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Jean Claude Van Damme: Five Moments That Are More Fun Than JCVD

Jean Claude Van Damme: Five Moments That Are More Fun Than JCVD

Kevin Kelly
By Kevin Kelly posted 1 year ago
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JCVD opens wide this weekend, and it’s no secret that I wasn’t a huge fan of the movie. Still, the screening I attended in Toronto was thronged with college students, howling at every mention of Van Damme’s name, so it’s safe to say that the Muscles from Brussels still enjoys a lot of popularity. It’s just unfortunate that people think that translates to JCVD being a good film. It’s not. So to swing the scales in the other direction, here are five moments from Jean Claude Van Damme films that are a lot more fun than anything in JCVD.

Cutting a rug in Kickboxer

Not only can Van Damme get his jam on (and is he playing air guitar a little bit?), he also kicks ass against all comers, without even missing a beat. The best part of the scene is the guy who snatches a bottle off the bar and breaks it, only to have Van Damme roundhouse him to the face. That guy sure didn’t look that determined, almost as if he knew what was coming.

Inspiring the troops in Street Fighter

You probably wouldn’t have expected Raul Julia, Kylie Minogue, Ming Na-Wen and Jean Claude to share the screen, but they did in this 1994 adaptation of the popular arcade game Street Fighter. Jean Claude addresses the Allied Nation troops after finding out that General Bison is holding hostages and demanding $20 billion dollars. He even does exactly what he promises in this speech: he gets in his boat, and goes to kick Bison’s ass. Patton had nothing on this guy.

Fighting himself in Double Impact

What’s better than one Van Damme? Two Van Dammes! He plays his own twin brother in this 1991 movie where they’re both out for revenge on the people who killed their parents. Separated after their parents died when they were kids, Chad was given a cushy living while Alex had to turn to petty crime to survive. Strangely, they both end up learning advanced martial arts training. In the above scene they square off against each other (’bad’ Van Damme Alex even slaps a girl!), but they eventually team up and go after their parents’ murderers. Classic Van Damme.

Vs. Chong Li in the final fight in Bloodsport

One of his first (and arguably one of his best) movies, Bloodsport follows the supposedly true events of American Frank W. Dux (Van Damme) as he goes to Hong Kong and fights in the illegal and underground Kumite match — which is a bit like UFC on major steroids. He fights through three rounds to end up against the reigning champion, and even though his opponent fights dirty, Van Damme still triumphs in the end. It’s a Rocky-like moment for martial artists everywhere.


As ‘Gay Karate Man’ in Monaco Forever

One of Van Damme’s first speaking roles ever was as ‘Gay Karate Man’ (no kidding) in the 1984 French film Monaco Forever. He has a small part as a man tooling down the road in karate wear for some reason, who gets a little fresh with a tuxedoed hitchhiker. When the hitchhiker tries to teach him some manners, Van Damme kicks the air a few times until the guy runs off in fast-motion, Benny Hill-style. His “Okayyyy” line directly to the camera is priceless.

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  • sir jorge said

    i applaud you on this post, this is hilarious. JCVD hasn’t been relvant for a long time.

  • Jess tootie said

    Blood Sport = His best movie EVER I think.

    Jess
    http://www.anonymity.cz.tc

  • Alan Riaso said

    I dont know which is gayer, they gay karate guy or the dancing clip.

  • Jeff Dunn said

    With those kind of credits, it’s no wonder his new shit sucks by comparison.

    http://IsHungLikeAHorse.com - Webmail for the Well Endowed

  • Res said

    Bloodsport is definitely my favorite Van Damme movie. Another great moment is in Kickboxer where he fights that tall Muay Thai guy.

  • Funfurde said

    You’re right, JCVD is not a good film, it’s a great film. Saw it last night at a preview screening and it practically got a standing ovation from the audience. Genius.

  • romulo said

    The best van damme movie is Nowhere to Run for sure, when he talks about penis on the table.

  • MrT said

    I can’t disagree more. It was an exciting, weird, grimy, anxious ball of mixed emotions. Sure it’s not a perfect movie, and some of it’s out of order sequencing is a bit flawed and unnecessary, but you have to admire the guy for completely departing from what we’re used to seeing, at having some good laughs at himself in the process. I thought it was unassuming and fun. And maybe the heart to heart with the audience is a bit much, as it waivers back and forth between earnest to overdone…but in the end you appreciate it. Honestly, what was anyone expecting going into this movie? Not much, which is why I think it comes off as enjoyable as it did.

  • Dan said

    Its good, but Im not quite sure how you can leave out the scene where he creams his jeans in Replicant.

  • Thanksgiving « Darkness Bound said

    [...] encore they’ll try to prove that black is white and get killed at the next zebra crossing. -This is a good article… and by the way, JCVD is playing the Belcourt soon. -When you can’t [...]

  • Six Down, Twenty Six to Go « Darkness Bound said

    [...] encore they’ll try to prove that black is white and get killed at the next zebra crossing. -This is a good article… and by the way, JCVD is playing the Belcourt soon. -When you can’t [...]

  • claudio pereira pires said

    hi i´m claudio i ever like of filmes of van damme the my dream is see the van damme in people.jcvd forever.

  • Adam said

    How could you hate Jean Claude Van Damme?

  • Shawn said

    DOES IT REALLY GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS? WOOOOOOOWWW1W

  • brendo said

    is there any way to un-digg an article? JCVD was better than Citizen Kane.