Darkness of Man (2024) User Reviews

Don't expect a kickin' JCVD

[xnicofingerx · 5/10 · 24 May 2024]

The film noir poster on the wall is significant, Van Damme plays the washed-up agent with alcohol problems. The focus is on that mime, JCVD focuses on acting aspects in the autumn of acting, certainly also because physical action is only possible to a limited extent. His ambitions in all honour, but let's be honest, what is it that we want to see from him? The budget was there, that's obvious, Darkness Of Man looks good and has some nice cameos. In terms of staging, however, it overreaches itself, wanting to be more audience-orientated than it should be. Above all else, the voiceover constantly echoes with the audience, no doubt intended as a Hemingway-esque pretension screw.

Once again, the cultural enrichment through immigrants is thematised. The living conditions of the original citizens are improved by robbery, murder, receiving stolen goods, drugs, prostitution, blackmail and so on. Funnily enough, we find these officially pure fantasy products in every second action film. Just misplaced stereotypes, I'm sure.

Speaking of action, there's a little brawl every 25 minutes. But Van Damme is just a boxer, with no kick. In the last half hour, there is a categorical final revenge campaign according to the standard formula, at least the level is ok. This release will not end up in any top rating.

I was entertained!!

[innocentminds · 5/10 · 26 May 2024]

First off, if you are going into this film expecting your normal JCVD action film with high flying kicks and straight up action then stop right now because you will be disappointed, but that doesn't mean that the film wasn't enjoyable. Darkness of Man may not be a straight up action vehicle that Van Damme has released before but this film does offer entertainment and I enjoyed Van Damme a lot in this film, but the real Suprise for me was Spencer Breslin (Santa Clause, The Kid, Cat in the hat, Zoom) as his character was definitely not what I was expecting, their are also a slew of cameos, like 90210's Shannon Doughtery who had a small part in the film, legendary actor Eric Roberts actually had a blink of an eye cameo in the film and then martial arts dragon Queen Cynthia Rothrock as a Nurse in the film. The tone of this film gave a noir film feeling with a little gritty tone, the acting was good, the story was good and overall Darkness of man was a entertaining and great film. You can definitely tell that JC has more focus on acting now then anything and it shows ..

Sluggish action thriller without much of any action or thrills...

[paul_haakonsen · 4/10 · 24 May 2024]

Stumbling upon the 2024 action thriller "Darkness of Man" by random chance, and seeing that it was starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, of course I opted to sit down and watch it. Solely because it was a movie that I hadn't already seen, much less actually heard about, and for the nostalgia of watching Jean-Claude Van Damme on the screen.

Sure, I can't claim that I was harboring much of any grand expectations to "Darkness of Man", as Jean-Claude Van Damme haven't exactly been spewing out overly great movies for the better part of two decades. But hey, I opted to give director James Cullen Bressack's movie a fair chance, if for nothing else, then just for the sheer nostalgia of fondly remembering Jean-Claude Van Damme from the prime of his career.

The storyline was a bit sluggish. There wasn't really much of any momentum to the narrative and it felt like the movie was running in Neutral throughout long parts. So writers James Cullen Bressack, Alethea Hnatko-Cho and Jean-Claude Van Damme didn't exactly conjure up something overly memorable or entertaining here.

The acting performances in the movie were fair, and it is showing that Jean-Claude Van Damme is getting older, naturally. So you shouldn't expect this movie to be up to par with something like "Bloodsport", for example. There are a couple of nice appearances on the screen, albeit rather short appearances, by the likes of Kristanna Loken, Shannen Doherty, Cynthia Rothrock, Zack Ward and Eric Roberts.

While I did manage to sit through the entire movie, I was only mildly entertained. But this is definitely not a movie that will be returning to watch a second time. "Darkness of Man" was a semi-watchable action thriller, without an abundance of action or thrills.

My rating of "Darkness of Man" lands on a generous four out of ten stars.

JCVD B-movie

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 29 May 2024]

International police Russell Hatch (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is almost killed during a raid. Masked gunmen attack his confidential informant and faked her suicide. He promised to care for her son Jayden. It's two years later in L. A. Jayden is caught up in a Korean gang and Russell intervenes.

This is a crime drama B-movie trying to inject some neo-noir style. JCVD has been around for forty years and his acting has barely improved. This has a lot of narration from him and his accent is still the same. The filmmaking is mostly uninspired and the story is blandly derivative. There is one action scene where they try to make it interesting. The camera is stationed inside a van as the fight goes around the van outside. It would have been nice to have it a long uncut scene. JCVD is an older gentleman now and that may be asking too much from him.

It's time to retire for JVCD...!!!

[PANDIAN120621 · 4/10 · 21 May 2024]

Van Damme continues his late career streak of good performances, but unfortunately Darkness of Man suffers with minimal action and one of JCVD's weakest...

Van Damme is older and understandably one should not expect him to be quite as fast or agile but even taking that into account, every fight scene is rinse and repeat with Van Damme either standing in place and firing his pistol or slowly punching out one henchman at a time. This might be the only Van Damme where he doesn't throw a single kick...

The film blends elements of an out-and-out action film and an L. A. noir-themed film. The movie at its core is about a relationship and it stays true to it throughout the film... This film also needs him to do some compassionate scenes and he aces them beautifully too. His acting prowess is underrated but in this film, he shows off a whole range of emotions...

The film has many twists and turns and the final suspense is mind-blowing. The makers of the film have made sure that the storytelling and screenplay never take a backseat in this action-dominant film...

Overall the movie has nothing to offer but perhaps embrace the most iconic star of Hollywood for one last time...

A rather boring movie with a predictable plot and minimal action

[destroyerwod · 4/10 · 4 June 2024]

I know JCVD isn't exactly young anymore and i am not expecting a full blown action movie, but somehow he manage to often book himself in roles where he is meant to appear discouraged with life, depressed and bored. His best roles in his second half of his career in my opinion are the likes of Welcome to the Jungle and Enemies Closer. Movies where he plays a full of energy over the top excentric character. The depress schtick has really gotten old for me.

Now if this was the movie only low point, but its actually one of the lesser problem. This script is dull... and barely has any action. A few sluggish boring hand to hand fights, altough one ill admit use an original perspective but it looks like its made to cover up for Van Damme lack of mobibility. Then a few very uninspired and boring gun fights.

Most of the movie's tough is Van Damme monologing, drinking, and i was just so bored. I litterally watched the movie in 3 shots. I watched 40 minutes and took a break to play some online games as i was too bored, then i came back and watched another 30-40 minutes, and when i realize it would basically be more of the same til the end i just turn it off and watch the remaining part a day later.

This movie looks basically like one of those scripts in the 2010s that Nicolas Cage would say yes just because he needed the money. The kind of script that was stockpile in the "bottom DTV" pile and that just needed a recognized lead to somehow draw a few fans to it. But no... JCVD actually co-wrote it, so he really wanted to make it.

In term of esthetic the movie does not look bad or "fake" but for the minimal action there is in, i think most of the budget got into the actors and cameos.

For some reasons you have Shannen Doherty and Cynthia Rothrock showing up in some of the most pointless cameos ever, and apparently Eric Roberts was in it, but i didn't even noticed him. Kristanna Loken wich still look fantastic plays his love interest and she's actually in the movie for a decent lengh, but the character's highlight remain an underwear scene...

Its true that we will always associate Van Damme with action and spinkicks, but there is ways to make movies in an older age and remain interesting without a need for big crazy action scenes. Sylvester Stallone did it brilliantly in Tulsa King and to an axtent Arnold also made something fun and with decent action in Fubar. They are older than Van Damme as well.

Honestly for me this movie was like some of the last Steven Seagal movies he made before retiring (or being forced to maybe). A recycled predictable script, rather boring, and not even really entertaining as a disposable movie.

I will be generous and give it a 4 out of 10 because the movie was "competent" in some aspects, but its definately below average. Even for 1$ i wouldn't buy it on DVD to put it beside my other Van Damme movies. And yes its not the same in that category (We Die Young, Lukas and a few more...)

Crap of dog

[talllwoood13 · 2/10 · 25 May 2024]

If you want to hear JCVD mumble dialogue in a deep voice, trying to be sexy for the 5 or 6 women who still watch his movies. He's pretty much Dexter Morgan but drunk and incoherrant sounding. This movie has a very slow pace to the point if you're here for action you can seriously skip 35 minutes of the movie and not miss anything. I had a feeling this was going to be awful with the amount of production teams and so forth involved in it. Seriously it was like a grocery list of people involved in this.

Jayden's actor can't act to save his life. He reminded me of Denny in the cult classic The Room (2003) with Tommy Wiseau. How he got cast in a movie is beyond me.

On paper I'm sure the plot was good but the director does such a poor job of keeping any interest in this. It's like a really awful modern day noir style detective movie or something along those lines.

I've seen all the movies JCVD has been a lead in and unless the money was impossible to turn down I wouldn't have said yes to be in this one. I wanted to turn it off multiple times. Although this isn't his worst movie it's certainly in the top 3. I think it's time to retire JCVD.

Turned Out Hatch Was A Good Guy

[hasanozsoy · 4/10 · 21 May 2024]

I still can't believe I've really watched this movie. Shame on you IMDb because there was no rating since I watched it before its release date.

Van damme is playing but as if they forced him to do so.

--spoiler-- I haven't read the description before the film and it turned out Russell Hatch (van damme) was an Interpol operative at the end. In the middle of the film a black guy who looked like he's doing illegal operations closed to Hatch and offered him an operation and said he could pay back what they've done to him. Why am I saying this? Because you can't get the feeling from their acting.

----

Still can't believe I really watched it.

This was average movie, I can believe that he would rather skip recovery day and keep on fighting. That's exactly what we fight for.

[kmkevinn-64733 · 6/10 · 21 May 2024]

Set against the backdrop of a grim Los Angeles, the film weaves a complex narrative around Hatch's promise to a slain informant to protect her son, Jayden. As Hatch grapples with his own demons and the city's underworld, "Darkness of Man" delves into themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the cost of survival. While the film does not boast the high-octane action sequences of Van Damme's heyday, it compensates with a gritty atmosphere and a focus on character-driven storytelling. The noir elements are executed with a commendable finesse, adding layers to the plot and elevating the film above many of its DTV counterparts. Van Damme's performance is nuanced, showcasing his range beyond physical prowess. The supporting cast, including Emerson Min and Andrey Ivchenko, deliver solid performances that anchor the film's emotional core. The action, when it occurs, is well-staged, albeit less frequent than one might expect. The violence is visceral, with a raw edge that suits the film's darker tone. The cinematography and score complement the narrative, creating a cohesive and immersive viewing experience. In conclusion, "Darkness of Man" is a laudable effort that blends action with a moody, noir aesthetic. It may not reach the heights of Van Damme's classic works, but it stands as a testament to his enduring appeal and ability to adapt to the evolving landscape of action cinema. The substitles reminded me of JOHN WICK Substitles and the action was quite pleased, made me intense a little bit.

Limited by Poor Direction and a Lack of Realism

[Uriah43 · 4/10 · 30 May 2024]

After an informant by the name of "Esther" (Chika Kanamoto) dies while in protective custody, the Interpol agent responsible for her safety named "Russell Hatch" (Jean-Claude Van Damme) takes it upon himself to fulfil a promise he made to her to protect her son "Jayden" (Emerson Min) from the bad elements that surround him. The problem, however, is that Jayden lives with his Korean relatives who are involved in the illegal drug trade and the Russian mob is doing everything it can to muscle in on their territory. To that effect, Russell has to try to calmly navigate between these two groups in order to keep things peaceful, while at the same time, Jayden's uncle "Dae Hun" (Peter Jae) is doing his best to stir things up. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that, although the plot had definite possibilities, the overall direction left much to be desired. For starters, I didn't especially care for the narration provided by Jean-Claude Van Damme as it detracted from the movie rather than actually enhancing the overall effect. Likewise, having the main character sustain so many serious injuries within a limited span of time, only to engage in repeated fights to the death not long afterward, really strained all sense of reality. Only in Hollywood. Be that as it may, while I don't consider this to be a terribly bad film necessarily, it didn't quite realize its true potential, and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.

Damn Van-Damme!!! Great

[p-the-demon · 8/10 · 3 June 2024]

I wonder what all the negative voices expected. The film has a good atmosphere, it doesn't look cheap and Van-Damme shows again that he can act. The rest of the cast acts solidly and there is no disruptive factor. The action scenes are also impressive and are staged subtly but crisply. A particular highlight is a fight scene from the perspective of a van. Very creative and the force is literally noticeable. The days of helicopter kicks and splits are over. And somehow I'm even happy about it. Van-Damme is 63 and his roles should also be tailored to his age. For me, it's the perfect midnight film because of its neo-noir atmosphere.

Ah the voice-over!

[chand-suhas · 2/10 · 3 June 2024]

JCVD plays Russell Hatch, an interpol operative who gets ambushed during a raid while his informant Esther gets killed. Russell feels responsible for her death and vows to take care of her son Jayden who has grown up with knowing the truth behind his mother's death. Russell is close to Jayden's grandfather and gets caught between the Koreans and Russian mobs. To protect Jayden, Russell goes to the extreme by taking down the Russians. What is the actual truth behind the gang wars and is Russell being played on?

JCVD's new B-movie is just basic filmmaking with an extremely limited budget, outdated script and a dull screenplay, resorting to full blown violence after a point. The performances were pretty bad overall and JCVD too looked tired throughout, which may have been the way his character was conceived, with him being old but that doesn't mean the performance be this lethargic. One can see the twist right in the beginning and there is no need to sit through 100mins to know who the actual villain is.

Waste Life

[taurushulk · 1/10 · 9 June 2024]

Probably the worst film ever, sleepy, with too many meaningless long shots. Quite boring waste of time & life at triple speed to watch, short-sighted, trivial, pointless, precisely this is just another commercial that been originated by lunatic tobacco, drug, gangster company, acting is dreadful, ridiculous, reflecting the impoverished, unbridled cheapening of time not only caused great physical and mental discomfort to the audience, do nothing just smoking, nicotine addictive, disgusting, pointless, tiresome, terrible, senseless, dirty, filthy, fallen, childish, naive, if don't know how to make a film, just donate money, minus ten for rating.

What the heck did I just watch?

[Luv2Spooge · 2/10 · 11 June 2024]

Omg... it's bad... it's not just bad... it's... uh.. Nicholas Cage bad, if you get my drift. I mean, I have no idea what I just watched and the story that just went nowhere with jittery action scenes that were boring and predictable.

Calling this low budget would be an understatement, and the monologue? Wow... puts me to sleep. Just skip this one and put JCVD on the list of washed out actors looking to pay their rent.

I was watching this while on the computer doing my work and it still irritated me like no tomorrow. Dark, hard to see, and just boring... save yourself the time.

I think 2 out of 10 is generous.