
JCVD
Seen it?2008 | 96 min | Drama, Action, Comedy, Crime
Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (84% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office loss and little lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans, anyone who wants a laugh and action fans. If you loved Dog Day Afternoon or In Bruges, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Funny with heart.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 36 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
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! This fictionalized version of Jean-Claude Van Damme returns to the country of his birth to seek the peace and tranquility he can no longer enjoy in the United States, but inadvertently gets involved in a bank robbery with hostages.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 64 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.6 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$2 million worldwide on a $6 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 41K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
Dog Day AfternoonFriday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed heist crime drama.
Inside Man: Most WantedWeeknight WatchAnother heist action film, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Killing ZoeWeeknight WatchAnother heist crime drama, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
In BrugesFriday Night FlickAnother crime drama, and a Friday Night Flick.
FlypaperMonday Morning MaybeAnother heist crime comedy. Fair warning: it's a Monday Morning Maybe.
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Cast & crew
Directed by Mabrouk El Mechri
- Jean-Claude Van DammeJ.C.V.D.
- François DamiensBruges
- Zinedine SoualemMan wearing Beret
- Karim BelkhadraWatchman
- Jean-François WolffThirty-year-old
- Anne PaulicevichTeller
- John FlandersEx-wife's Lawyer
- Janine HorsburghJCVD's Assistant
- Mourade ZeguendiVideo Club Client
- Valérie BodsonWidow at Film Budapest