release year: 1998 direct-to-video
genre: action/adventure
viewing setting: home DVD, 2/6/99
what I expected: no idea
what I got: Van Damme making more than a simple mindless martial-arts movie
synopsis: After refusing to throw a fight, a boxer flees to the French Foreign Legion, where life is hell and death is commonplace.
impressions: This was not a Van Damme punch-and-kick movie. Its main focus was the daily hardships of life in a military unit, and it didn't take long to put the main characters in an untenable, Alamo-like situation.
body count: high but impossible to count (lots of multi-participant mass battles)
acting: Van Damme did fine in a quieter role, though I prefer to see him smashing people and breaking bones.
the good: accurate portrayal of harsh military life and battle
the bad: somewhat drawn-out
final word: Worth seeing if you like war films.
rating: C