Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

JCVD Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 25, 2009

Mabrouk El Mechri’s “JCVD” (2008) is a terrible action film. It is, however, a terrific drama. Jean-Claude Van Damme delivers a performance that will be remembered for as long as his name is mentioned. The film is distributed in the United Kingdom by Revolver Entertainment.

In front of the post office

Jean-Claude Van Damme plays…Jean-Claude Van Damme in Mabrouk El Mechri’s JCVD, a hilarious but at times also incredibly sad film about the once popular Belgian action star. The film opens up with Jean-Claude arriving at an unknown post office in Brussels where he is going to inquire about a wire-transfer from America. Before he gets in, he is kindly asked by a young man if it would be okay for his friend to take a picture of him and Jean-Claude. The Muscles from Brussels agrees, the picture is taken and he enters the post office.

In the meantime, a police officer arrives and begins chatting with the young man and his friend. They tell him that Jean-Claude has just entered the post office. Minutes later, gunshots are heard coming from across the street. The cop calls for back up and announces on his radio that Jean-Claude is robbing the post office.

More cops arrive and the entire area is cordoned off. A professional negotiator also appears and begins questioning the young man with the picture when and how Jean-Claude entered the post office. A SWAT team arrives as well.

The action then moves inside the post office. We see that Jean-Claude isn’t the robber; the post office workers and the ex-action star are taken hostage by a group of armed men. They order him to begin communicating with the police and ask for a ransom. Since everyone on the outside believes that Jean-Claude is the robber, he explains to the men that they have to be very careful with the sum they request. He knows all that because he’s made a lot of films about cops and robbers. Jean-Claude also tells the men that it would be great if part of the ransom goes to his lawyer in LA; this would really convince the police that he is indeed the robber.

Unfortunately, things get complicated. One of the robbers is killed while Jean-Claude is wounded. The SWAT team then storms the post office and releases the hostages. Before all of this happens, however, we learn a lot about Jean-Claude and his life through a series of memory flashbacks.

The action in JCVD is pathetic. I would like to make sure that you are well aware of it so that you know what not to expect before you commit to this film. I’ve read quite a few reviews already that seem to have focused on the hostage crisis in JCVD and I am puzzled to see that many have missed its point.

JCVD is a dark caricature of a man whose legacy is as controversial as his real life story. Furthermore, this is a film whose plot is practically unimportant. What makes JCVD intriguing are the sporadic confessions its star offers. They are incredibly moving, sad and disturbing. Ironically, these somewhat protracted monologues are also the best acting I’ve seen The Muscles from Brussels deliver.

Or, maybe they aren’t describable as acting. Towards the end of JCVD, there is an uncomfortably long scene with Jean-Claude where he opens up his soul. He simply looks at the static camera and begins talking. He tells us about his drug addiction, his failure to preserve his career and how his family rejected him. The man’s words are so sincere that, really, you have to have a heart of stone not to feel for him.

I am unsure if this monologue was part of the original script for JCVD. I don’t believe that one could infuse one's words with so much pain if one doesn’t know where it is coming from. Jean-Claude clearly does. This is a man whose soul hurts so much we can only begin to imagine what took place in his life when the film cameras were not around.

JCVD Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Mabrouk El Mechri's JCVD arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of UK-based distributors Revolver Entertainment.

JCVD has a very interesting look. The entire film reveals a unique color-scheme where the blues, browns, yellows, greens, reds and blacks appear to have been bleached. As a result, contrast is seriously affected and there are certain scenes where it almost feels as if the film has been completely drained from its colors (take a look at the screen grabs we have provided to see what I mean). This being said, clarity is mostly unaffected by the color manipulation I described above. Still, this bleaching of the print will probably spur some very interesting discussions amongst film buffs (I believe that the intent of the faded look is to remind us about Jean-Claude's faded film career). Furthermore, edge-enhancement and macroblocking are quite difficult to address here; I honestly could not tell what was intended by the director of JCVD and what wasn't. On the other hand, the actual print appears to be very healthy. In fact, I did not detect any debris, scratches, or stains whatsoever. To sum it all up, JCVD boasts a very contemporary look which blends exceptionally well with the film's nostalgic overtones. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc which you will be able to play on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

JCVD Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: French Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and French Linear PCM. Even though JCVD won't surprise you with a sizable amount of rear-channel activity, there is actually quite a bit that you will hear coming through your speakers. The bass is deep and pleasing, though not overpowering. On the other hand, the dialog is crystal clear and very easy to follow. I also did not detect any disturbing pops, drop-outs, or hissings. As far as balance is concerned, I really do not think that there is much of a difference between the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track and the Linear PCM track. Gast Waltzing's soundtrack blends with the dialog very well, and I did not detect any issues to report here with either of the two audio tracks mentioned above. Finally, I would like to point out that the English subtitles for the main feature are actually imposed (this means that you will not be able to turn them off). For the record, the subtitles are also placed inside the image frame.

JCVD Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

In addition to two teasers for the main feature, on this Blu-ray disc you will also find a terrific documentary titled "A Day with JCVD" where the Belgian star recalls the highs and lows of his career. Jean-Claude also comments on his collaboration with director Mabrouk El Mechri (this is a long and very informative documentary; I highly recommend that you find the time to see it). Next is "The Making-of JCVD" featurette where you would see plenty of behind-the-scenes footage from JCVD. The camera also captures members of the cast and crew as they prepare and shoot specific scenes from the film. Finally, in the extras department you will also find two deleted scenes. All of the extras are subtitled in English and offered in standard-def PAL.

JCVD Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The buzz was justified, folks. JCVD shows us the Jean-Claude Van Damme we never saw on film. It is somewhat ironic that the Belgian actor will now be remembered for playing himself, but it isn't surprising, given how emotional his words are in JCVD. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Revolver Entertainment, is Region-Free, of very good quality and offering great supplemental features that are very, very informative. Highly Recommended.