Review: Jean-Claude Van Damme Wants His Kidney Back In POUND OF FLESH

Few do slam-bam action quite like Jean-Claude Van Damme. He’s been knocking out a variety of actioners for over the the last three decades and his output doesn’t appear to be slowing down as the big 60 looms on the horizon. Pound Of Flesh sees the Belgian deliver his unique style of hand-to-hand action in the Philippines, and while it might not be the best film in the star’s career, it is a highly entertaining piece of DTV fun.

Jean Van Damme is Deacon, a badass who travels to Manilla to donate his kidney to his terminally ill niece. However, things don’t go to plan and Deacon wakes up butt-ass naked in a bath tub full of ice sans kidney. Most people would ask ‘can he get it back in time to save his niece?’ but true Van Damme aficionados will ask ‘how much ass does he kick?’ The answer is more than enough.

The DTV world has only one true king, and that king is Jean-Claude Van Damme. The Muscles From Brussels always delivers his own kind of action and he’s never afraid to stretch himself when it comes to acting. Yeah – you read that right – Van Damme is a much better actor than most give him credit for and he once again shows impressive chops in Pound Of Flesh.

This is Van Damme’s third collaboration with director Ernie Barbarash and it’s a shame that the budget for this Canadian financed China shot and Manilla set thriller didn’t have a larger budget. The story is there but the film at times creaks under it’s own financial limitations. Some of the sets are a little plain and at times the green screen is a little shoddy. A few extra million would have gone a long way in making this look a touch more stylish.

Pound of Flesh is a fun actioner with yet another charismatic turn from Jean-Claude Van Damme. This is never going to win any wards – but how many Oscar winners do you see where the leading man does the splits whilst hanging onto the side of a moving car?

Pound Of Flesh is now available on Digital platforms.