Lionheart (1990) User Reviews

One of Van Damme's better, more human films.....

[lotus_chief · 7/10 · 16 September 2004]

This is one of the few films by Van Damme that stand out in my mind when I think of his 'career highlights'. All of his films are formulaic actioners, but Lionheart is one of his better films. His character is more layered here, which makes this more of a drama than most of his others. We as the audience can feel for his character and, as a result, root for him as he tries to evade his past and help what family he has left. A nice little action film, with Van Damme forced to act a little here. For his capabilities, he is convincing as Lyon. Harrison Page is very good in the film as the ex-street fighter turned confidant, and almost steals the show. A highlight of Van Damme's career.

*** out of **** stars.

Great Film

[johnnyboyz · 7/10 · 13 June 2002]

Van Damme is at his best here, it's a good film that moves at a steady pace and is almost like a Rocky/Street Fighter type film. The characters are played well and the right actors and actresses are picked for the right roles. Van Damme's trainer is great and the silent Van Damme is defiantly the best. The plot also unwinds at the right times and at the right pace. You should give this film a go.

One Of Van Damme's Best Movies

[slightlymad22 · 7/10 · 23 December 2014]

I know this movie as "A.W.O.L Absent Without Leave" but I have also seen it called Wrong Bet and Lionheart. This was one of the first movies I saw in 1990 knowing who Jean Claude Van Damme was, after previously seeing "Blood Sport" and "Kickboxer". Along with those two this helped set him on the road to stardom. Watching it today, I still think it is one of his best performances and best movies in general. Sure it's cheaply made and some of the acting is a bit dodgy but it's a lot of fun.

Plot In A Paragraph: Leon Gaultier is a deserter from the Foreign Legion arriving in New York . He finds his brother at death's door in L.A and his sister-in-law without the money needed to pay for medical care for her husband and to maintain her child. To earn the money needed, Gaultier decides to take part in some very dangerous under ground fights.

Whilst Van Damme is the star, Harrison Page steals the show as his friend/manager Joshua, I think he is fantastic. Having previously starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sly Stallone, Brian Thompson stars opposite the new action star in the block (at the time) Deborah Rennard does a fine job as Cynthia.

One of Van Damme's best

[DunnDeeDaGreat · 1 November 2002]

Lionheart is clealry one of the best movies Van Damme made in his early days. The film had good fight scenes and a nice plot. Harrison Page as Van Damme's boy provides a lot of good one-liners and Van Damme kicks a lot of ass. I give it *** out of ****.

Attractive Jean Claude Van Damme film with a sentimental and heartful plot , along with violent and bloody fights

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 19 November 2020]

Nice movie considered to be probably Van Damme's best of his first and best period from his film debut No retreat , no surrender . Here Van Damme is a French Legionnaire who deserts from foreign Legion in Africa to come to America where his drug-dealing brother has been torched by competitors . Soon after, he hits the streets and realising that his struggle skills are the only way to help his brother's wife : Lisa Pelikan and little girl daughter , as he relunctantly ties in with hustler Harrison Page to compete in violent combats promoted by an egoistic woman : Deborah Rennard who changes the tables when he fails to succumb to her advances . As many fights ensue until an exciting , touching and thrilling finale. Honor or revenge, he has no choice...When the streets are jungle...they can only be one King. Too tough to die.

Fine flick with more than a semblance of an enjoyable and agreeable story without being excessively silly , including thrills , chills, and spectacular kickboxing mayhem in smoky backstret rooms . In spite of its violence, and adding some wholly as well as corny moments , this is an acceptable yarn with interesting storyline enhanced by sentimental and feeling touches and full of freshness. Jean Claude Van Damme is pretty well as a brave hero showing his gentle side , a deserter who learns his brother has been hassled, as he attempts to help his family by illegal fighting . Support cast is charming , such as : Harrison Page as a black street drifter, gorgeous Deborah Rennard as the predatory , illegal-fight promoter who turns against him , Brian Thompson as tough henchman, and Lisa Pelikan as the good widow with a daughter, Ashley Johnson. And brief appearances from Jeff Speakman , fighter Billy Blanks as a legionnaire and producer Lawrence Bender .

The motion picture was well and decently directed by Sheldon Lettich. He is a craftsman who has written/produced/directed some nice films, most of them starred by Jean Claude Van Damme as "The Order, Double impact , Hard Corps, and Lionheart" , or performed by other hunk men as Daniel Bernhart : "Perfect Day" , Dolph Lundgren : "List Patrol" , or , Mark Dacascos : "Only the Strong". Rating 6.5/10. Better than average action picture. The flick will appeal to Jean Claude Van Damme fans.

A no brain fight film with a heart. Van Dammes best.

[axlrhodes · 7/10 · 27 March 2008]

When i saw this film i was just 15 and it touched me how Leon wanted to fight for his brothers wife and kid.The films fight scenes are well staged and when i watched the film again recently i was surprised by how much i enjoyed it.Thats the thing,its a really enjoyable film,you can harp on all day about how Van Damme isn't the worlds best actor,how the sound mix is wobbly and the film looks as though it has been churned out for TV but its a good story well executed and that is the long and short of it.Van Damme has gone on to make many a film in a similar vein but i felt it was on this production that he came off best.The trainer played by Harrison Page helps lift the film too. 8/10

One of the mighty Belgians best

[adamscastlevania2 · 7/10 · 8 April 2015]

(62%) Without doubt one of my favourite early(ish) Van Damme movies that is so much more like Street fighter the video game than the actual Street fighter film. This is nuts and bolts late 80's early 90's action B-movie fun right from the very beginning. Van Damme is on physical top form with some impressive moves from the many fights featured, the story is good simple action movie stuff, and even though this is clearly a lowish budgeted film it's always watchable and entertaining. Performance wise this isn't anything of course worth speaking of, but Harrison Page is good fun as the sleazy manager, while Deborah Rennard gets plenty of screen time wearing some of the periods' more curious fashions. Overall any true of Mr Damme should certainly check this out.

Coeur de Lion

[Prismark10 · 4/10 · 2 April 2015]

AWOL also known as Lionheart shows us Van Damme just on the cusp of hitting stardom. By this time he had a loyal following for what were low budget martial arts films that got a loyal following on VHS and did well in the fledgling satellite movie channels market.

Lyon Gaultier (Van Damme) escapes his post in Djibouti with the French Foreign Legion when his brother is set on fire by drug dealers in LA. His brother's wife rebuffs him and and two agents are pursuing him to drag him back to the Foreign Legion.

Once in the USA he stumbles into the underground fight scene which he quickly becomes successful at and soon enlists a street hustler as a manager, Joshua (Harrison Page) who gives him the nickname Lionheart.

His success attracts the attention of a fight promoter Cynthia (Deborah Rennard) who gets Lyon for several no holds barred street fights. However it seems the real action is on the side bets and although he is her champion she is not averse to betting against him.

Lyon in the meantime is trying to get money together for his sister in law and his niece for which Joshua is used to inform them that its proceeds from an insurance policy.

The film has several good action sequences allowing Van Damme to display some of his signature moves. You have fight scenes set in an underground car park and more memorably in a half empty swimming pool. The combat scenes are well choreographed with even some humour thrown in in the final segment.

The storyline is rather so-so and the script is just about passable. If in doubt the writers put some cursing in. Van Damme's acting would get better in time but here its still weak. You can see how even a few years later Dolph Lundgren would out-act him in Universal Soldier.

Still there is enough fight scenes allowing Van Damme to excel at what he does best. Rennard best known for years as JR Ewing's loyal secretary Sly in Dallas provides sassiness as the scheming fight promoter.

Great Van Damme movie!Arguably one of his best!

[Movie Nuttball · 10/10 · 20 May 2003]

Lionheart is one of Jean-Claude Van Damme's best films! Van Damme was good, classic 80s series Sledge Hammer star Harrison Page was very good.The Qissi brothers were very good and loved Abdel's character Attila!He is such a great one as I like many things about him!Brian Thompson was good as always Voyo Goric was here and look for Tony Halme AKA Ludvig Borga near the end in the big fight!The movie is never boring and boasts lots of action and great music by John Scott!If you like Van Damme and fighting films then check out Lionheart!

Routine but acceptable.

[gridoon · 5/10 · 15 October 1999]

"Lionheart" is mostly routine genre fare: a series of mildly spectacular (if thoroughly predictable) fight scenes, linked together by a tiresome (if honest) "emotional" plot. However, I've always found Van Damme much more likable than most of his "antagonists", mostly because the violence in his movies never goes over-the-top, and his likability makes this humdrum picture acceptable.

Van Damme fight film

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 19 April 2015]

Foreign Legionnaire Lyon Gaultier (Jean-Claude Van Damme) in Djibouti receives news of his dying brother. His heartless commander punishes him and he battles his way out of the base. He's a deserter hunted by the French government. He's a stowaway on a ship to America. He is surprised to find himself in NY. Joshua introduces him to underground fighting to pay for the trip to his brother's family in LA. By the time he reaches LA, his brother is already dead. His sister-in-law and her daughter are left with large medical bills. Cynthia runs the fights and he returns to the fights.

The story is pretty clunky. The writing is at a high school level. The dialog is pretty bad. The acting is pretty bad, too. Van Damme may actually be one of the better actors in this thing. Ashley Johnson gets her debut movie role and she's probably the best actor in the whole movie. This needs to kill it in the fights but they don't stand out. There is a fun one with a Scot in a kilt but it's not really enough. The fights are mostly edited poorly and lacks excitement or fun. The final fight could be good but it's put together weakly.

Up there in Van Dammage's top five flicks!

[uds3 · 22 September 2003]

Before we head off down critical trail, lets be charitable. This is a Van Damme flick - more or less its own genre, certainly sufficiently signposted for the unwary to avoid if this is not their comfort zone. Now I have to admit to a certain bias - we have almost every film Van Damme has ever made, and for the most part, on simply an entertainment scale, Jean Claude delivers the goods. (Even as late as REPLICANT)

This offering - known pretty much EVERYWHERE but the US as WRONG BET (By far the better title when you watch it) is value for money. You wanna see classical acting? go study Laurence Olivier's HENRY V. You fancy mind bending sci-fi...hell, Kubrick's 2001 ain't never gonna be topped. You want to laugh yourself senseless? go watch a Renny Harlin flick...but you want to see some serious hurting on screen...let Van Damme loose.

I am tiring of the incessant complaints that Van Damme can't act! Did he ever say he could? How many of his detractors could do any better? Could John Wayne? did anyone ever want to SEE him being anything BUT John Wayne? JCVD does a half decent job here I have to say and it strikes me as a case of "let him who is without sin" etc etc when it comes to assassinating his thespian talents.

This film has plenty going for it......namely action, conviction and courage. In the genre in which it finds itself necessarily categorised, I believe a 7 is in order!

Wrongly betted film for some JCVD fans

[videorama-759-859391 · 6/10 · 5 January 2016]

Let's call this, Wrong Bet, it sounds better. I've just watched this film again, after twenty years, and it ain't half a bad film, with some good performances, that of Lisa Pelikan, and Harrison Page. Wrong Bet's start, does seem familiar to a couple of other Van Damne flick early scenarios, as he again escapes the ugly foreign legion, and retreats to Los Angeles, amid some pit stops, as hearing his brother (involved in drug activities) is badly burnt. To help the widow and little Shirley Temple looking daughter, largely behind in rent, he partakes in underground fights, to earn some moolah. W.B has a pretty grounded story and straight forward plot and situations, where it veers more towards a drama, than the usual heavy action pics from our hunky lead. There is a quite a bit of action, but of course, it's mostly on the fighting ground, where the final fight, long and grueling, really has your attention, one of the best of it's time, where the opponent is a real beefcake of a fighter, those ones you really can't take as a human in these wrestler/kickboxer pics. This isn't a badly made film, where I was appreciative of those two performances, (Pelikan as the down on her luck widow) and Page as the limping ex fighter who partners up with Van Damne (dejavu of some other films of his, right?). But of course, the other standout is that of The Lady, the devious hot female fatale, running the underground fights, with her assistant (Cobra's Thompson- more human here). She takes VD under her wing, literally. This might not be the best one, for JCVD fans, who want to crave real action, amid explosions, and gunfire. But this movie does have heart, and quite a beautiful ending, but again, falls to average. Frequent graphic violence warning is an absolute joke.

Let The Fighting Commence!!

[diant25 · 7/10 · 21 May 2002]

Now this is just a pure stereotypical action film. If you don't like films which are just about fighting and not with an incredible storyline then this film is not for you! This film is Van Damme at his best! So if one night you don't know what to do and just fancy a film which is a bit of fun then go down to your local video rental shop and hire this video.

I gave this film a 7/10.

Stole My Heart

[nagrain · 10/10 · 29 March 2018]

I grew up as a fan of JCVD but watching this over again now in my late 30's I've got to say this is truly a good movie with good musical scores to accompany the emotions. It's not easy to understand the efforts in fighting to keep a family above grounds especially if you haven't a family of your own to provide for. Lionheart helps us to remember that there is still beauty in life worth fighting for even when life isn't fair and fills up with such ugliness. It's what we make of it, either we hide away in the dark or run into the light even if it means going AWOL. This is truly a movie I would keep close to heart, to fight when that's all you can do to keep all that you have left.

Jean Claude van damme is a hero!!

[mortezaafsharinafar-613-360138 · 1/10 · 25 December 2018]

He's the best Hollywood Actor for action movies in history !!! Just look at him in this movie!!

A Champion Fight Film!

[Lyonheart · 9/10 · 30 September 2005]

Lionheart (or A.W.O.L. - as i tend to refer to it) in my opinion is possibly Van-Dammes best film.... and yeah I'm biased! It has a very decent storyline which is realistic - especially as its set in America and features some well know actors such as Deborah Rennard, Brian Thompson and Harrison Page.

film moments . . . the fight between Gauliter and Sonny is seriously intense and even though I've watched this film on numerous occasions since 1990 it still is a great scene to watch! favorite parts of the movie is where Gaultier is insubordinate to his Commanding Officer and also the bookie at the Attila fight... "One minute to post my friend" great stuff! and for those interested in purchasing a copy Viva Video Inc. have recently released Lionheart on VCD!

The acting was better than the fighting!

[Pat100 · 6/10 · 11 March 2008]

I don't usually watch fighting films but there was nothing else on! I was surprised that a lot of the fighting was rather poorly done with plenty of the "standing around waiting to be hit" stuff.

At least we were spared any gratuitous carnage and there were a few neat moves.

The acting was quite good and the characters were well shaped and quite plausible. In spite of myself I quite enjoyed the film. The self-appointed manager was great, managing to add a comic touch while avoiding the over-done motor-mouth cliché that is now so common.

I thought that the Lion was a bit of a saintly character - especially after being incarcerated in a manly desert outpost. Maybe it effected his sexuality? The story worked out well but the ending was a bit of a cop-out

Jean-Claude's hard times...

[fmarkland32 · 4/10 · 22 May 2006]

A soldier goes AWOL to visit his dying brother, not arriving in time he finds a gig street fighting to help support his brother's widow. However this is a very dirty business and the promoters are looking to screw him over and even worse the foreign legion are after him. Jean-Claude Van Damme's most enjoyable movies were Bloodsport and Kickboxer), so in 1991 the two plots were merged and Lionheart was born.(This also owes a lot to Charles Bronson's Hard Times) While Lionheart certainly has some good action sequences, there are just too many family scenes which crowd the air with needless sentiment. Worst of all the main villain is never pumped up to the threat he poses and it's all a little too formulaic to enjoy. However Harrison Page comes off well as Van Damme's trainer and once again those fights scenes are choreographed with style.

* * out of 4 (Fair)

It made me cry

[kutuplar · 11 July 2004]

Well, I wasn't expecting such a dramatic movie, but this one really

made me cry, especially at the ending scene. The movie begins in

Djibouti, where a legionary camp is placed. The casting is wisely done.

Especially the guys which were following Lion in US. Deborah Rennard is

very cool. I think she deserved better in Hollywood. Harrison Page

perfectly fits in his role. And Van Damme... Maybe he should have made

more drama movies, he proved he is good at it. You should have this on, if you are a fan of Van Damme, I think it is his best movie, even better than Bloodsport. Well we're expecting more drama movies from Van Damme.

Wrong Bet!

[damianphelps · 6/10 · 1 September 2020]

Wrong Bet is the name of the movie as I knew it as a teen, its his great tag line in the film.

Ordinary acting, basic plot, predictable.

Great fights, good variety and delivered in a way that makes you invest in the outcome.

This is part of the JCVD golden era (if that can be claimed) he delivered many films of similar quality that kept us all entertained. MUCH better than the equivalent junk that is presented as B - movie martial art entertainment now. Today all you need is some left over UFC fighters and a few boobjobs.

Check it out

Not quite Bloodsport and not quite Hard times

[jellopuke · 5/10 · 28 October 2020]

This movie is basically a remake of Bloodsport mashed up with elements of the Charles Bronson movie Hard Times. It's not as good as either and when JCVD goes dramatic it falls flat. The fighting is jerky and sloppy but it's hardly unwatchable. Not JCVD's best, but nowhere near his worst.

"Lionheart" - Welcome to the Lion's Den

[dee.reid · 8/10 · 15 July 2007]

In the Jean-Claude Van Damme martial arts movie "Lionheart," audiences get to see a side of the Muscles from Brussels not seen in previous action films like "Bloodsport" (1988) and "Kickboxer" (1989): Van Damme acting and fighting like there's no tomorrow. I must be crazy for giving "Lionheart" such a high rating based on "acting" from Van Damme but if one can get past the phony Hollywood theatrics and the like, you can see what is very easily the best of Van Damme's early work simply because he isn't trying too hard... yet.

For the most part in "Lionheart," the flashy, impossible athleticism of the Belgian-born martial arts sensation's earlier works has been shunned in favor of straight-up no-holds-barred brawling, which is essentially what this picture is about. After his drug-dealing brother is set on fire in Los Angeles, Lyon Gaultier (Van Damme) deserts his post in North Africa with the French Foreign Legion and high-tails it to the United States to reconnect with his brother's wife and five-year-old daughter, with two agents in hot pursuit with orders to bring him back at any cost. Once here, he happens upon a bare-knuckle brawl underneath a bridge and immediately stuns the natives when he dispatches his first opponent with surprisingly little difficulty.

At this same match, he also meets Joshua (Harrison Page), a street-wise hustler who becomes Lyon's self-appointed manager and gives Lyon the nickname "Lionheart." Soon enough, Lyon's brawl becomes the talk of the tight little circle interested in such senseless "human cock-fighting," and shamelessly amoral rich-woman fight promoter Cynthia (Deborah Rennard) signs on Lyon as her champion for several no-holds-barred street fights. The arenas themselves are as ridiculous as they could possibly get - an underground parking lot, a racquetball court, a half-filled swimming pool, and a tennis court - but they get the job done in serving shameless blood-sport for the rich who are thirsty for guys beating the living daylights out of each other. At the center of it, of course, is determined Lyon, who puts aside his own reservations about fighting for the rich and focuses squarely on putting money in his family's pockets.

For all its scenes of combat and many, many missteps, "Lionheart" is very easily the best of Van Damme's early martial arts movies simply because it'll give fans of the genre what they want: maximum Van Damage and, boy, does he damage some of his sparring partners and take some damage of his own. The fight choreography (by Frank Dux, the real-life character Van Damme played in his earlier "Bloodsport") is brutal and realistic, with little flash & glitter. It's intense stuff that really captures the beauty and brutality of no-hards-barred combat.

The script, which mostly consists of four-letter words, is obviously the weakest point here. But how can you possibly expect a script authored by Van Damme himself and director Sheldon Lettich to be Academy Award-winning material? What people want to see here is fighting, although there are some heartfelt scenes between family that could probably warm the hearts of those who care to see such drama.

More gladiator combat spectacle than dramatic actioner, "Lionheart" takes us to the Lion's Den and never looks back.

8/10

Mainly of historical interest

[paradux · 7/10 · 9 May 2017]

On the positive side, JCVD at his peak did not do very many "street fight" films so if you are a fan, this is as good as it gets.

Also on the positive side, the film was immortalized in the A-list TV series SENSE8, so whenever in the far future you watch this, you are watching a piece of history.

On the downside, 1. Too long.

2. Terrible script. Characters do and say things that feel out of context and create a disconnect with the viewer.

3. Editing and direction suspect, especially for the 1990s. The film "feels" like a 1970s action flick, erratic and disjointed.

Bottom line, if you want to see the best street fight film of all time, the way it SHOULD be done, see HARD TIMES. If you want to see a film about a character who takes to the streets to settle a score, see BLOOD AND BONE.

Fun with some good action and shockingly a plot!

[no-skyline · 4/10 · 7 March 2008]

Jean Claude Van Damme stars in this action tale of a Legionere gone AWOL to sort out his families financial problems (by way of bare knuckle fighting of course). This is probably J C Van Damme's best film in terms of overall pace and plot although the dialogue and acting are still fairly clunky at times.

The action is good although I found the final fight rather disappointing, as the end opponent wasn't really that good and had some ludicrous side burns that just made me laugh (this movie is worth seeing to laugh at this guy alone). If this film had had someone with the presence of say Bolo Yeung who stared with Van Damme in Bloodsport it would have improved the movie no end as some of his opponents are a little bland. But to be honest thats just nit picking in what is a pretty fun piece of action cinema. Support acting is good Harrison Page as the manager with a heart and Lisa Pelikan as the hard up sister do well with little material. Deborah Rennard is OK as the hard nosed promoter super b**ch who just happens to look fantastic in the tiny skirts she is given to wear (does every fight promoter turn up to meetings in a bikini!?).

Overall there's not a lot to say about this movie if you like action films you'll like this, it's not ground breaking but it does what it needs to good action, reasonable plot and Van Damme's best acting performance to date. 6/10 Note - In the UK this is known as AWOL but it variously known as Lionheart and the full AWOL: Absent With Out Leave in other regions