When his brother is horrifically injured in Los Angeles, Lyon deserts his post with the French Foreign Legion in Africa to come to his aid. He travels to the United States on a freighter ship only to find himself in New York. Lyon finds his way into an underground fighting circuit in order to make some travel money where he meets a promoter named Joshua. Lyon proves himself more than capable in a fight and is soon introduced to a big-league organizer named Cynthia, who caters to a more upscale audience. Los Angeles calls, but Lyon arrives too late to see his brother alive. He agrees to more fights in order to raise money for his brother’s wife and daughter. Cynthia continues to book more skilled fighters, but Lyon handles them with ease until a brute named Attila is brought in. Attila has a record of killing his opponents and our hero may be next on his list.
Review:
In 1990, Jean-Claude Van Damme (Cyborg) was hot off his success in Kickboxer and looking to expand his acting skills. He came up with the original story and co-wrote the screenplay for Lionheart with director Sheldon Lettich (Double Impact) and together they came up with a plot that allowed the martial artist to play a dramatic role in addition to delivering numerous fight scenes. Lyon’s motivation is not revenge, but rather to help his family with the loss of his brother. Many times throughout his career Van Damme has played the stoic hero unfazed by his surroundings, but here he is a sensitive man trying to do the right thing. His acting is solid and he does a lot to carry the picture, as he appears in almost every scene.
Lionheart remains a high-water mark of Van Damme’s early work, as it allows him more opportunities to show off his skills both physical and dramatic. JCVD helped choreograph the action scenes that feature different styles of fighting. He is in top form here and shows quite a bit of the technique that would follow him throughout his lengthy career. The film does not feature a traditional villain, just a series of increasingly skilled opponents. A few years ago, Universal released a Blu-ray that was bare bones except for a trailer. Now, the MVD Collection has put together an extensive special edition that includes an extended cut of the film and several new interviews and an audio commentary. The film has a devoted fan base and members will definitely want to pick up this deluxe edition of this classic action flick.
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The supporting cast does a fine job, particularly Harrison Page (Carnosaur), who co-stars as Joshua, Lyon’s friend and manager. The two are a classic odd-couple pairing and share terrific onscreen chemistry. Deborah Rennard (Gang Related) plays Cynthia, the icy upscale fight promoter who is using Lyon for her own gains. Lisa Pelikan (Ghoulies) is Melanie, Lyon’s sister-in-law trying to keep her head above water. She initially blames Lyon for not doing enough but is soon won over by his efforts. Young Ashley Johnson (What Women Want) makes her debut as Lyon’s niece Nicole and does well in the part. She and Pelikan play well off each other and are a believable family unit. Brian Thompson (Doctor Mordrid) usually plays the heavy, but here he is Cynthia’s right-hand man Russell. His job is to be intimidating but never faces off against Van Damme.
