- Actors: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Peter Stormare, Maria Alonso, Mila Kaladjurdjevic, Autumn Reeser
- Director: Peter Malota
- Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Subtitles: Czech, Slovak, French, Portuguese, Croatian, Polish, Arabic, Korean, Hebrew, Slovene, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Mandarin Chinese, Icelandic, Romanian, Thai, Greek, Turkish, Spanish, English, Serbian
- Dubbed: French, Hungarian, Spanish
- Region: All Regions
- Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
- Rated: R
- Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Release Date: June 6, 2017
- Run Time: 96 minutes
It’s time for
another derivative direct-to-home release from Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Kill ‘Em All is as uninspired as nearly
everything else in the last decade of the action star’s career. Try as the film
might to add in some mystery with an overcomplicated non-linear narrative,
seemingly compensating for the unimpressive action sequences, every twist can
be seen a mile away. Even with Van Damme’s signature kicks peppered into the
fight choreography, Kill ‘Em All
feels like a dozen other cheap action films starring numerous other bland
martial arts personalities.
There seem to be
two different types of straight-to-home-entertainment action releases of late:
there are the ones that embrace the campy elements of the genre with simple
rip-offs of previous successes, and there are the ones that overcomplicate the
plot unnecessarily with too many characters and shifting
alliances/double-crosses. Kill ‘Em All
manages to be both, with a simple plot that could easily have been described as
Die Hard in a hospital if it weren’t
for the non-linear storytelling which makes a majority of the film flashback
sequences from an unconvincing interrogation. Even though Jean-Claude Van Damme
is clearly the focus of the film (as the cover of the Blu-ray allows all
consumers to see), he is not the main character of the screenplay, which spends
far more time with a witness being interrogated after a hospital shootout.
The entire film
is Suzanne (Autumn Reeser) recounting her tale of working as a nurse when a
stranger named Phillip (Van Damme) was brought into the hospital. Shortly after
his arrival, a group of foreign thugs arrive to hunt him down, killing anyone
who gets in their way. These flashback sequences are fairly straightforward,
featuring a wounded Van Damme in situations that allow him to showcase his
martial arts skills while also giving him an excuse in the plot, should his
moves disappoint. Where the film really falls apart is in the investigation
sequences. Because of how aggressive the line of questioning against Suzanne
is, it is clear that she is not being treated as an ordinary witness. Although
it may seem obvious that Suzanne is suspected of helping Phillip, it also seems
possible that the agents questioning her may not be legitimate, if only because
both the CIA agent (Peter Stormare) and FBI agent (Maria Conchita Alonso) are
equipped with such thick accents that they are unbelievable in their roles as
American agents. This could be a plot twist, or simply casting that was more
concerned with recognizable actors than ones who fit the roles.
As bad as the
interrogation segment of the film is (and as much time as it takes up), most
people will only be seeing this film for the action sequences with Van Damme.
The 80s action star proves he can still kick, but there isn’t much more in the
film that impresses. As the directorial debut of longtime stuntman and Van
Damme collaborator, Peter Malota, Kill
‘Em All makes full use of this connection without ever impressing with his
previous skill set. The production is not just about professional alliances,
however, with the casting of Van Damme’s son as a villain adding nepotism to
the process as well. Even with all of the favors being done and the
relationships on set, Kill ‘Em All
still just feels like another generic low budget action film.
Entertainment Value:
5.5/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 4.5/10
Historical
Significance: 3/10
Special Features: 0/10
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