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Overall Rating : 5.5/10
Directed By : Simon Fellows
Jean-Claude Van Damme (Bloodsport)
Stephen Lord
Stephen Rea (The Reaping)
Rachel Grant (The Purifiers)
Supplied By : Sony Pictures
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : Apr. 17, 2007
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| PLOT Anthony Lowe, a down-and-out detective who is addicted to heroine and whose day always seems to go from bad to worse, is coming off of a drug deal in which two officers were killed and the primary villain, the drugs, the money and the surveillance tapes are still at large. He is also dealing with his wife, who has just informed him that she is pregnant - but the child is not his. After a gunfight, Lowe comes very close to death and falls into a coma. While on the road to recovery, Lowe finds himself in a very personal battle to make amends with his kidnapped wife and to avenge his assailant once and for all! |
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| THE REVIEW UNTIL DEATH pits action star Jean-Claude Van Damme in a different kind of role, and in a different kind of movie. In the film, Van Damme, is Anthony Stowe, he is a Detective, but he hides a serious heroin addiction on the side - his colleagues also don't seem to like him much as he he was once on the other side of the law assisting a crime boss by the name of Gabriel Callaghan - and to make things worse his wife Valerie is pregnant by another man. Now that he is part of law enforcement, he finds himself pursuing Callaghan, and when one assignment goes bad in which officers were killed, Stowe finds himself targeted by Callaghan and his men. Feeling a bit responsible for Callaghan being still at large, despite his captain's orders to bring along a partner, he goes it alone. On one such occasion in the end is ambushed and shot at point blank, the result leaving Stowe in a coma. The film takes a turn into the dramatic field when they bring home Anthony to recuperate - thus making his soon to be ex- wife reconsider things. Stowe once again recovers, plus a few minor impairments, when his wife is kidnapped he is forced to participate in one final battle with his nemesis Callaghan. I have always liked Jean-Claude Van Damme and his films, and never pass up the opportunity to see one of them. Despite what many may think about him, I think Jean-Claude is a charismatic entertainer. Sure his films used to be played theatrically and yes that hasn't happened in awhile - while most of his films usually hit DVD shelves now-a-days and most are just mediocre at best. Before viewing this I expected such a film, the usual film starring Van Damme with a plot that seems to have been schemed up just to place Van Damme in a few action scenes and for no better reason other than that. While his latest films seem to have plots that are meaningless, I was surprised to find that UNTIL DEATH has a plot that is pleasantly solid and well written. For those of you expecting to see the hand to hand combat ass kicking style Van Damme, I am afraid that you will have to refer to his older flicks from now on. I am under the impression after seeing this one, that Jean Claude has now realized that his age is now a factor and that he can no longer do what he used to. Unlike Steven Seagal who chooses to hide his "rolls" under a trench coat and hire the help of a stunt double to give off the illusion that he is kicking someone's ass, Van Damme chooses to keep it real. With Van Damme seemingly toning down his action participation, it looks as if he is giving the rest of his concentration to acting and his overall performance - and if his performance here is not a good indication of that, I don't know what is. Van Damme, for once gets to show that he is more than just an action star, he can act pretty decently too. The filmmakers here give him a broader avenue here to show a different side of himself - the action is there, but at a minimum, the rest a suspenseful drama, so when it came down to it Jean-Claude Van Damme was the sole performer that the film relied on to make or break this film - and I must say, that surprisingly he showed a great bit of diversity and realism that we usually don't see from him. With all of this said, I was really surprised with UNTIL DEATH, most importantly by how well it was written. Still not the greatest, seeing as some performances were better than others - as I mentioned Jean-Claude doesn't partake in any hand to hand combat, but there are multiple shootouts, and like the acting some are better than others in that area as well. With direct-to-video action flicks, it is virtually hit or miss when renting or buying one of these films(believe me i've seen a lot of misses I can assure you), but sometimes a film will come along that is not quite up to par for a theatrical release, yet it still worth a watch on DVD - I feel that UNTIL DEATH is such a film... |
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| GORE
METER 3.5/10 There are quite a few bloody gunshot wounds, that I can recall. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 4.5/10 At times the film sports a nice blend of music, it starts with synthesizer-like beats and later ventures on to peaceful ambience. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM With the whole mess of action films that come out these days, and most of them being not too far from disposable - it is nice for one to come about and have a well-thought script. While still not revolutionary or anything for that matter, it is evident that UNTIL DEATH was well crafted. It is also refreshing to see that Jean-Claude Van Damme is being logical when it comes to his film work and not hiding behind a charade of things that worked for him in the past, like Steven Seagal. whose last few films have been nothing but forgettable. I recommend this one, especially if you are a Jean-Claude Van Damme fan, it has some slow moments, but it is it's many good ones that make it worth watching.... This DVD will be released on April 24, 2007 |
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