Assassination Games

Either Jean Claude van Damme is such a major idol for Scott Adkins that it clouds his judgment in choosing roles, or he employs the worst acting agent in Hollywood. How else are we to explain why he keeps getting caught up in dull B-movie storylines in which everything except his physical abilities, which even with what little the film has to offer, are still in a dimension that defies the capabilities of mere mortals? One doesn't expect an ancient drama, but today, this sort of routine is slowly becoming unnecessary even on the shelf of video stores. [PS: Jean's violin playing is one of the most bizarre moments in the history of cinema.] (23.08.2011)

Unlike most of the galaxy, I don't suffer from that syndrome of the accidental death of the aesthetic spirit over Romanian spectacles with 90s icons at the prow, because I still see a little too much of the enthusiasm of hyperactive B-movies with their pants full of cock just from the fact that Van Damme gave them the nod in a moment of weakness, in a year they're gonna make double-digit action movies and there's no dork with a laptop and a cell phone behind their ass telling them this is too much, this is not gonna work, and that's not the way to go. Actually, Assassination Games is just its supposed seriousness trying to mask the fact that along with the signing of the contract, the creators probably got a multi-page description from Jean about how much he won't act. That's still somehow reconcilable, but I don't understand why anyone would invite Adkins and Van Damme into the film if they’re planning to shoot all their contact scenes from the waist up in half-second shots. But a relatively unscrupulous twist in the last third and palpable Klaus Kinski syndrome in the scenes between father and daughter – sorry, I meant to say lonely assassin and sexy Romanian prostitute – bump it up to three stars. (03.07.2014)