Some felt Jet Li’s role was originally meant for Van Damme in the 2010 hit film, as Stallone pursued him for a spot, which could not happen at that time. Li isn’t coming back for the sequel, which some feel now JCVD could be the newest memeber, but producer Avi Lerner has talked with Donnie Yen, so who knows at this point. It’s a good day for action fans.

Here’s the plot: “The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal! After Tool (Mickey Rourke), the heart and soul of the Expendables, is brutally murdered on a mission, his comrades swear to avenge him. They’re not the only ones who want blood. Tool’s beautiful young and wild daughter Fiona embarks on her own revenge mission, complicating matters when she is captured and ransomed by a ruthless dictator plotting to destroy a resistance movement. Now Barney and the Expendables must risk everything to save her and humanity.”

Source: JCVD’s official Facebook

All good things come to an end, as they say, which is a shame, since deeper analysis of his career proves JCVD was one of the better action actors/martial artists, from that era. Thanks to JCVD, Van Damme has kick-started his career again, and after Universal Soldier: Regeneration, Van Dammage is back to a certain degree. We’re just waiting on that Expendables 2 announcement. Nonetheless, Assassination Games (formerly known as Weapon) at least keeps the momentum going for JCVD, and teaming him with Scott Adkins, a new emerging martial artist, makes the film a couple kicks of awesome.

While the term Scott Ass-kickin’ won’t ever replace Van Dammage, it never the less proves fans -  like this reviewer – view Scott Adkins as the next major talent. Crafting his skills in some neat DTV fare like Ninja and the incredibly enjoyable Undisputed III, Assassination Games forces him to show a little humanity. Stretching his acting skills will only prepare Adkins for future stardom, which should be just around the corner. There’s lots to like, if not love here in Assassination Games . The story is simple, but crafty enough to freshen up the old “two assassins who must team to take down a common enemy” thread, and by making these assassins Van Damme and Scott Adkins ups the ante.

With shades of Leon: The Professional, Assassination Games might disappoint some fans for its slower pace, more intriguing story, and the lack of both Adkins and Van Damme trademark moves. Slick, moody, Assassination Games is a solid entry in the DTV market, which isn’t a bad thing. While the third act gets our blood pumping, for all-out action from these two ass-kickers, see their previous films (Undisputed III and Universal Soldier: Regeneration). For fans of Bourne Identity, Assassination Games has moments of greatness circled around familiarity, yet it also serves as a neat prelude to future Adkins/Van Damme team-ups.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Here’s the plot of UFO:

Five friends wake on a seemingly normal morning to find the power’s out, there’s no mobile phone reception and the radio can tune nothing but static… None of the neighbours know anything about what could have caused these occurrences and news soon arrives that it may in fact spread across half of the UK, maybe further. But with no way of discovering any information and no advice on what to do, the atmosphere quickly turns edgy.

Two nights later they are awoken in the dead of night by what seems like a violent earthquake, strange lights are spotted shining down from high above outside, something is flying over the house, not just the house, the entire neighbourhood, something huge. A city size UFO, finally settles, hovering in the distance above the nearest city.

What now? Are they going to attack? Have they already attacked? Are the power cuts an accidental side effect the UFO isn’t aware of? How quickly will society deteriorate and turn into survival of the fittest? What would you do to survive, to ensure the survival of those you love? Whatever happens… Try to remain calm.

The film will also star Bianca Bree, Sean Brosnan (the son of Pierce Bronsan), Simon Phillips, Jazz Lintott and Maya Grant. That’s the official teaser poster to the upper left. Who wants to see Van Damme beat up on some aliens?

“I think that Expendables 2 will be a very good film. It will build on Expendables, which was very well received. I would be proud to be a part of it, but I will let the producers do the talking on this one.”

Thoughts?

Fans can currently see JCVD and Scott Adkins in Assassination Games, out now in limited release.

Source: Twitch

David Varod, CEO of NU Boyana, a studio in Bulgaria where the film is going to shoot most of at, revealed the cast listing for the sequel, and included a few new names that should get action fans all sorts of freakin’ excited.

Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, John Travolta, Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Mickey Rourke, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Eric Roberts and Bruce Willis.

Most of these, we knew about. We knew JCVD would be in it, as well as most of the cast from the first film. But John Travolta, Eric Roberts (the villain form the first), Arnold (but in what compacity?), and Chuck Norris? Awesome, even if Lionsgate hasn’t outright confirmed this.

The Expendables are back and this time it’s personal! After Tool, the heart and soul of the Expendables, is brutally murdered on a mission, his comrades swear to avenge him. They’re not the only ones who want blood. Tool’s beautiful young and wild daughter Fiona embarks on her own revenge mission, complicating matters when she is captured and ransomed by a ruthless dictator plotting to destroy a resistance movement. Now Barney and the Expendables must risk everything to save her and humanity.

The Expendables 2 is set of an August 17th, 2012 release from director Simon West (Con Air).

Source: Novinite

We will  keep you updated on more Universal Soldier: A New Dimension.

Van Damme plays an ex-mercenary hired by a martial art fighter to find his kidnapped daughter. Van Damme’s son, Kristopher Van Varenberg, is also expected in the cast.

Source: Twitch

The Film:

Having been sandwiched in between Hard Target, arguably one of John Woo’s best American films, and the only Jean-Claude Van Damme film to eclipsed a $100 million at the box office in Timecop (here), many have forgotten about 1993′s Nowhere to Run from director Robert Harmon. It’s understandable, since those films, along with the guilty pleasure of Street Fighter (here and here), a more dramatic film from Van Damme would get over-looked. Sad, but true, and re-examining it after all these years, Nowhere to Run is a solid action film, through and through, mostly because of the story’s heart: the relationship between Sam and “Mookie”.

Nowhere to Run has the backbone of 1953′s Shane to some regards, as JCVD plays Sam, a convict who took the blame for a crime he didn’t commit, and after his partner dies freeing him in a stunt that involves crashing the prison bus, something I’m sure director Justin Lin took for his Fast Five. Sam keeps a low profile out camping outside of a small Midwestern town. After accidentally awaking a young boy by stealing some salt, Sam is caught in the middle of a vicious property owner who wants a single mom to sell her land for development, and is using any means necessary.

Nowhere to Run has sporadic levels of action, which is a reason it got lost in the shuffle in 1993, but the threads it weaves with “Mookie” (a young Kieran Culkin, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World) idolizing Sam in a father/son way, along with the Midwestern vibe makes for a solid film. Van Damme has always played the action star, but unlike Seagal or Norris, the relationships between him and his family or sons, or younger kids, made JCVD a humble hero, a Middle Class star. Besides Culkin, Roseanna Arquette as Clydie is an interesting single-mother. Just a year before her breakout scene-stealing role in Pulp Fiction, Arquette has the pathos needed to balance out the father/son relationship against the property issues in the story.

Nowhere to Run excels because it’s an atypical JCVD vehicle. Action, martial art tournaments, and roundhouse kicks might have been the bread-and-butter for JCVD at the height of his career in the 1990s, but the dramatic elements in this film were a nice prelude to what we got in JCVD a few years back. It’s still a solid, under-appreciated film from the man we called the Muscles from Brussels.

The Blu-ray:

Audio/Video: Thanks to Image Entertainment, this is the best looking transfer I’ve seen of Nowhere to Run. Not since its theatrical run, has the browns and yellows been so eye-catching. After running the VHS of this film into the ground as a kid, Image’s HD print is really good. The increase in clarity and details is immediately apparent. Nature levels of grain add to the look. The audio is oddly not a 5.1 mix, but is quite good actually. The LPCM 2.0 stereo mix is loud, clear, and almost sounds multi-channel at times.

Sadly, there’s no extras.

The Film: Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

The Blu-ray: Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

“This was my first time working with Van Damme and he was very open to my choreography and overall it was a great experience working with him,” Stovall explains. “Van Damme of course, has his input and we were able to meet on common ground with moves he was comfortable with. Van Damme is a legend in the game, no one can deny that. He has accomplished so much and has influenced so many. He still has many years left to give out some Van Dammage and I look forward to whatever he has next.”

“3D changes how many set ups you can have in one day,” he says of working in the format with director John Hyams. “It takes more time for lens changes, etc. This was my first movie in 3D doing the choreography so some of the hits have to be closer to the face for the camera. No one got hit or hurt. Overall it was a good experience due to the camera crew was great and moved quickly to get more set ups in. John is not a fan of the obvious 3D where it’s cheesy and things come flying at you. We did not do the whole punch comes at the audience or his foot appears in your face. He took a subtle approach with the use of 3D and I believe it will work.”

Finally, he talks about working with the Expendables alum as well if he’ll do the choreography on the sequel. “It’s funny The Expendables was mentioned due to I “might” be helping on that [the sequel] but if I don’t then I’m satisfied with US4. I believe in this movie and it will stand toe to toe with some of the bigger action films in 2012/13 that might be similar in tone.”

Big talk, but judging by Hyam’s Universal Soldier: Regeneration, we are uber-stoked.

Looks decent, huh?

Source: IGN

Told ya!

Source: Twitch

“It was a great experience, I’m very excited about the movie; couldn’t be happier to be honest, I think it’s going to be great! You never really know if you have a good movie until you see the first cut but all I can say is that in terms of action, the script, the look of the movie and my performance, I’m excited to say the least.”

On filming in 3D Scott said: “It’s strange to watch the monitor with the 3D glasses on, especially when you spend most of your days with your face covered in sticky blood but it looks really cool. It didn’t really change anything for me except for in the fights we had to make sure that we were throwing kicks and punches even closer to each others faces because of the depth perception that is increased through 3D. So that was a lot of fun, especially with Andrei.”

On working with Andrei Arlovski: “Great fun! Really hard worker and really puts 100% into the fight scenes. We have a brilliant fight with baseball bats which I think will turn out awesome!”

On Dolph Lundgren: “Genuine guy, very professional. He will probably steal the scenes that he is in again for sure!”

On JCVD: “Always a great pleasure and honor to work with JC, this is my third movie with him so I think I will have to give him a break now and stop stalking him into his movies.”

On John Hyams (director), “Very smart and talented guy. He’s written a very good script that takes the franchise in a slightly different direction. I’ll be suprised if this film doesn’t get him snapped up by the Hollywood studios.”

Are you excited yet?

Source: Scott Adkins Official Site

Variety is reporting JCVD has just signed on for Six Bullets, a new gritty action film which will have him reunite with his Weapon director Ernie Barbarash. The source describes the film: “Van Damme will play an ex-mercenary kidnapping expert hired by a martial arts fighter whose daughter has gone missing.”

The film will have a budget of $10 million. Sounds kick-ass to me. Thoughts?

Source: Arrow

The film follows Frenchy, played by Van Damme, who’s haunted by his past, while he heads dangerously into vengeance. More on this soon, and check out the trailer below:

Source: Blu-ray

In all of these pics is star Jean-Claude Van Damme, but in the last pic JCVD is joined by Andrei Arlovski and Roy Jones Jr. We still have no clue to what the plot is, or if it follows the events after Universal Soldier: Regeneration, however, we do know Dolph Lundgren is back, Scott Adkins stars, and possibly Michael Jai White. The film is being shot in 3D.

Source: JCVD’s Facebook