While most moviegoers look to Jean-Claude Van Damme as a martial artist with a funny accent, JCVD represents more to many action fans. His filmography begins with a show from the 80s and 90s, but in recent years has become more self-conscious, finally getting comfortable in his vulgarity.
So instead of focusing on what he isn’t, let’s take a look at ten of the greatest stunts and sets Jean-Claude Van Damme has ever produced.
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The Fight Against Chong Li (Bloodsport 1988)
All of Bloodsport should be on this list, but one particular scene pushes it to the top: the final battle with Chong Lee, where Frank Ducks finally pulls it all together and avenges everyone. It’s brutal to the point where you start to wonder if Van Damme and Bolo Yung tried to take their punches and kicks. And this fight is truly a masterpiece of martial arts filmmaking.
A Dance And A Fight (Kickboxer1989)
This is probably one of the most famous Van Damme moments of all time, and there’s a reason people still talk about it. Kickboxer is an otherwise violent film that focuses on hardcore training montage and brutal ring fighting. A dance scene in which Van Damme shows that he can get into the rhythm and defeat the villains with one move. It’s his karate skill mixed with his ballet training. And that gives him an elegance that few other action stars can emulate.
Van Damme, The One-Man Army (Universal Soldier: Regeneration 2009)
For a glimpse into what makes Jean-Claude Van Damme such a great action star, take a look at the last 15 minutes of Universal Soldier: Regeneration. In one long scene, Van Damme destroys an entire army. First he mows them down with his gun; when it’s over, he switches to the knife, and then to his bare hands. He ends this fight by killing his old enemy (Andrew Scott Dolph Lundgren) and then killing the new bad guy played by Andrey Arlovsky.
Fighting The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Mascot (Sudden Death 1995)
Sudden Death may be one of Van Damme’s most underrated films, and it’s a shame because it contains one of the most quintessential JCVD scenes ever filmed: his fight with the Pittsburgh Penguins mascot, action and drama that never gets taken in. take yourself too seriously. There are multiple punches and kicks to the mascot costume that somehow damages the villain inside the furry armor.
Splitting On A Kitchen Counter To Avoid Being Electrocuted (Timecop 1994)
Van Damme also enjoys doing the splits for other reasons: he does it for the audience’s enjoyment in “Double Impact” and he does it for training purposes in “Double Impact”. … every one of his films, more or less. At Timecop, this is a lifesaver. When the bad guy corners him with a taser and the floor is flooded with water, his only choice is to split open on the kitchen counter.
Fighting Mickey Rourke In A Roman Coliseum Surrounded By Land Mines (Double Team 1997)
Van Damme, trying to save the child, must fight Mickey Rourke, where mines are buried in random places. Besides, the tiger is on the loose, and he should lead Dennis Rodman to action movie respectability. This makes for one memorable scene, especially when he completes it by defending himself from a lethal blast with a cola machine.
Biting The Tail Off A Rattlesnake To Use It As A Booby Trap (Hard Target)
And now for the craziest thing Van Damme has ever done: encountering a dangerous rattlesnake in Louisiana Bay, he grabs him by the throat, knocks him unconscious, and leaves him in a tree as a trap for the people hunting him. And the craziest thing is that it works. It really is too iconic not to mention.