BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

BeSummers Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

Brainsbell The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Leofwine_draca THE HARD CORPS is a film I'd like a lot more if it wasn't for the subject matter. It's a film that looks good, seeing Van Damme team up once more with director Sheldon Lettich, with whom he made some cheesy classics back in the day (such as DOUBLE IMPACT), which are still personal favourites of mine. There are some decent action scenes sprinkled around, including a great bit where our hero machine-guns a car and has a fist fight with a younger, fitter opponent, reminding us that he's still got 'it'.But for too much of the running time, the film gets bogged down in the storyline surrounding a black boxer and the man who vows to have him killed. Too many 'gangsta' stereotypes creep into the script, especially at the climax, so that this resembles nothing more than one of those poor Seagal movies.It's not totally without merit, though. Van Damme isn't required to act much here, as in other, recent movies, but he's still fun to watch. The (few) action scenes are fun, and I like Lettich's direction. I just wish that they'd gone for a better script rather than desperately trying to appeal to the young, black, male crowd.

ivo-cobra8 Disclaimer: If you are a viewer that mainly prefers art-house-type movies, then you might as well ignore this review. In addition, if you're not able to take a Van Damme underrated, a solid good action flick from Sheldon Lettich, ignore this review, as well. We'll both be better off.The Hard Corps (2006) is another solid underrated action flick from Van Damme that I like! I like this movie for what it is! Again folks this is what I was talking about: Steven Seagal's The Keeper (2009) ripped off and stole the idea from this movie! Steven Seagal can not be original, he is a fake, fat actor that I hate! The Keeper (2009) sucked ass! Manny people put my review down, because that I have stated that it suck. Watching The Hard Corps I was very surprised because I love Van Damme and idea from an American soldier who fought in Iraq must assembles a team of bodyguards to protect a former boxer and his sister. I already saw the idea from Seagal in The Keeper! In The Keeper (2009) Seagal is an L.A. Cop who is forced to retire from his duty's as a cop and he fly's to San Antonio helping and been a bodyguard of the daughter of a wealthy businessman his best friend and her boxer boyfriend. The same story that was ripped off from this movie The Hard Corps (2006), just the keeper made a lousy job, making an awful not entertaining movie that I just hate! After reading some reviews I see a lot of people hate this movie I don't! I think is an underrated, a good action movie from Van Damme and Sheldon Lettich! I know this movie is not a brutal, or violent like was Wake of Death (2004), but I still don't think it is a bad movie. Razaaq Adoti who plays Wayne Barclay a retired ex world champion boxer, he at least was a boxer in this movie and he kicked and fight with Van Damme, he wasn't a chicken, like Arron Shiver was, who played Mason Silver a boxer, Nikita's boyfriend, who soled her out and was a drug addicted. Sorry but I like The Hard Corps, I know is not that good, but Is still a good direct to video movie. At least I could know what the story is in this movie! Army veteran Philippe Sauvage (Jean-Claude Van Damme) assembles a team of bodyguards to protect former boxer Wayne Barclay (Razaaq Adoti). Complications arise when the boxer suspects his sister Tamara Barclay (Vivica A. Fox) may be romantically involved with the bodyguard.The story is straight forward with JCVD protecting a former boxer from an ex convict the boxer helped put behind bars. But the film rounds out a number of characters, including a straight-arrow nephew of the bad guy, and members of Jean Claude's group of bodyguards he calls "The Hard Corps". There are some neat character moments, like one of the Hard Corps' awkward response to a fist bump, and multiple relationships that start rocky but end in friendship – I know this is clichéd, but I always liked that formula. Jean-Claude Van Damme is great as a tortured war vet who fought for 3 years in Afghanistan and Iraq before being discharged after taking the blame for a school full of children being blown to bits by a terrorist in Iraq. There is some creative editing depicting his post traumatic stress syndrome, including cuts to gunfire while he's casing a club. It gives the viewer the same confusion that Van Damme's character has in trying to distinguish the beats of the music to the sound of gunfire.The main bad guy is fearsome with a bunch of man-eating dogs. He stabs one man and feeds his liver to the dogs, which was pretty cool. You don't see man-eating dogs much in action movies anymore. The action scenes are few and far between in the first half, but once they come in the second half they're furious. Pretty much one main character dies per action scene and plenty of bullets fly throughout. I was disappointed at first that JCVD wasn't hand-to-hand fighting as much, but toward the end of the second act there's a huge fight between him and the Barclay character where he pretty much beats the hell out of him. The climactic scene involves multiple shootouts and a crushing-by-falling-car death.The Hard Corps starts out a little slow but picks up around the middle. The characters are surprisingly well developed and the acting is very good. The action isn't as high-octane like a Mission Impossible movie, but it delivers what is expected. I am giving this movie an 8, why? Because it has his own original story, the movie did not copy or ripped off anyone's story. Van Damme did a solid job at acting and so did Vivica A. Fox as Tamara Barclay sister of Wayne Barclay, she was very hot in this flick.The Hard Corps is a 2006 American action film written and directed by Sheldon Lettich. It stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raz Adoti, Vivica A. Fox, and Peter Bryant. It is the fourth collaboration between Jean-Claude Van Damme and film director Sheldon Lettich. The film was released direct-to-DVD in the United States on August 15, 2006.8/10 Grade: A Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Clubdeal Motion Picture Corporation of America Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raz Adoti, Vivica A. Fox, Peter Bryant, Ron Bottitta, Viv Leacock, Adrian Holmes, Mark Griffin Director: Sheldon Lettich Producers: Brad Krevoy, Donald Kushner, Pierre Spengler Screenplay: Sheldon Lettich, George Saunders Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 41 Mins. Budget: $12.000.000 Box Office: $12,800,000

daworldismine the hard corps is a van damme movie in which he plays an ex soldier who is asked to protect a champion boxer from gangsters. so sure the story doesn't sound that good, but it's a solid movie, that is pullled by van damme's good performance, showing that 'in hell' and 'wake of death' wasn't flukes. and the action is top notch, i just wish there was more of it. never the less this is a solid action flick that delivers the goods, compare this to any of seagal's movies from 2006 and you'll think this is a masterpiece, and fair play to van damme for always making an effort to produce the best films possible from the tools he has. the hard corps is a great action flick thats sure to please fans of van damme

cybersupam This is one of Van Damme's most different movies up to date. Why? Because for those who are his crazy fans for "action and adventure" types, it does not fulfill their expectancies. Since my childhood I have been growing up watching his tough and unique action flicks. But still then I will rate this movie above average. Yes, before buying the CD I highly expected of getting entertained. But it did not score as expected. Here Van Damme plays Phillip Sauvage, an American soldier who suffers from stress disorder caused after his operation against Iraq and Afghanistan. But its shown only in the starting time, and later on sometime as sparking off his memory. His role later on turns out as a bodyguard for boxing champion Barclay, whom he even competes in boxing.Anyway The Hard Corps may not be a typical Van Damme movie, but here he proved that the word 'action' can be converted to 'acting skill' by his cool natural and real-like performances. By this he moves one step higher to his acting career. The movie has its maturity, standard and quality. But very disappointing issue is that, the whole focus in the movie mainly goes to Razaaq Adoti (as Wayne Barclay) rather than Van Damme. And this is the minus point of the movie, as it disappoints huge Van Damme fans.Boxing is a common element almost in every Van Damme's flicks and the same is involved here too. He is an ex-American soldier but dares to compete with a world heavyweight boxing champion, Barclay. This is Sheldon Lettich's fifth directorial venture with Van Damme which is another source of attraction. Its so because after watching his previous four hits everyone would certainly pick up the fifth one. And I did it too in my case. Ultimately, its a slow and decelerating movie but still neither a bad nor worthless to watch.