Jean-Claude Van Damme, a martial artist from Belgium, worked his way to becoming a major action movie star, joining the ranks of actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Starting with his breakout role in Bloodsport, he didn’t just perform; he often took on roles behind the camera as an editor, fight director, and choreographer. Throughout the late 80s and 90s, Van Damme starred in several successful films, but some of his best work from that era has been overlooked. Here’s a look at those deserving Van Damme movies that deserve more recognition.
He didn’t include any of his popular action movies like Bloodsport, Timecop, Kickboxer, Street Fighter, Hard Target, or Universal Soldier. He also left out The Expendables 2, despite giving a strong, understated, and intimidating performance in it. Unfortunately, that sequel is now often unfairly compared to the much weaker The Expendables 3 and Expend4bles.
5) Lionheart
Lionheart doesn’t quite stand out compared to some of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s other early movies, like Bloodsport and Kickboxer. It’s not as good as Bloodsport, but it’s a bit better than Kickboxer.
In this film, Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Lyon Gaultier, a member of the French Foreign Legion who deserts to see his ailing brother. He discovers his brother died after a drug deal went wrong, and while the criminals were caught, his family is left with massive debts. To help them, Lyon starts fighting again, using his winnings to cover medical expenses. The plot is simple, but Van Damme shows a slight improvement in his acting compared to his earlier martial arts films.
Stream Lionheart on Prime Video.
4) Double Impact
Jean-Claude Van Damme isn’t typically compared to actors like Anthony Hopkins or Daniel Day-Lewis, and that’s fine. However, like those acclaimed performers, he’s always been dedicated to challenging himself – both with demanding physical roles and by striving to grow as an actor.
Consider the film Double Impact, where Van Damme plays identical twins, Alex and Chad Wagner. Chad is the more easygoing brother, letting Van Damme showcase his charm, while Alex is tougher and, honestly, uses some outdated slang. However, both twins are skilled fighters, giving Van Damme the chance to highlight his incredible acrobatic abilities.
3) Sudden Death
As a huge action movie fan, I always loved how many films took inspiration from Die Hard. We got some really fun stuff like Air Force One, Under Siege, Passenger 57, Cliffhanger, Olympus Has Fallen, and The Rock. Even Passenger 57, which wasn’t the best of the bunch, still had some enjoyable moments and a killer one-liner. Sudden Death falls somewhere in the middle – a bit better than Passenger 57, but not quite as good as Under Siege. Though, honestly, I think it has a stronger lead actor; Under Siege really relied on Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey stealing the show as the villains.
Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a security guard, much like Bruce Willis in his classic roles, in this action film. He’s working at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena during the Stanley Cup Finals and has gotten tickets for his kids, putting them in danger when a group of terrorists, led by former CIA agent Joshua Foss (played by the late Powers Boothe), take the arena hostage. The movie features a strong performance by Boothe and a memorable fight scene between Van Damme’s character and a villain disguised as a penguin mascot.
2) JCVD
I always get a kick out of seeing actors play themselves in movies – it’s usually hilarious! We’ve seen it a lot with comedic actors like Neil Patrick Harris in the Harold & Kumar films, Keanu Reeves in Always Be My Maybe, and Nicolas Cage brilliantly poking fun at himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Even a ton of comedy stars did it in This Is the End. But what’s really interesting about Jean-Claude Van Damme doing it is that he’s known as an action star, not a comedian, so it’s a totally different approach!
Van Damme truly shines in JCVD, delivering what is arguably his strongest performance yet. He playfully acknowledges his fading celebrity, demonstrates a level of acting skill he hadn’t been able to showcase before, and still manages to include plenty of action. Similar to his role in The Expendables 2, it’s a clever performance that proves Van Damme is the antithesis of Steven Seagal – an action star comfortable with self-deprecating humor. While Robert Rodriguez briefly tapped into that quality with Machete, even that performance didn’t display the same range as Van Damme’s work in JCVD.
Stream JCVD on Prime Video.
1) Nowhere to Run
The 1990s action film Nowhere to Run is a hidden gem that often gets overlooked. It was released when Jean-Claude Van Damme was at the height of his career, and although it did well in theaters, it hasn’t received the same attention as his other films from that time, Universal Soldier and Hard Target.
This isn’t one of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s over-the-top action movies. Instead, it’s a story about a man who unexpectedly becomes involved with a family mourning the death of their father. He’s an ex-convict, but a kind one, capable of fighting but preferring to avoid it. Van Damme plays Sam Gillen with nuance, making him a complex character who’s easy to root for. Nowhere to Run is a surprisingly good film, and may be one of Van Damme’s best of the 1990s, aside from Universal Soldier and Hard Target.
Stream Nowhere to Run on fuboTV.
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2025-11-14 04:15