When it comes to aging action stars, the once-mighty tend to fall very hard; in the case of Jean-Claude Van Damme, oh how the mighty have fallen. After 2008’s “JCVD” was a hit on the 2008-2009 festival circuit for its sly metafictional take on the actor, it looked like Van Damme’s star wasn’t in total descent. Instead, the actor evolved into something else entirely in that film: an endearingly self-aware performance that transformed van Damme’s inherent limitations into strengths.
Amazon Prime‘s “Jean-Claude Van Johnson” attempted to tap into Van Damme’s star power in a similar way to poor results; the show lasted only one season. Since then, Van Damme has gone back to his usual output of low-budget and direct-to-video actioners, with occasional voice work in animated films like the “Kung Fu Panda” sequels or the upcoming “Minions: The Rise Of Gru” for variety. However, “The Last Mercenary,” the first foray into action-comedy for the Muscles From Brussels that comes to Netflix in July, may spice things up for JCVD fans. Here’s the official synopsis:
In this action-comedy shot in French, Van Dame plays a mysterious former secret service agent who must urgently return to France when his estranged son is falsely accused of arms and drug trafficking by the government, following a blunder by an overzealous bureaucrat and a mafia operation.
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All of that sounds like familiar territory for Van Damme, but who knows what a comedic spin will do? Joining Van Damme on the romp are Alban Ivanov, Assa Sylla, Samir Decazze, and Michel Crémadès.
French action director David Charhon directs “The Last Mercenary,” his first film since 2016’s “Les naufragés.” Charhon has never found overseas appeal in the US, not even with his best-known film, 2012’s action-comedy “On The Other Side Of The Tracks.” Charhon also co-wrote the movie with writer-actor and fellow Frenchman Ismael Sy Savane, best known for his work in French TV.
Does “The Last Mercenary” have anything different to offer JCVD fans? Find out on July 30, when the film hits Netflix. Check out the trailer below.