Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > JCVD (2008)
JCVD
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Photos (see all 10 | slideshow) Videos (see all 2)
JCVD (2008) -- JCVD: Trailer
JCVD (2008) -- Between his tax problems and his legal battle with his wife for the custody of his daughter, these are hard times for the action movie star who finds that even Steven Seagal has pinched a role from him...

Overview

User Rating:
7.5/10   10,209 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 23% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Mabrouk El Mechri
Writers:
Mabrouk El Mechri (scenario)
Frédéric Benudis (collaboration)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Codename: JCVD on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 June 2008 (France) more
Genre:
Crime | Drama more
Tagline:
Be Aware more
Plot:
Between his tax problems and his legal battle with his wife for the custody of his daughter, these are... more | full synopsis
Awards:
1 nomination more
NewsDesk:
(123 articles)
Jcvd: Tussle in Brussels
 (From DearCinema.com. 17 June 2009, 11:18 PM, PDT)

9 Actors Who Deserve a Comeback
 (From FilmSchoolRejects. 14 June 2009, 4:15 PM, PDT)

User Comments:
JCVD like we have never seen him before more

Cast

  (Credited cast)
Jean-Claude Van Damme ... J.C.V.D.
François Damiens ... Bruges
Zinedine Soualem ... L'homme au bonnet
Karim Belkhadra ... Le vigile
Jean-François Wolff ... Le trentenaire
Anne Paulicevich ... La guichetière
Liliane Becker ... Mère JCVD
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
François Beukelaers ... Père JCVD

John Flanders ... Prosecuting attorney
Saskia Flanders ... J.C.V.D.'s daughter
Dean Gregory ... Realisateur de Tobey Wood
Kim Hermans ... Prisoner in kickboxing outfit

Janine Horsburgh ... JCVD assistant
Vincent Lecuyer
Raphaëlle Lubansu
Steve Preston ... Accessoiriste JCVD
Paul Rockenbrod ... Tobey Wood
Alan Rossett ... Bernstein
Norbert Rutili
Jesse Joe Walsh ... Jeff
Leslie Woodhall ... Prison visitor
Mourade Zeguendi
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Codename: JCVD (USA)
JCVD - The Movie (USA)
Le rois des Belges (Belgium: French title)
Project: JCVD (USA)
Van Dammage (USA)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for language and some violence.
Runtime:
97 min
Language:
French | English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Filming Locations:
Brussels, Belgium more
Company:
Samsa Film more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Jean-Claude Van Damme actually has a son, but it was to changed in the movie to a daughter for legal reasons. Mabrouk El Mechri claims the daughter's name, Gloria, came to him because he was listening to the Van Morrison song of the same name. more
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the court room the attorney says, "How does this actor play Death? Let me count the ways: mangled under the wheels of a truck, strangulation, fracturing the skull, taking out the tibula..." There is no anatomic structure named tibula. The lower leg is made of two bones, the tibia and fibula. It is a common mistake of people who do not know anatomy to say tibula. more
Quotes:
Policier: Central to Unit 27. Jean-Claude Van Damme's robbing a post office. I need back-up. more
Movie Connections:
References "The Sopranos" (1999) more
Soundtrack:
Hard Times more

FAQ

When is JCVD coming to DVD?
more
114 out of 126 people found the following comment useful:-
JCVD like we have never seen him before, 7 November 2008
9/10
Author: Kevin Schwoer from United States

I went into J.C.V.D with all the prepubescent memories of the action heroes of yesteryear; nostalgic roundhouse kicks, horrible dialogue, overdone explosions, one-liners and all. A time where the movie industry churned out the same movie a hundred different ways with the likes of Schwarzenegger, Stalone, and Van Damme in the spotlight. These action movies seem set aside from Hollywood history, not as bad films per say but as their own separate entity where critics and nay-sayers alike had no power to quell the insatiable appetite of young movie goers. A time where this trinity of subpar actors ruled the box offices with their muscles and gun toting charisma. Not that I was expecting J.C.V.D to be one of these films, but it is almost impossible not to be reminded of the better days of mindless entertainment when the film's title is the initials of the King of High Kicking, Jean Claude Van Damme. I was expecting something I have never seen before, something of a reinvention of an American, French, or more importantly, world icon. Which is exactly what I got.

J.C.V.D. is not a Jean Claude Van Damme movie whatsoever, no more than its namesake. There are no drawn out fight scenes, no car chases, and certainly no bad one-liners. Instead, the film is a hybrid, a meta-film, going beyond documentary, mocumentary, or full blown narrative. If I were to categorize it as anything, it would be a documentary of a mocumentary since it isn't afraid to break the fourth wall and does so on many occasions. The narrative is broken up, flipping back and forth if not only for the element of short lived mystery. It is not a character study since Van Damme is almost too well known for that, rather it is reenactment of his life dramatized for Hollywood. It doesn't matter if the story is true or not, the important thing is that Van Damme makes it real. Obviously drawing from his real life experiences, he pours his heart into his cinematic counterpart and proves to the world that he can flex his acting muscles just as well as he can flex his biceps, if not better now in his old age. Van Damme humanizes himself in a way that we have never seen. In a power and telling scene where Van Damme literally is lifted above the fourth wall, he explains to the camera his inglorious life and career, full or mistakes, drugs, and heartbreak. It brings a heart to those action films of yesteryear, of a past where things were simpler and a present where retrospection, as well as introspection, only leads to heartache.

This film speaks about the power of the celebrity and the quick to judge public. It brings to light the blood thirsty court system once it has a celebrity to make it famous. And it shows that not all of these superstars are the personalities we see on film. That they are normal people thrust into extraordinary situations with nothing to do but buckle under the pressure of the public. But beyond the serious nature of J.C.V.D. there are plenty of easter eggs to be found for those pure action fan boys. References to all of his previous work and signature high kicks are spread throughout the film that give it it's humor while the performances and solid writing attribute to many laughs as well.

The opening sequence of J.C.V.D. perfectly captures the message it is broadcasting to our time. It features an action sequence where Van Damme is out of breath and sloppily taking out soldiers while the stunt men and actors alike exhibit their heartless effort for a pay check in the film industry while the director throws darts at a picture of Hollywood. It lacks all the magic of his work while accentuating the cheesiness to a point where the fake film is a mirror image of the action industry today. And as Van Damme tries to catch his breath and lobby for a better film, he can only walk away in disgust of what his beloved career has become. J.C.V.D. is a film that knows what it is and what it is trying to say. Yet it somehow goes beyond that to become something more. It breaks down and then raises up one of the most famous action stars of all time only to show him in one of his best roles. Himself. It is not a tribute to those days gone by where I would rent six Van Damme movies and watch the rest of the afternoon away, it is more. It is a fun, funny, entertaining, and a damn good film. One thing is for sure, I will never look at Van Damme the same way again, and that is a great thing.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for JCVD (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
song in the end funcop
Rental charts mikesblast
Van Damme has always been a good actor... this just proves it. cinema-denizen
Question about the ending dreamc
Doesn't the monolgue make you evaluate your own life? sonofjorel316
Where was Fredo? llobiond
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Reservoir Dogs Live Free or Die Hard À bout de souffle Let Him Have It Fury
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Crime section IMDb Belgium section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.