Inferno (1999) Reviews

• Take it or Leave It.

  refinedsugar2001-08-21

  It's no secret Van Damme has lost much of what clout he once held at the box office when he's now reserved to doing leads in straight-to-video action flicks. I guess the hindsight is you could say that about any of the other big action stars. It's been awhile since Arnold really pulled in the audiences and even longer for the likes of Stallone, Norris and even good 'ol Steven Seagal. So it wasn't the biggest surprise when Van Damme's latest Desert Heat went straight to video. The strangest thing is Desert Heat while it isn't made of gold is leaps and bounds ahead of Universal Soldier 2 that got a theatrical release and Van Damme is actually pretty good when he's relaxed and having fun with a few familiar faces in the supporting cast helping out. This one finds Van Damme as a man at his emotional end. He believes he's got nothing to live for anymore and when we met up with him he's ready to commit suicide and end his life. What happens shortly after that is pretty basic, but fuels the rest of the story. A bunch of dirty people try to wax him and leave him for dead and he swears to make them pay in blood. Not entirely original. With more gunplay than there is kicks you have to decide if that's a good or bad thing for a Van Damme flick. It's a case of opinion and/or taste more than anything else. The atmosphere is light and everyone seems to be having fun. Which is great. This story couldn't have survived a single viewing if it took itself seriously. I'm not recommending this outright, but I'm not saying stay away either. Love or hate Van Damme, this is a half-decent addition to his mixed slate of movies and if nothing else this movie contains one of the most unique sex scenes I've seen in an action movie in a really, really long while. It's both erotic and vaguely comical at the same time if you can believe that. You'll have to see the movie to know what I mean, but this all goes back to an earlier point. This movie never takes itself seriously for one moment and that's what in the end keeps the movie enjoyable rather than being a pain to watch.

  More

• Van Damme has a good rapport with the old folks.

  cleather2003-02-09

  Wow, this movie is almost like a Road House for the late 90's. In other words, this is a good, no, GRRRREAT bad movie. Van Damme effectively plays another dumb guy / bad ass/ good guy. JCVD arrives in a small desert community populated almost entirely by abrasive creeps. Abrasive is putting it mildly, these guys snort crank/coke and verbally abuse old folks/hot waitresses around the clock. Of course Van Damme must help out the old folks and hot waitresses, probably because he's on some spiritual journey, or maybe he just wants to get laid, or maybe because he was planning suicide anyway. Whatever, the case may be, 2 old indians (one a motorcycle, the other an actual human being) help him get it done. The mullet adorned red necks and bikers which he awkwardly incapacitates are worth the price of admission alone. For my money this belongs amongst the best of Van Damme's entertainingly stupid body of work. Don't miss it!

  More

• Very Reasonable Adventure of Van Damme, In a Kind of Parody of Yojimbo

  claudio_carvalho2004-09-06

  In the middle of nowhere, a former killer is trying to find a reason to stay alive. When he is close to commit suicide, three bad guys hurt him and steal his Colt 45 and his motorcycle Indian 49. He is saved by his Indian friend Johnny and goes to a small town in the middle of the desert, where he protects the locals, fighting against two gangs of bad guys. I found this movie a very reasonable entertainment. There are some good jokes (the last one with UFOs is very creative and funny), good action and comical scenes, some beautiful women (the eyes of Gabrielle Fitzpatrick are amazingly beautiful) and reasonable performances. The movie makes a respectable joke with Yojimbo, inclusive in one of the last scenes, the bus driver invites the delicious Dottie Matthews (Jaime Pressly) to watch Yojimbo in a close town. My vote is five. Title (Brazil): 'Inferno'

  More

• A remake of "Yojimbo"? Not "For a Fistfull of Dollars"?

  Just_Some_Guy2006-08-14

  Anyway, you shouldn't compare this movie to either of the above. Although I haven't seen Yojimbo (pronounced Yo-Jimbo by one of the characters), but I'm sure it won't be fair to all of them. This movie is an action movie, with Van Damme as the good guy, but it's not very serious. Sure, there are explosions and guns and kicks and a completely unnecessary sex scene and all that, but it seems like there are quite a lot comic relief moments and characters. Pat Morita and Bill Erwin reminded me of Statler and Waldorf from The Muppets, for one. Van Damme plays an American, which meant that he talked very little and tried to talk in a raspy voice to disguise his accent. And you know what? It worked. The only thing that I couldn't let go is because I expected to hear his unique accent. This movie is 95 minutes well spent. Don't go out of your way looking for it, but you don't have to avoid it either.

  More

• Strange music from Pat Morita

  karastjepan2006-04-18

  Yes, it's a cheesy film, but it's marvelous and mysterious in its own way. Toward the end when Pat Morita is whistling a tune, the melody is THE INTERNATIONALE, anthem of international Communism. No explanation for this is offered, nor does one seem obvious. It's hard to imagine adding much new to the remaking of YOJIMBO with Van Damme in place of Eastwood or Mifune, though motorcycles and exploding fuel tanks can't hurt. Not every action film can match the classics. But this one beats the pants off ROADHOUSE with Patrick Swayze, with a similar landscape. Such is, at least, my own opinion. And it's better than AVENGER with Sam Elliott, who was also in ROADHOUSE. But I digress...

  More