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A fugitive from a killer. A remote outpost. A fight to the death.
Alain Lefevre is a boxer paid by a Marseille mobster to take a dive. When he wins the fight he attempts to flee to America with the mobster's girlfriend Katrina. This plan fails and he seeks escape by joining the foreign legion. As part of the legion he tangles with abusive lieutenant Steinkampf and bonds with legionnaires Luther, Mackintosh and Rosetti.
Wuchak
May 24, 2023 · via TMDB
**_Jean-Claude Van Damme adventure in the Moroccan desert_** In 1925, a boxer in Marseille (Van Damme) makes some big enemies and so joins the French Foreign Legion in which he’s assigned to Morocco during the Rif war to defend a desert outpost against Abd el Krim’s Berber guerillas. “Legionnaire” (1998) begins like “The Cotton Club” (1984) before settling into a plot reminiscent of “The Dirty Dozen” (1967) with the North African milieu of “March or Die” (1977) or “Khartoum” (1966), not to mention an ending similar to “The Alamo” (1960). Like “The Flight of the Phoenix” (1965) and “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962), this is a movie involving the challenges of sweaty men in the vast, beautiful desert. As such, don’t look for many, if any, women in the proper cast, although Ana Sofrenovic has a small role. While this lacks the martial arts action of most Van Damme flicks, there are plenty of fights and military combat. The opening sequence in Marseilles is well done and the desert cinematography is both colorful and breathtaking. I was expecting a low-budget affair, but was impressed by the production values. Although not a blockbuster, it cost $20 million in 1997 when it was shot, which is nothing to sneeze at. Unfortunately, the story isn’t as dramatically compelling as “The Dirty Dozen,” “The Flight of the Phoenix,” “Lawrence of Arabia” or “The Alamo.” The script needed another rewrite or two to flesh out some depth. As it is, a couple of the villains are too comic booky and the black character (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, who’s stalwart in the role) is the cliched American that’s (supposedly) ever so hurt by white American society. It smacks of Lib Hollywood propaganda and is just hackneyed & eye-rolling. The film runs 1 hours, 39 minutes, and was shot in Morocco. GRADE: B-
Filipe Manuel Neto
Apr 25, 2023 · via TMDB
**The best Van Damme movie, for me.** I picked up this movie by chance, right at the beginning, and I watched it. I liked the style, the atmosphere, and the fact is that the film turned out to be very good. The film begins when a boxer, who should have lost a fight, decides not to comply with the agreement, harming some mobsters, who go after him to kill him. In order to escape and hide, he enlists in the Foreign Legion and goes to Morocco, where he will have to survive a commission in times of war. Jean Claude Van Damme really surprised me with his work, completely outside of what he has accustomed us to. I don't even like this actor very much, and I really enjoyed watching him work in this film! It is, for me, the best film of Van Damme's career to date, and excellent proof that he can do better, and differently, when he wants to. I also enjoyed seeing Nicholas Farrell, Steven Berkoff, Jim Carter and Daniel Caltagirone. The script is not complicated and also not original, but it works very well and gives us a good story, which never feels like a mere excuse to send the character to fight in Morocco. It's a good action movie, a movie that takes itself seriously and does its best to be taken seriously by the public. There is a good set of sets, excellent costumes, a legitimate and serious effort to recreate the historical period with some accuracy. The filming locations were also meticulously selected and are magnificent, something cinematography is no stranger to. Indeed, the film has magnificent colors and was well shot. In addition to all this, it is worth listening to the soundtrack, where the melody “Mon Legionaire” stands out clearly.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Jean-Claude Van Damme
Alain Lefevre
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Luther
Steven Berkoff
Sgt. Steinkampf
Nicholas Farrell
Mackintosh
Jim Carter
Lucien Galgani
Daniel Caltagirone
Guido Rosetti
Joseph Long
Maxim
Joe Montana
Julot
Kamel Krifa
Abd-El Krim
David Hayman
Recruiting Sergeant
Derek Lea
Gendarme #1
Annette McLaughlin
Gangster's Mou (uncredited)
Nosher Powell
Soldier
Chloe Treend
Can Can Girl (uncredited)
Paul Kynman
Rolf Bruner
Anders Peter Bro
Lt. Charlier
Charles Wood
Production Design
Daniele Massaccesi
Steadicam Operator
Greg Powell
Stunt Coordinator
Todd Senofonte
Stunt Double
Mark Southworth
Stunts
Peter MacDonald
Director
Jamie Christopher
Second Assistant Director
Matthew Sharp
Second Second Assistant Director
Christopher Tellefsen
Editor
Edward R. Pressman
Producer
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Producer
Kamel Krifa
Producer
Peter MacDonald
Producer
Samuel Hadida
Producer
Sheldon Lettich
Producer
Sheldon Lettich
Screenplay
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Story
Sheldon Lettich
Story
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1987 · 14 wins
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2008 · 14 wins
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1978 · 13 wins
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2000 · 12 wins
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1981 · 11 wins
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