The Bouncer (2018) - Belgian / France
Aka Lukas
Reviewed by Andrew Chan (Film Critics Circle of Australia)
This is a highly enjoyable and straight forward nonsense JCVD affair. It also allows JCVD to expand his dramatic acting range and the man succeed in doing so once again. It’s simple story of counterfeit, under covers and double crossers in the usual crime action thriller format. For a DTV flick, the cinematography and directing is surprisingly good from French director Julien Leclercq. In film noir and taking inspiration from numerous Hollywood affairs, “The Bouncer” remains grounded in its fight scenes and realistic in its execution.
JCVD continues his run of good form with another good dramatic turn under his belt as well as excelling in action scenes. There is a job interview, where JCVD manages to flex his muscles against 6 other younger and larger fighters, there is the hostage situation and a fitting finale to round out the proceedings.
All in all, “The Bouncer” is a highly entertaining and enjoyable affair. It goes without saying that JCVD still enjoys kicking ass and putting his ageing dramatic range on display. Despite the low budget, the fight scenes remains a delightful experience for action fans and JCVD fans alike. Yes it’s a far cry from his heydays, but for a B-action DTV flick, it could have been a lot worse.
I rated it 7/10