The Shepherd

A sexless video C-movie that tries to prove that J.C. van Damme can still fight well, only to refute it when the fantastic Scott Adkins enters the scene. While the previously beloved Belgian is no longer helped by fast editing and well-constructed cinematography, his probably most charismatic successor, on the other hand, is more than adequate. It’s too bad that Jean-Claude Van Damme lacks judgment because he looks awkward not only when trying to evoke his best years, but also when remembering his dead daughter, not to mention the final fight, which wanted to be the dream fight of the new millennium. This film is not even usable as a backdrop for a good time with a few beers, and a sad downward slide for Isaac Florentine again after Undisputed. (24.02.2008)

Narratively dry and cold,, but Van Damme kicks and fights unusually hard in his older years, and the brawls are tough, pumped up, and quite believable. Otherwise, it’s pure routine. There is no point in making up anything anymore. The besieged hero against a superior force is something from the previous millennium, and the B-movie artists behind the camera cannot come up with a more meaningful hero, so they leave everything in the hands of the bloke in front of the camera, who kicks more than decently and finally realizes that the savior dad is no longer fashionable. It would take a proper gem for there to be talk of a comeback. (25.04.2009)

Unlike, say, Steven Seagal, I might still be willing to believe Van Damme in such a role. If only he'd played it in a better movie that at least made some sense and didn't take itself so unbearably seriously when it's so stupid. (17.07.2016)