JCVD Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

JCVD Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 3, 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 States by Peace Arch Trinity.

In trouble

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 and 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 

There has been a lot of conflicting information as of late in regard to the technical specs of Peace Arch Trinity's Blu-ray release of Mabrouk El Mechri's JCVD. So, let's see how this disc looks, what makes it so controversial and how it compares to the UK Blu-ray release (which we already have covered for you).

Similar to the UK Blu-ray release, courtesy of Revolver Entertainment, the US Blu-ray release of JCVD arrives with a MPEG-4 AVC encode and the film's original aspect ratio of 2.35:1 intact. Unlike the UK Blu-ray release, however, the US Blu-ray release offers a couple of different viewing options – through the main menu you could select to view the original theatrical version of JCVD, an English dubbed version of the film, a French version, and a Spanish subtitled version.

The theatrical version offers exactly the same cut of JCVD found on the UK Blu-ray disc with the imposed English subtitles appearing whenever French is spoken. Furthermore, as far as I could tell, this is exactly the same AVC-encode (courtesy of Gaumont) the UK and French Blu-ray discs have.

The English version basically replaces the French audio track with an English dub. So, here you won't see the imposed English subtitles that appear on the theatrical version of the film. This being said, the English version of JCVD is identical to the theatrical version of the film (there aren't any cuts here).

The French version of the film is rather similar to the English version of the film. It is intended for French speakers who wish to see the theatrical version of JCVD without the imposed English subtitles. So, what you get here is the theatrical version of JCVD with imposed French subtitles appearing during the portions of the film where English is spoken.

The Spanish version allows you to see the film with the original French (and portions of English) audio intact and added imposed Spanish subtitles. Again, this is the same theatrical version of JCVD found on the UK disc.

This being said, Peace Arch Trinity could have avoided all of the confusion surrounding their release if they would have added up optional subtitles for the main feature. By naming each of the subbed versions "French", "English", "Spanish" and "Theatrical", they appear to have confused quite a few people (apparently, some even thought that these were different cuts of the film). To make a long story short, there is only one "version" of JCVD on this US Blu-ray disc – the theatrical cut found in the UK Blu-ray disc. Finally, the US release arrives on a 25GB disc while the UK release is on a 50GB disc.

JCVD Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This Blu-ray disc offers two audio tracks: French Dolby Digital 5.1 and English Dolby Digital 5.1. Obviously, it is very disappointing to see that Peace Arch Trinity have not ported the French Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track found on the UK Blu-ray disc. This being said, the French Dolby Digital 5.1 track clearly lacks the depth of the French Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track; the bass is not as powerful and the surround activity not as impressive. Still, the French Dolby Digital 5.1 track shouldn't keep you away from renting this film. As far as I am concerned, on the US Blu-ray release the dialog is still crystal clear and very easy to follow. Finally, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, or hissings to report here either.

The English Dolby Digital 5.1 track is rather tricky. I did not watch the entire film with it, but I did run a few random tests with the French Dolby Digital 5.1 track to hear how they compare. To make a long story short, while the basics on the English Dolby Digital 5.1 appear to be identical – bass, surround activity, and dynamic amplitude sound the same – the actual dubbing is quite lifeless. For the record, the English dub also appears to have been done by French speakers.

JCVD Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Aside from the original theatrical trailer for JCVD as well as the two deleted scenes found on the UK Blu-ray disc (with optional English subtitles), there is nothing else here. Most unfortunately, Peace Arch Trinity did not port the the terrific documentary "A Day with JCVD". The "Making-of JCVD" is also missing.

JCVD Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Those of you who wish to own the best version of Mabrouk El Mechri's JCVD will probably have to opt for the UK Blu-ray release by Revolver Entertainment; the US Blu-ray release is missing the French Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track as well as the very, very revealing supplemental feature "A Day with JCVD". This being said, however, the US Blu-ray disc offers the exact same theatrical version of the film found on the UK and French Blu-ray discs.