Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme (1960)

Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022) is a US-animated comedy film created by Illumination and released by Universal Pictures. In 1976, an 11-year-old Gru aspires to become a supervillain, with the help of his Minion employees. Gru is overjoyed when he receives an invitation to audition for the Vicious 6, a team of villains now led by Belle Bottom. The Vicious 6 are searching for a new member to replace their leader Wild Knuckles, after he betrayed them and was presumed dead during a robbery to steal the Zodiac Stone – a valuable gem connected to the Chinese zodiac. Despite his young age, Gru’s interview does not go well but he manages to outsmart the Vicious 6 ...

Jean-Claude Van Johnson (2017) is an American action comedy-drama streaming television series starring and produced by Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ridley Scott, and Amazon Studios. The show follows the retired martial arts and action movie star as he plays himself, but it’s soon revealed that his movie career and personal history are just a facade. In reality, Jean-Claude is a secret agent known as Jean-Claude Van Johnson, with his personal assistant and make-up specialist serving as his covert accomplices. After five ...

The American action film, The Expendables 2 (2012), was directed by Simon West and written by Richard Wenk and Sylvester Stallone. Based on a story by Ken Kaufman, David Agosto, and Wenk, the movie follows the team of mercenaries as they are sent to Nepal to rescue a Chinese businessman being held by the Nepalese militia. This elite group is led by Barney Ross and includes Lee ...

The animated martial arts comedy, Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011), was produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The rulers of Gongmen City, known as the peacocks, first created fireworks for peaceful purposes. However, their son, Lord Shen, discovered that gunpowder used in firecrackers could also be used as a weapon. Concerned about Shen’s fixation on this destructive potential, his parents consulted a soothsayer who predicted that his actions would ultimately be thwarted by a ‘warrior of black and white’. Upon hearing this prophecy, Shen concluded that the warrior would be a panda and ordered his wolf army to eradicate all ...

Directed by French Tunisian filmmaker Mabrouk el Mechri, JCVD (2008) is a crime drama that follows Jean-Claude Van Damme as a fictionalized version of himself. The former action star finds himself in dire circumstances as his career and family fall apart in his hometown of Brussels, Belgium. Struggling financially and unable to secure acting roles, Van Damme’s personal life also takes a hit when his ex-wife gains the upper hand in a custody battle for their daughter. In search of solace, he returns to Schaerbeek where he is still regarded as a local hero. While ...

Inferno (1999) is an American action film directed by John G. Avildsen. The opening scene features a quote about the coyote’s significance in Native American folklore, as Eddie Lomax rides on an Indian motorcycle through the open desert plain known as the Dry Lake. However, his journey takes a quick turn when the motorcycle breaks down and he is left with only his jacket, .45 pistol, and a bottle of tequila. In the midst of drinking alone in the desert, Eddie is surprised by the arrival of his friend Johnny Sixtoes, to whom he had previously sent a postcard announcing his visit. During their conversation, Eddie ...

Director Roland Emmerich released Universal Soldier (1992), a military science-fiction action film set during the end of the Vietnam War. After receiving orders to secure a village, American soldier Luc Deveraux discovers that his squad and some villagers have been killed by his mentally unstable comrade Sgt. Andrew Scott. Scott has also taken two children hostage, prompting Deveraux to try and persuade him that the war is over. However, Scott becomes enraged and kills one of the children in front of Deveraux, then demands that he kill the other as a show of loyalty. Deveraux refuses and stops Scott from harming the ...