Review: Jean-Claude Van Damme Thriller 'Pound Of Flesh'

Unlike Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme has never been known to have a charismatic, larger-than-life on-screen presence. He never had the memorable quotes or the classic movie roles. What set Van Damme apart from the rest of the pack was how he was able to use his martial arts background to create entertaining fight sequences. We remember him for his splits, his spinning heel kicks, but less so for his acting talents. However, as he proved in 2008’s “JCVD,” an old, broken-down, beaten-up Jean-Claude Van Damme is actually quite compelling to watch. In “Pound of Flesh,” we get to see Van Damme tap into the darker, more grounded side of his persona once again, but it’s unfortunately stuck in this third-rate, run-of-the-mill actioner, which, for some reason, was edited to look like an episode of “CSI.”

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Now, let’s face it, there are a certain number of concessions you have to make when...