time, it’s earned its status as a guilty pleasure cult classic.
Universal Soldierwas the first movie to pair Jean-Claude Van Damme with fellow action movie legend Dolph Lundgren for a military sci-fi film that was far more than theTerminator 2clone it’s often dismissed as. As a firm showcase of the actor’s potential as a Hollywood leading man, Van Damme played a soldier killed in the Vietnam War who was brought back to life through a secret government program that saw him revived for an elite counter-terrorism unit. With Lundgren as the psychotic megalomaniac intent on destroying these super soldiers, this was an epic cinematic showdown of action stars.
Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren also worked together inThe Expendables 2,Black Water, andMinions: The Rise of Gru.
As just the first entry in a long-running franchise,the originalUniversal Soldierwas also the franchise’s best release, whose litany of direct-to-video sequels could never match its thrilling appeal. AlthoughUniversal Soldierreceived negative reviews upon release, it was a hit with viewers and stood as Van Damme’s biggest box office success at the time.
In 2008, Jean-Claude Van Damme joined the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger inLast Action Heroand Bruce Campbell inMy Name Is Bruceto make a satirical, tongue-in-cheek action comedy that plays with his own persona. With Van Damme as a heavily fictionalized version of himself,JCVDexplored the actor’s life and career as a struggling star caught in the middle of a post office heistin his hometown in Brussels. After a career spent playing a hero, Van Damme was forced to live up to his reputation and save the day for real.
JCVDwas Van Damme’s first movie sinceUniversal Soldier: The Returnto receive a wide theatrical release and was a fun way to poke fun at the uneven nature of his career as a prominent action star. With a heartfelt performance and a surprisingly poignant script, the self-referential nature ofJCVDmade for fun viewing.
Lionheartwas a true Jean-Claude Van Damme classic that featured a screenplay co-written by the star himself along with S. N. Warren and director Sheldon Lettich. As a martial arts film that brought together everything an action movie lover could ask for, Van Damme played a French Foreign Legionnaire entering a U.S. underground fighting circuit to raise money for his murdered brother’s family. With the same martial arts tournament concept that madeBloodsportsuch a classic,Lionheartwas a major moment in Van Damme’s transformation into one of the biggest action stars of the 1990s.
WhileLionheartwas an action-packed showcase of incredible fight choreography, its sentimental nature also gave Van Damme an opportunity to show off his more compassionate side. By embracing the over-the-top exaggeration of 1980s action movies, Van Damme embraced the ridiculousness and appeal of Arnold Schwarzenegger films to prove himself a major new name in the post-1980s action movie cinematic landscape.
Timecopstarred Jean-Claude Van Damme as Agent Max Walker, a police officer from 1994 in a world where time travel was possible. With this sci-fi technology being exploited by criminals for money and power, Agent Max Walker must travel through time, solve crimes, and uncover a vast political conspiracy. As Van Damme’s most successful movie as a leading man,Timecopearned over $100 million (viaThe Numbers) at the global box office.
Based on the three-part comic bookTimecopfrom Dark Horse, the clever concept at the heart of this story predated later movies likeLooper,which addressed many of the same themes. While it’s easy to criticize Timecop for some plot holes and inconsistencies, those looking for a fast-paced action film to enjoy with friends will have a lot of fun with this Van Damme movie. While Van Damme sadly never returned for a sequel,Timecopdid not continue with the direct-to-DVD follow-upTimecop 2: The Berlin Decision.
Jean-Claude Van Damme utilized his talent as a kickboxing champion to blow audiences away with yet another extraordinary showcase of fighting competency inKickboxer. With Van Damme as Kurt Sloane, this martial arts classic saw him seek revenge against the fearsome champion Tong Po, who paralyzed his brother in the ring. By tapping into many of the same ideas that madeBloodsportsuch a success the year before, this early Van Damme classic was truly one of his greatest releases.
Kickboxerwas just the first in a franchise, and Van Damme would return to the series as Master Durand in subsequent movies likeKickboxer: VengeanceandKickboxer: Retaliation. As a major contributor to popularizing Muay Thai in the Western world,Kickboxerproved that the success ofBloodsportwasn’t just a one-time fluke for Van Damme, who was quickly carving out a name for himself as one of the most exciting up-and-coming action stars around.
As Jean-Claude Van Damme’s breakout role and the movie for which he will always be remembered,Bloodsportwas the greatest release in this action star’s vast filmography. WithVan Damme as the real fighter Frank Dux, the story ofBloodsportwas based on its subject’s highly exaggerated stories of competing in an underground full-contact martial arts tournament called the Kumite in Hong Kong. While Dux’s recollections should be taken with a grain of salt, that did not makeBloodsportany less exciting.
As Van Damme’s first major leading role,Bloodsportwas the perfect showcase for his unique fighting talents and launched his career as a mainstream action star. With Bolo Yeung as the equally iconic antagonist Chong Li, the fight sequences inBloodsportwere a sight to behold as they embraced the dark, gritty, and deadly world of illegal underground fighting competitions. WhileJean-Claude Van Dammehas had plenty of great movies over the years,Bloodsportstands as the defining film of his career.
