Jean-Claude Van Damme: Karate King

A brisk, affectionate rise-and-fall portrait that mixes nostalgic action clips with candid talk, easy to dip into and oddly moving.

Directed by

Olivier Monssens

Genres

Documentary

Starring

Claude Goetz, Philippe Graton, Michel Qissi

Overview

An American low-budget action film celebrated an unexpected worldwide success in 1988: "Bloodsport". With its, the world of film fans and martial arts cinema discovered a new idol: Jean-Claude Van Damme. In the 1970s there was Bruce Lee, but at the end of the 1980s a Belgian won the day. Van Damme was a karate master and had unparalleled strength and flexibility. For ten years he was one of Hollywood's hottest action stars. But excessive overconfidence and drugs bring him down again. At home in Europe he becomes a laughing stock on talk shows. Only with "JCVD" does he manage to get back on his feet, playing his character with perspective and self-irony, but without ever giving up the reputation that his action films brought him and which has been a cult for several generations. The highs and lows of his eventful life are told through archive footage and contributions from people close to the popular Belgian actor.

How it feels

Melancholic, warm, cynical and earnest. Brisk and easy to follow.

About

Celebrity, ambition, redemption, addiction

Content

Mild violence, sexual content and language. No gore.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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