The picture packs noisy action , shoot-outs , twisted intrigues and characterization enough . It's exciting and tense , at time lackluster action film , but the violent confrontations, struggles , gun-play are well done in this routine actioner , being better than Jean-Claude flicks . The story is plenty of firepower , action packed , fights though is added an interesting suspense with attractive roles . Anthony Stowe (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a dirty cop, he's separated his pregnant wife Valerie Stowe (Selina Giles) and fighting to capture his ex-partner. His ex-colleague named Gabriel Callaghan (Stephen Rea) is working to become the new leader of the gangsters in local organized crime in Nueva Orleans and he will stop at nothing to get his purports and at whatever cost. Callaghan sends his henchmen after Anthony, who's shot in the head and comes very close to death, falling into a coma. Months later, he wakes up wanting to put things alright and becoming a better person, and better husband , while taking on the nasty goons . It's not the plan, it's the execution !. They put him in a coma, now he's going to put them out of their misery !. Vengeance Is His !.
This movie direct to video packs violent action , suspense , shoot-outs , and struggles , resulting to be quite entertaining. The main issue of the film is Van Damme himself , a very interesting role playing as a dirty cop who is hooked on heroin , and everyone dislikes him; because of a deadly set-up he is put into a coma, and comes out of it a better person , equally he awakens from the coma with the idea of finishing off his former partner . Suffering Van Damme plays finely a sad and affected cop called Anthony Stowe, a narcotics lieutenant addicted to heroin, he has a bad attitude, and everyone hates him, including his soon-to-be-ex wife, but later he changes the mind . Jean Claude Van Damme is stunning as action hero become a good man in this middling budget film . Long time ago he played big budget movies (Time cop, Universal soldier, Double team , Hard target) , he nowadays makes low budget and directly to video (Derailed, Wake of death, In hell) like in his first films (Black eagle, Cyborg , Bloodsport). Being accompanied by a nice cast , such as : Stephen Rea, William Ash , Mark Dymond , Adam Leese ,Stephen Lord ,Wes Robinson, Alana Maria , Fiona O'Shaughnessy, among others.
Financed in medium budget by the prolific producers Avi Lerner , Danny lerner , Boaz Davidson , Illana Diamant , Moshe Diamant, Danny Dimbort , Trevor Short who have produced other vehicles for two-fisted and violent heroes , such as : Steven Seagal , Chuck Norris , Jason Statham and Silvester Stallone himself . The film was well photographed by Douglas Milsone (Dungeons and dragons, Sunchaser, Body of evidence) in natural scenarios of Nueva Orleans , Louisiana, US and Sofia , Bulgaria . The movie is pointlessly energetic , occasionally intense and enjoyable enough and that's why it will appeal to real devotee Van Damme . The motion picture was professionally directed by Simon Fellows who made a Wesley Snipes vehicle (7 seconds) and he recently shot this ¨Until death¨and ¨Second in Command¨ again with Jean Claude Van Damme . The film will appeal to action genre enthusiasts . It is a decent film but only for the true devotee of the main actor . It's a must see for Van Damme fans . Rating : 6/10. Acceptable and passable.
