Darkness of Man
review by Bobby Blakey
I am an unapologetic Jean Claude Van Damme fan. I will watch anything he does and of course recognize some haven’t worked. With a resume including great action films including Bloodsport, Lionheart, Timecop, Hard Target, Replicant and so many more, he can bring the action with the right project. His latest film Darkness of Man features a great supporting cast including Kristanna Loken, Emerson Min, Spencer Breslin with Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones and Shannen Doherty from Fortress director James Cullen Bressack at the helm.
Darkness of Man follows Russell Hatch, a washed up, former Interpol operative who vowed to protect the son of an informant killed years earlier in a raid gone wrong. When merciless street gangs start an all-out turf war and the kid is caught in the middle, Hatch will stop at nothing to keep him safe and fight anyone who gets in his way.
To say I was excited to get a new Van Damme movie is an understatement. I don’t have the delusion of getting the old stuff but have still kind of dug some of his more recent grittier action dramas. This latest film embraces the dirty underworld it is dealing with bringing kind of a noir action drama to the forefront complete with narration from Van Damme. The movie itself was good for what the story they are telling with Van Damme doing a pretty good job, but the narration part doesn’t always work.
The film is a bit all over the place at times with some characters weaving in and out of the film with some being important to the story and others blink and you will miss it cameos. While cool seeing the likes of the lady dragon herself Cynthia Rothrock and Eric Roberts show up it was kind of distracting as well as they were literally just there and served no purpose outside of the throwaway character they played. Even some of the main players aren’t given all that much
to do with Van Damme and Spencer Breslin getting the meat of it all.
The film doesn’t bring the action style Van Damme fans really love but they still bring plenty of it. The action that is here works fine and makes more sense than the high-flying kicks of the muscles from Brussels is known for. Despite being in his 60s Van Damme can still carry an action sequence like only he can and fun to watch. Obviously if you aren’t a fan of him this film won’t likely change your mind, but there is some depth to the old school action flick that works and keeps this hardcore Van Damme fan happy.
While this film isn’t breaking down any new walls in the action genre it was still entertaining enough and will no doubt find its audience in the hardcore fans of the genre and the man himself. Decide for yourself and check out Darkness of Man when it hits digital on May 21st from Saban Films.