Black Water

Everything about this movie is grade C, from props, sets, direction, story, action etc. If anything it is trying to bring Van Damme back to life but unfortunately there is not much of that left in him. The guy can hardly move now and so should avoid attempting to relive his past. Unrealistic shootouts and action scenes seal the fate of this movie.

One for JCVD/80s action fans for sure, but this film really delivered a whole lot more than I was expecting!

It's a little slow to begin with, not due to lack of action, but because the storyline takes a little while to develop. Just accept 'Good Guys vs Bad Guys' and then you can enjoy the story. The plot is fast paced and keeps you interested until the very end, and for the most part the acting is at a good enough standard. Visually it is quite impressive, which is a shock considering other non-blockbusters categorised alongside this one.

Martial arts and gun fights galore, this is really all you'd expect from this genre. The suggested split billing of Van Damme and Lundgren is very misleading, this is 100% a JCVD film with Lundgren popping up along the way. They're cheesy together, yes, but the chemistry is good.

Finally, don't expect any reality. I'm not an expert on submarines, but I'm pretty sure that amount of machine gun fire is less than ideal for ones integrity.

I've never seen such a ridiculous movie in my life. The guys were machine-gunning inside the submarine, the woman was shot through the flames, and continued the film through to the end. Damme, with that scene of not being able to see, used it 3 times. Tough history, no plot, no good pictures, no nexus. A trash. Damme did a bad job with this movie, it was a very close career.

Van Damme remains likable even looking beat up and half-way over the hill from the start; in his classic style he takes a beating but can't be stopped. Wonder how long he thinks he can play opposite these young tasty chicks. There's no real "acting" per se as all the characters are pretty much hyper-idiotic; Dolph's part is relatively small but adds a fun element and another half way over-the-hill anti-hero. Entertains mostly as a spoof/parody.

There's probably just enough here to please fans of Van Damme and Lundgren, but it's not a big stand out entry in either of their later careers. That said It is still well worth watching. James Welch Henderson, Arkansas 2/20/2021