Aquila nera

Playing a cross between James Bond and Jackie Chan, Sho Kosugi is likable enough, but unlike Jackie when he does a stunt the camera is too far away from him and it's hard to know if he is doubled or not (if you stick around for the end credits, you'll discover that he WAS doubled on at least two occasions), and unlike Bond the action of the movie is limited to one location (Malta) most of the time, plus there isn't too much of it. Jean Claude Van Damme makes an awesome villain, but his two major showdowns with Kosugi are rather disappointing. In the role of a female CIA agent, Doran Clark handles her two opportunities for action capably - she should have gotten more. The funniest thing about this film is that Kosugi shows little chemistry with his on-screen kids, even though they are his kids in real life as well! (**)

Black Eagle was released a few months after Van Damme became a star with Bloodsport. The film could have made Van Damme a wash up but luckily he didn't. The martial arts chorography in the film is very sloppy and the fight scene between Sho Khogusi and Van Damme is weak. Skip this one.

Granted, this is not a great movie by any measure. Its plot, acting and direction are enjoyable but not really memorable.

And I'm no expert in martial arts movies, so I can't review Sho Kosugi and Jean-Claude Van Damme fighting performances in this flick.

But I nevertheless find it to be an entertaining and refreshing movie because:

a) It is slow-paced compared to movies churned out by Hollywood nowadays. I can't stand shaky cam photography nor "frantic" editing. I find 1980s pop-corn flicks quite relaxing.

B) It is full of nice sights of Malta, a location you very rarely see in motion pictures. Its fortifications, distinctive architecture, sunny beaches, beautiful landscapes... It's quite refreshing to enjoy the beauties of an oft-overlooked location in movie-making. Malta is the real star of this picture.

C) Doran Clark. She's a beautiful woman and quite convincing as the CIA agent "babysitting" the two kids. Why we haven't seen her in more movies is beyond me.

Terry Plumeri's gripping score deserves a mention as well.

All in all, this flick is a guilty pleasure, but for good reasons.

This not only was Van Damms' worst movie, it might have been one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I found myself fast-forwarding to the fight scenes and they were not even worth watching. Thank goodness I borrowed this from a neighbor so it didn't cost me anything except the time I wasted watching if.

I picked Black Eagle up in a shop last year because Van Damme was in it and it was cheap. The movie isn`t worth seeing due to the following reasons: 1: Van Damme is barely in it 2: Very little action 3: A poor hero 4: A poor and confusing story

But Van Damme still had some good fight scenes(which is why the movie doesn`t score 0/10 in my book), but the movie isn`t worth seeing.

2/10