MVD Rewind Collection: Lionheart (1990) - Reviewed

Images courtesy of MVD Entertainment Group

MVD Entertainment Group’s Rewind Collection moniker in conjunction with their 4K LaserVision Collection line consisting of 80s-90s films have made a concerted effort to not only publish Jean-Claude Van Damme films on Blu-Ray as well as 4K disc such as Knock Off and Double Impact, but now they’re putting out his two 1990 features Death Warrant and Lionheart.  Though made for different studios by different writer-directors, both movies debatably arrived at the peak of the martial-artist’s commercial height when he wasn’t reaching superstardom but absolutely was moving his way into the family photo of brawny machismo driven action adventurers shared by Schwarzenegger, Stallone, Norris, Seagal and more.  Among Van Damme’s most recurring creative collaborators was writer-director Sheldon Lettich who wrote but didn’t direct Bloodsport before going on to do Lionheart and Double Impact. 

 
While their edition for Death Warrant replete with a slipcover, reversible sleeve art and a mini poster was indeed nice, their new 4K limited edition for Lionheart is really very nice with so many archival extras largely filmed in 2018 as well as original press kit materials it’ll take you even longer to go through them all than the film itself.  Featuring two different cuts of the film with the original theatrical version offered as a special feature on the Blu-ray disc as well as the director’s cut, it features six extended video interviews with many of the creative players involved including director Lettich and JCVD who co-authored the screenplay with Lettich.  Presented in 1.85:1 with HDR encoding on the transfer, Sheldon Lettich’s modern day sort of reworking of Walter Hill’s Hard Times by way of, good God, No Holds Barred of all things, is widely regarded as the film which finally broke JCVD into the mainstream as a leading action hero.

 
Lyon Gaultier (JCVD) is a French Foreign Legionnaire who upon hearing of his brother’s violent drug-deal related death in Los Angeles deserts the Legion escaping through the barren desert grounds to a cargo ship which transports him to New York City.  Tailed by fellow soldiers intent on picking him up for court martial, he gets involved in illegal street fighting by happenstance.  Running into and befriending an old Black tramp named Joshua Eldridge (a wonderful Harrison Page) who becomes his manager, he is introduced to femme fatale Cynthia Caldera (Deborah Rennard) who holds fights for the wall street elites and wants to sponsor Lyon as her next fighter.  Dubbing him Lionheart, the stage is set for him to smash his way through numerous opponents for pay.  Unbeknownst to his military pursuers and the sex starved Cynthia, Lyon’s real aim is to raise money from the fights to support his sister-in-law Helene (Lisa Pelikan) and niece Nicole (Ashley Johnson).  Jilted by Lyon’s fending off of her advances, Cynthia decides instead to turn up the heat on her prize fighter by betting on an opponent who has killed before.

 
Kind of a modern day updating of Hard Times, kind of a continuation of the evolution of the JCVD screen persona including some chances for him to emote and mostly leaving room for supporting actors Harrison Page and Deborah Rennard to really shine, Lionheart is another one of those movies with love behind the punches.  Though at times contrived with the bumbling idiot legionnaires chasing Van Damme down, playing for comic relief as well as the over-the-top sultry fight manager who keeps trying to seduce him at all times, Van Damme for what its worth makes it work and is aided throughout by an understated and quietly powerful Harrison Page.  Featuring a rousing score by Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes composer John Scott and striking low key cinematography from Night of the Creeps cameraman Robert C. New, the look and sound of Lionheart presented on the disc in 1.85:1 widescreen with LPCM 2.0 stereo is relatively strong with a crisp grain heavy image.

 
As with Death Warrant, Lionheart produced and released within the same year at roughly an equal budget of $6 million went on to take in a remarkable $24 million in domestic ticket sales alone.  Neither film was particularly well reviewed by the critical establishment but both helped usher in JCVD as one of the integral players on the Murderer’s Row of 80s action players.  The LaserVision 4K disc housed in the slipcover designed to look very like a worn sticky label of a CED SelectaVision disc which is starting to peel off and wrinkle underneath is an enticing looking package albeit with the same circular box art on the front.  Fans of the film won’t know where to begin with all of the near bottomless extras as well as alternating between either the US cut or the international version retitled A.W.O.L.: Absent Without Love.  So much to choose from for the well informed along with the uninitiated, MVD Rewind Collection’s sister package to Death Warrant not only is a strong release in its own right but it makes a great double feature if you feel like going down the JCVD rabbit hole but aren’t sure where to start.

--Andrew Kotwicki