The Order

I just finished watching this movie and I have to agree with one of the other user comments: Van Damme's acting is definately getting better. He can actually handle more than two words and some grunts. I think he's still got a lot of room for improvement, but the acting is definately not such a joke anymore. I also thought the action was good in this. One thing I didn't like about Replicant was the amount of action. It only had a bit at the beginning and end and they didn't do enough with it, it was too short. The Order, on the other hand, had plenty of action from start to finish. Definately the way to go for a Van Damme movie. I mean, isn't that why people watch them? Anyway, I gave this movie a six. I think it's definately worth more than the 4.6 it has now. As with all Van Damme movies, don't go watch it with high expectations, just sit back and enjoy it for what it is: brainless action. On that scale, it certainly delivered.

p.s. is it just me, or is Van Damme not as big as he used to be? Maybe it was just the lighting :)

These days, I never know what to expect from a Van Damme film. Is it going to be the old high-kicking style, the awful Dennis Rodman-era stuff, or completely different ("he's an actor!") stuff like his most recent and very good film "The Replicator."

I had the same reservations about "The Order". What to expect? Well, the answer is somewhere in the middle. For Van Damme it's a return to his fighting roots with plenty of martial arts and action with less emphasis on acting (which is a good thing).

The plot is a bit lofty, but moves very quickly with some genuinely good fight sequences. The characters, while not Oscar material, are interesting in their own way and include a very sexy leading lady (in tight tube tops!), the guy from "X-files" as a villain, and Charlton Heston who plays a spunky old professor and gets killed far too quickly.

While there may be a few too many things going on (ie. a secret sect, a bomb, a buried treasure, a kidnapping, a heist, an expensive egg, etc.), overall, this film provides good comedy-action entertainment and is not a bad way to spend two hours. Just leave your thinking cap at the door, buy an extra-large tub of popcorn, and enjoy. 4/5 Stars.

This movie is an action comedy. I don't it really was supposed to be a serious action movie. Most people criticize the movie, claiming that it didn't deliver and the fact that it wasn't one of Van Damme's worst movie. In respect to the movie, it is a action comedy in a lighter aspect. I admit though, the movie did have its flaws, and some of van damme's dialogue was too simplistic and cheesy. However, the had its moments, and van damme is still in top shape. I also liked how Van Damme used some of his old co-stars from previous movies (The Quest, Cyborg). Overall, this movie should satisfy any van damme fan. This movie could've produce a lot more, and the Charlton Heston character was unnecessary.

Final Judgement: **1/2/****

Well, I'm a fan of Van Damme & always will be. I rented this 1 after really enjoying REPLICANT, which was Van Damme's darkest film. I'll be buying this when it comes to buy on video. The action scenes with Van Damme were good, its great 2 see him in action again. I was happy when Van Damme did his helicopter kick in a fight in the end. It also was cool 2 see the big Mongolian guy from THE QUEST in this 1 & that bad guy from DOUBLE IMPACT with the ninja-star shoes. But I will complain about that the movie was edited badly at several parts. & the big bomb explosion was quite fake due 2 stupid CGI. & Van Damme trying 2 b funny at times was kind of a dumb idea. Overall this film was good but not great like his earlier films. Its decent effort. S. Lettich directed this, but LIONHEART & DOUBLE IMPACT were better films.

Honestly, I bought this movie at Wal-Mart, as it was in the $5.50 bin and it looked like something that I would enjoy making fun of. It sat around for quite a while before I eventually popped it in to view it and to have a field day making fun of it. However, I didn't hate it. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. Yes, the film is filled with all sorts of different action cliches, but it is an enjoyable film if you don't try to analyze it and just enjoy it for what it is. The film has some good heart to it and the filmmakers themselves give off the impression that they enjoyed making this movie too. I would not advise anyone to go out of their way to see this, but if you stumble onto it, watch it with low expectations and you won't be let down.