Lionheart (1990) was released as Wrong Bet in Australia; I never really grew up as a Jean-Claude Van Damme fan when I was a teenager and missed a lot of his movies. Now I love the guy because to me he’s endearing, even when he’s an egotist and not to mention, back in the day, he was also a freaking hunk. In recent years, Lionheart has become one of my favourite Van Damme flicks because it’s got “heart.” This is JCVD’s Rocky: it’s sentimental, it’s cornball, and I love it. Van Damme plays Lyon who escapes from the French Foreign Legion (I always remember the shot of him escaping in a jeep from the TV ads for it when I was a kid) and smuggles himself into America because his brother was torched by drug dealers. It’s not a revenge flick (his brother’s assailants are already in police custody) – instead, it’s all about Lyon earning enough money for his brother’s family by participating in underground street fighting tournaments.To be honest, the fight scenes are pretty functional, and they’re more compelling due to the variety of settings and opponents in this clandestine world where wealthy gamblers congregate and bet. With the story credited to Van Damme and him co-writing the screenplay, it’s easy to imagine this movie synthesising some of the Belgian actor’s own experiences “making it” in America. And Harrison Page is really great as JCVD’s Burgess Meredith, a hustler and a bum who becomes the hero’s manager (even giving him the titular nick-name), and I love how their relationship develops over the course of the movie. The true climax is not the big fight scene but whether his manager has believed in him enough to place a bet on him. The story allows for disappointments that remain memorable alongside the tournament victories. So many other great elements as well, such as Deborah Rennard and Brian Thompson as the villainous wealthy bank-rollers; that there’s a Pretty Woman style shopping montage for JCVD’s character; the requisite cheesecake butt shot of the Muscles From Brussels; plenty of late 80s/early 90s fashions amongst the crowd scenes; and the trademark pre-showdown rock anthem. And of course, Van Damme himself, giving a strong performance, clearly growing as an actor since Bloodsport. Available to stream on Tubi in Australia. Recommended.
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