JCVD

"A French-language meta-movie parody par excellence, constitutes the headiest stretch of the beefy star's career since, well, ever."

"Directed with pace and a little too much surface gloss by Mabrouk El Mechri, JCVD works less as a suspense thriller and more as a treatise on celebrity, a confessional for its star."

"Some of this is affecting, some of it tedious, and the film's inconsistencies of tone are made more glaring by its peculiar look."

"Van Damme says worse things about himself than critics would dream of saying, and the effect is shockingly truthful."

"Confessions of a former action hero has plenty of punch."

"Even with these faults, this film moves along at a good pace, with originality to spare, and provides a compelling look inside the life of a fallen star."

"The giddy near-brilliance of its central conceit is squandered by flat execution."

"JCVD should entertain both movie and action buffs. Van Damme proves once and for all that he's not just a set of glistening pectorals. However, he's still in no danger of being asked to play Hamlet."

"Seems like a spoof at first glance but this proves to be a compelling Post-modern thriller with gumption."