6 Bullets

Jean-Claude Van Damme has decided that his career is not yet over and that he will do something about it. Besides appearing in The Expendables 2, where he was, for some, the only one who truly acted, and a few years ago starring in JCVD, where he told his own story and acknowledged that while he can act, he never really sold it, he has now made a new film, 6 Bullets. It’s not a film that is radically different within its genre, but it still has certain positives that make it very watchable. The hero is definitely not a good guy; he has his moments, but when he’s in action, he’s still the tough guy we want. Although this is Van Damme using guns more than kicks, that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t suit another role. He gets by without kicks; he’s simply a guy who has what it takes. 6 Bullets features a rather cliché story that doesn’t try to be anything more. A family’s daughter is kidnapped to be sold to a wealthy sheik. Van Damme plays a hesitant mercenary who, despite this cliché, is still tolerable, mainly because, with age, you simply believe him in this role. He doesn’t unnecessarily draw attention to himself when he doesn’t need to, but he also allows other actors to shine when necessary. Personally, I’m glad to see old legends returning in a good light, and their films are quite tolerable. (28.02.2013)

The butcher is the best character that Jean Claude Van Damme has played in the 21st century. An amazing, not at all B-grade movie chock-full of action (which might stutter a bit, but not as much), featuring an interesting story and most of all, a perfect execution that Ernie Barbarash really took the trouble with. The movie might be taking place in Kishinev, but I must say that the sets are absolutely amazing. Kishinev doesn’t look too shabby and finally, there’s some different European country in a movie. Sure, the Moldavians might be enraged that the director made their country into one big warehouse of stolen children that are just transiting to be sold in Russia, but the movie was so well-made that they might even swallow that rage down. In any case, every bad person who appears in the movie is Russian anyways. Unexpectedly. No, really. This movie’s great. Apart from Jean Claude Van Damme, there’s also a great performance by Joe Flanigan whom I’ve liked a lot since Stargate and I was also quite okay with Jean Claude’s son, Kristopher Van Varenberg. This was one of the best Van Damme’s movies of the modern day and I must say that I’m sensing a future classic. Finally, a movie I know I’ll definitely watch more times over, right after In Hell and Until Death. What’s more, when it’s on TV, I’ll always be watching. That’s how much I liked it. (06.11.2012)