The picture concerns an Afghanistan/Irak veteran (Jean-Claude Van Damme) , he's living at hospital when is hired as a bodyguard . He must protect an ex-heavyweight champion , now a building magnate (Adoti) and his sister (Vivica A. Fox) against a dangerous rapper recently out of prison . The war veteran sets up an experienced team (Mark Griffin , among others) called ¨Hard Corps¨ to save menaced ex-boxer .

This movie direct to video packs violent action , suspense , shoot-outs , boxing and martial art fighting and results to be quite amusing . Suffering Van Damme plays finely a sad and affected veteran , splendid Vivica A. Fox as enjoyable sister who falls in love for him and the brother played convincingly by Adoti who acted along with Jean-Claude in his former film ¨Second-in-command¨ . The movie is pointlessly energetic , occasionally fun and entertaining and for that reason will appeal to real devotee Van Damme . It's produced in middling budget by Pierre Splenger who produced last films of Steven Seagal and Van Damme . The movie was professionally directed by Sheldon Lettich. He spent several years in the US Marines Corps , including a time in Vietnam war . Lettich is filmmaker of Van Damme previous hits such as ¨The order¨ , ¨Double impact¨,¨Lionheart¨ ; furthermore , he is author of hunk men vehicles such as Daniel Bernhardt : ¨Perfect day¨ , Dolph Lundgren : ¨List patrol¨, and Mark Dacascos : ¨Only the strong¨. Rating : Acceptable and passable .

I wouldn't say I had high expectations for this film since it's a straight to DVD release starring you know who . The director is however Sheldon Leith who did make LEGIONAIRRE which is the by far the best of Jean Claude Van Damme's action adventure movies . After seeing it I possibly expected too much and if you're someone who watches JCVD to see himkick butt you'll be disappointed too

This treads the path that sees a Jean Claude Van Damme film have its star become more and more sidelined . DRAGON EYES from 2012 barely featured Van Damme and was more concerned with a pumping soundtrack and some bad ass homies . This movie is a precursor to that sort of movie . The longer the film continues the more and more sidelined Van Damme's character Phillipe Sauvage becomes . It's also very noticeable the longer the film continues the more interested it becomes in the hip hop soundtrack , bad ass gangstas dissing each other with right on street lingo so much so that Savuage is redundant at the end , so much so you're left feeling cynical that JCVD was cast because he is a known name That said THE HARD CORPS does contain a scene that caused me to laugh out loud . The scene is set in a hospital where a woman is interviewing a woman injured in a violent attack

" Can you tell me who did this ? "

" Mmmmm " " I,m sorry I didn't catch that "

[ Mumbling louder ] " " MMMMMMMMMM "

Like I said it made me laugh but you can't help thinking it was made as a dramatic scene rather than a comical one

...no one was as bad as this one. Well, maybe Cyborg. Van Damme have never been a great actor, but this film takes the goddamn price! He seems bored throughout the entire movie, even in the fight scenes, where he usually seems engaged. Either Van Damme was forced to act in this movie or he has grave economical problems. Thats my theory.

It don't get any better when the plot is a ridiculous, laughable attempt to bring Van Damme into the "modern" world. 10-20 years ago, it was Sci Fi and karate the Van Damme-fans wanted. I'm not one of them, but I do think that they want the exact same thing today. Thats why this is so ridiculous. Van Damme has to act as a bodyguard to a boxer who is threatened by a rapper, who just got out of prison. I'm not trying to be a racist or so, but I take the plot as a failed attempt to attract the black audience. It is just so obvious that Van Damme don't belong in this movie. But on the other hand, if they would have hired somebody else to have the leading part, I don't think that anyone would be interested. So they hired Van Damme to get some extra viewers and voilà! A big hit and more Van Damme-fans! Thats what they thought. To be honest, I don't think this movie accomplish anything, but to disappoint Van Dammes fans.

Mr Van Damme, I insist you make another Street Fighter or Hard Target. Those movies you could at least laugh at.