User reviews

I know, another Van Damme picture, but don't write it off too quickly. Despite the fact that it went direct to video, it really is a good movie, and probably the best job of acting that Van Damme has done.

It has a great supporting cast, too. Remember Steven Berkoff as Lt. Col. Podovsky in Rambo II? "I don't know who you are yet, but I will!" He has the same accent here. He may just be a sergeant now, but he still has that presence.

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (Mr Eko from "Lost", The Mummy Returns, The Bourne Identity) also adds greatly to the story of those seeking a new life in the Foreign legion.

Also great jobs from Nicholas Farrell, and long-time Van Damme film actor, Kamel Krifa.

Sure, it's the same story you have heard many times about the Legion, this time being carpet-bombed by the Berbers, but it still is worth your time.

And, the music was great, too.

I like history movies, so I like this one. Nice change for Van Damm he plays a different role. The film is interesting to follow. We have the reasons why people joined, and the harshness of being one. A solid 6, and I would watch this film when they show it on TBS.

"Legionnaire" is one of Jean-Claude Van Damme's more serious movies. Here, he tried to take a break from his usual action packed movies and appear in a picture that focused on story and character development. The result is a film that doesn't really work that well in the end, but it is definitely not that bad either.

The film relies more on drama than on action scenes and in spite of the fact that this represents a pleasant departure for Van Damme from his usual movies, this is also one of the film's main weaknesses. The movie doesn't know exactly what it wants to be. There were times when the film was a little too slow and some of the actors seemed a little uncomfortable in the scenes that demanded some acting abilities. On the other hand, the film makes good use of its setting (desert) and it has a good atmosphere. I also found the ending to be pretty good and thought that Van Damme did a decent job as an actor, an improvement from his previous roles.

In the end, "Legionnaire" is a nearly good movie, but I had the impression that they could have made it better. Also, if I were to compare it to Van Damme's other effort from 1998, "Knock Off", this is a lot better.

My rating: 5,5/10

I bought the DVD off the sales rack at Wal-Mart, thinking I could pawn it off after once viewing it. . . .not expecting much of it, even though I am a fan of Van Damme. BUT, it surprised me as Van Damme expresses his DRAMATIC skills! Not his usuall puncher-kicker film, he tells the story of how it is for a legionnaire watching people he knows being picked off one-by-one in the heated Hell of war! Although it's not a true story, it IS, however, true to the way it is with any heartfull man who joins the Foreign Legion and gets caught up in such Hellish realities of hatred in combat. Leaving behind all he's ever known & felt comfortable with and fighting for a whole different cause, and finding out later the trespasses that happen which can result in hatred. You can feel the loneliness he felt as the Arabs ride away & he's the only one left standing there in the death, rubble, and smoke of what was his fort in Northern Africa. Certainly a welcomed change from Van Damme's usuall martial arts mayhem. It's a keeper!

In the 90s Van Damme was huge. Of course everybody liked Arnold and Sly, but JCVD was somehow more cool for the 90s. He could do kickboxing and he even had long hair at some point. He was somehow "bad boy", he was just cool. Everybody talked about him in school, but I never watched that many of his films. But I always saw them in catalogues and in rental stores. So, many of his films (or their covers/posters) seem a bit nostalgic to me even if I never watched the film. Legionnaire is one of those cases.

The movie surprised me with its slow start which is a more drama based adventure. We get to see the guys in the legion and how they fare as they travel through the desert. It seems like no action film at all. But then there's a lot of action towards the end. The contrast is cool - after the slower start things start exploding like crazy and it's very nice.

I guess it's a little bit better movie than I first expected. Nothing super deep but it stays interesting all the way. Check it out.

Legionnaire is beautifully photographed and contains both an engaging story (loosely based on Beau Geste) and good performances by the actors. Underrated from the start, the picture undeservedly went straight to video. However, it is not a 10 out of 10 as some suggest. The story and characters fall too often into clichés and some of the roles could have been given more depth. Particularly the love story, mostly told in flash backs, is depicted with emotionally appealing pictures and music but remains too superficial to be fully satisfying.

This film had the potential to be great with a bit more emphasis on the drama part and toning down the more usual action flick formula (the action scenes are well done, though). However, here is hope that van Damme will make more serious movies, even if they have martial arts and action themes. I always liked him as an actor. There is an honesty and modesty to van Damme's work that is missing in most Hollywood products.

"Legionnaire" is a forgettable politically correct version of the French-Foreign-Legion genre. The plot is linear (this is not a fault). Van Damme is a boxer who swindles a gangster boss in the Marseille of the 1920's, in the meantime causing the death of the boss' brother. To save himself, he joins the Foreign Legion, goes to North Africa, and, after the usual hard training, reaches a fortress in the desert, where his regiment is readily destroyed by the rebels of the Rif.

Political correctness is abundant: Van Damme is a Polish immigrant, roughly treated by French people, needless to say. At the Legion there is a black fellow from the States, who introduces himself uttering a speech against the racism of the Americans (what an original idea!): of course, he will be Van Damme's best friend in the regiment. Well, I guess that in the twenties people were really so racist that the very idea of enlisting a black in a regiment of whites was just unconceivable. In old movies we could see a single legionnaire resisting to hundreds of Arabs. Here, for the sake of political correctness, the exact contrary happens: a whole regiment of legionnaires is swept off in few minutes by the Rif rebels. Most predictably, Van Damme is nobly spared by the chief of the Arabs, who does not miss the chance to deliver an anti-colonialist sermon. However, in "Legionnaire" we also find some stereotypes in the old-Foreign-Legion-movies style: the ruthless sergeant, the inept officer, a number of bad guys who rescue their honor with a heroic death.

To conclude, let me remark a nonsense too preposterous even for a genre not celebrated for likelihood. The French boss recognizes his fiend Van Damme in a photo on a newspaper (a reportage with pictures at the Foreign Legion, in the 1920's?? And a boss so attentive in checking newspapers??). At any rate, he forces a pair of gangsters to join the Legion to take his revenge on Van Damme (??). The subscription lasted 5 years (as stated in the movie)! And how can the thugs be sure to be enlisted exactly in Van Damme's regiment? And why Van Damme does not report the two killers to military authorities, or at least inform his mates of the danger? What about bribing some comrades of Van Damme to shoot him, thus avoiding all this mess?

I found 'Legionnaire' for $10 on a rack labelled "Movies that should never have been made!". I had never seen 'Legionnaire', but on the same rack was the Arnie classic 'Conan the Barbarian'. I decided that whoever was running the store obviously didn't know what they were talking about - I'm sure Arnie will forgive them - and so I picked up 'Legionnaire'. If I had known it had a lot more of Jean-Claude Van Damme acting rather than Van Damme beating the **** out of bad guys, I probably would have avoided it. Good thing I gave it a go, as it was actually pretty good.

Van Damme plays Alain Lefevre, a boxer paid to take a dive by a mobster. Alain and his girl-friend have other ideas, and plan to flee France and go to America. After giving his opponent a good butt-kicking, and enraging the mobsters, Alain ends up being chased by police, and finds himself in the French Foreign Legion and deployed to Africa to crush an insurgency in a French colony.

Funnily enough, it is pretty much 'Lionheart' reversed. Other than that, 'Legionnaire' feels more like a war movie than a Van Damme movie. Then again, you can tell Van Damme co-wrote it: He gives himself a lot of acting time, and not much arse-kicking time, but then you have various action clichés popping up and the odd one-liner here and there.

Van Damme's martial-arts skills are not showcased here as much as in his other movies. There are a few boxing scenes, and maybe one kick in the entire movie. The rest of the action is standard war stuff: explosions and gun-play (circa 1924, to be precise).

'Legionnaire' is surprisingly good in the end. Van Damme gets to do something different for a change, and I'll give him credit for it. It is more dramatic than most of his other movies, but that should not stop Van Damme fans - and even non-fans of Van Damme - from seeing it - 7/10

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 an Van Damme underrated, epic war, drama film, ignore this review, as well. We'll both be better off.

Legionnaire (1998) in my opinion it is a solid good war drama movie. I like this movie a lot since I was a kid, I rent the VHS tape and I like it, I watch it on TV and I like it. This is different solid performance from Van Damme, who actually went making a different movie, from his action movies by showing that he can act! This movie did worked perfectly for me. Is not one of my Van Damme favorite films, but it is still entertaining solid enjoyable Van Damme movie. The film is about courage, loyalty, love and true friendship. That is what I like about this movie. It is hell a lot of better than stupid The Quest (1996) I hated that movie from Van Damme, that was one of his worst movies ever! Legionnaire is the opposite about that bombed film. Van Damme did a solid acting performance for me.

However this film has a major problems and a flaws that are really not explained at all. The acting in this movie was good but the film is a "whole" pretty slow paced & boring at times, plus the film needed better ending, that explained what happened to his women? I think I do remember hearing that this film was suppose to hit big screen, but since his recent films wasn't making the big money like his early 90's flicks ,it went to VHS. Van Damme was trying his acting out without any of his famous kicks and head butts which feel flat. Still I think this movie is hell out better than Street Fighter (1995) that I also really hated.

This was the second time Van Damme played a Legionnaire, the first time he played a Legionnaire was in Lionheart (1990) my favorite Van Damme film! But this time Van Damme play's a boxer who suppose to lose a fight in the second round and he should went on a dive, but he won the fight instead, on the run from the mobsters, they tried to killed Van Damme, in self defense Van Damme kills one of the mobsters brother and than flees to the Legion. I liked about this movie that it was set in the earliest 20th century, I like it that is was historical event and I like it the acting in this movie, the true friendship and loyalty in the war in the film. I had no idea Steven Berkoff was in this movie, I mostly remember him from my favorite action movie Beverly Hills Cop (1984) which he did an awesome villain, but this time he is a commanding officer of the legionnaires. Peter MacDonald did a great job directing this war movie. He gave us Rambo III (1988), so I don't think this movie is awful bad or terrible, it is pretty good War drama film. I like the theme score which, is a good score for this film, the similar score was used in Lionheart (1990), just it was different score from John Altman. In Lionheart John Scott made the music for the film, in here it was John Altman who made a score for this film.

Legionnaire is a 1998 war film set in the year 1925 and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as Alain Lefevre, a French boxer on the run from the Marseilles Mafia for refusing to fix a fight. Lefevre then joins the French Foreign Legion to escape the assassins who are trying to kill him. The decision puts Alain into the middle of the Rif War in French Morocco. The battles shown in the film are based upon real events. Abd-El Krim (Kamel Krifa) was a real life leader of the Rif/Berber rebels who were trying to force the French out of North Africa. Though the film ends with Abd-El Krim victorious, in real life, after early defeats, the French and Spanish ultimately threw a quarter of a million troops at him and his rebels, and Abd-El Krim was defeated and exiled after a bloody 10 month campaign.

I am giving this movie a 7, because the movie deserves it, it is not my favorite Van Damme movie, but it is still a good one. If there where not have been a slow paces and boring scenes sometimes, I would gave this movie a 10. But it is a 7, good movie.

7/10 Grade: B Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Steven Berkoff, Nicholas Farrell, Nicholas Farrell, Jim Carter, Ana Sofrenović,Daniel Caltagirone, Joseph Long Director: Peter MacDonald Producers: Christian Halsey Solomon, Kamel Krifa, Sheldon Lettich, Peter MacDonald, Roberto Malerba, Richard G. Murphy, Edward R. Pressman, Jean-Claude Van Damme Screenplay: Sheldon Lettich, Rebecca Morrison, Jean-Claude Van Damme Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 39 Mins. Budget: $20.000.000 Box Office: $8,162,450

This is better than most Van Damme films and it has a great score. The film is cliched, but it's a Van Damme picture. I don't think any Van Damme fan wold have it any other way. Some have said that Van Damme reminds them of Schwarzenegger, but I personally think the comparison runs closer along the lines of Charles Bronson. Jean-Claude Van Damme is the B-movie actor of our generation and to me that is a major compliment. Some might not like his accent or his fancy karate, but his films are usually entertaining and solid action pieces. I remember a long time ago somebody said to me that Steven Segal would outlast Van Damme, well all I have to say is "Has anybody really liked the last 4 or 5 Segal pictures?" People should appreciate Van Damme for the action star he is and not the actor he may or may never become.

This has to be one of the oddest, yet best Van Damme films ever. It's not chop-socky martial arts kickboxing crud, and it isn't mindless sci-fi action... it's a war drama. And a surprisingly good one. Van Damme plays Alain, a boxer who is paid to take a dive, but who instead flees and joins the French Foreign Legion, where he learns about friendship, honor, and fighting to the last. Sound like a normal Van Damme movie? Far from it. Sheldon Lettich's script, while somewhat cliche, is very well put together. The acting is surprisingly top notch, with even Jean-Claude Van Damme himself turning in a good performance. What a shame this movie never made it to theaters. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys an exciting, epic war film. I give it 8/10.

I don't know about other people but I did not think this movie was any good at all.I thought it was boring at it took too long to get to the point.

I give This 1 out of 10

This film never stops with action! Great plot, acting.

This movie is a potential for a continuation of the story, though Van Damme isn't known for his sequels. It's too bad this film was never given the chance at the box offices in America

It's 1925 Marseille. Boxer Alain Lefevre (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is forced to take a dive by crime boss Lucien Galgani. His ex-fiancée Katrina happens to be Lucien's girl. They plan to run off to America after he wins the fight. The plan goes wrong and he escapes by joining the Foreign Legion. He is sent to Morocco to battle the locals. Lucien sends assassins to kill Alain.

Jean-Claude Van Damme is in a movie with an actual story. It doesn't make the movie good. The story is full of questionable plot points. The start is not that tense. I kept waiting for him to join the Foreign Legion. After all, that's the point of the movie. There are some relatively good war action. Overall, Van Damme is not good enough of an actor to make it without kick fighting.

It is Van Damme's best movie in short. I am not his big fan, but I like him in this one. There wasn't many action scenes, as far as I can remember, but the story is engaging and the acting is surprisingly good, even from Van Damme himself. Very recommended for his fan and even a non fan. I wonder why it doesn't score higher here.

This is a pretty solid van Damme flick, the story is good, the actors are pretty good too, especially the ones that play Luther (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and Macentosh (Nicholas Farrell). The friendship that forms between those three is pretty good also. Then the past catches up with Lefevre and he finds at the end a new friend. But beware video renter, this is not a high speed flick with excessive camera shots, effects and colors, it is a story, yes it has somehow a STORY, which is pretty new for van Damme since 1995's Sudden Death I guess. Only bad thing in this movie: The TERMINATOR touch at the end. 7 out of 10

Imagine someone like Nicolas Cage, Bruce Willis or Kurt Russell in the lead, you wouldn't question the film. Throw Van Damme in the lead, you can't help but doubt his acting abilities. Legionnaire is a good film, not great, just good. The film is quite tame for Van Damme and I was shocked when I viewed it on video all those years ago. The film has a decent plot and a character for Van Damme to digest. The film has a large scope and the film feels like a grand epic in design. It's a shame this was ignored or abandoned by the producers, it's a good film. This wasn't a Van Damme film and that's why everybody either ignores, or dismisses it. I enjoyed the film.

Legionnaire marked the end of Jean Claude-Van Damme's cinematic run. Originally scheduled for a cinema release Legionnaire found itself going straight to video. Directed by Peter MacDonald (Rambo 3) and starring Steven Berkoff and Nicholas Farrell the film had a lot of potential but this does not transpire on the screen. Van-Damme joins the French foreign legion after betraying the mob and the story is about his adventures there. The storyline has a more serious tone than Van Damme's usual work but is ultimately dull and rather plodding. Berkoff is going through the motions so it is down to Farrell to steal the show which he does with a strong performance. There are very few fighting scenes, more battle scenes which are ok but nothing more. Ultimately Legionnaire is a servicable but dull addition to the Van Damme catalogue.

Most Jean Claude Van Damm films consist of a martial arts contest of which he must over come great odds to win (Lion Heart, Kickboxer, etc). This film only has one hand to hand fight scene at the beginning, and the rest is a film about the French Foriegn Legion. A must see for any fans of military history as it is actually quite accurate to the times.

"Legionnaire", which did not receive theatrical release in the U.S., is good bit more ambitious than typical Van-Damme fair, following his good-in-theory but spotty-in-execution utilization of top Hong Kong action directors. The film turns out to be a fairly typical, predictable war flick, but in relation to the typical action film of the last 20 years it is quite refreshing, and to people none too familiar with classic war films, it could be even more compelling. The film has a good action finale, avoids gratuitous martial arts, has solid production values....a cliched script is a disappointment, but this is a genuine 3 steps up from "Cyborg" and such, and V.D. should be proud of the film, regardless of box office, which the common film goer is far too interested in these days......

If there is such a thing as Euro-trash this is it. The acting is horrible, led by Van Dork himself. The story line is pure drivel.And the director must have been drunk or drugged. All in all a total waste of time and surely an embarrassment to anyone involved. Sort of a throw-back to B-movies of the 40's but not nearly as entertaining or interesting. If a black list could be started for "movie people" who insult their audience's intelligence with every outing, Mr. Van Dork truly deserves to be numero uno. Should be rated below 1 but 1 seems to be your lowest score.It might make sense that this "film" was never released theatrically. What is hard to understand is how it was released in any form and who in their right mind would spend money to rent it. If there is an audience out there for this level of mindless junk, it does not bode well for the future of our species.