(Credit:DVDtown.com)
Directed by
Simon Fellows
Cast:
Jean-Claude Van Damme …. Sam Keenan
Julie Cox …. Michelle Whitman
William Tapley …. Frank Gaines
Alan Mckenna …. Capt. John Baldwin
Razaaq Adoti …. GSgt. Earl “Gunny” Darnell
Warren Derosa …. Mike Shustec
Serban Celea …. President Yuri Amirev
Colin Stinton …. Ambassador George Norland
Emanuel Parvu …. Cpl. Chevanton
Razvan Oprea …. PFC Devereaux
Velibor Topic …. Anton Tavarov
Elizabeth Barondes …. Jennifer Lennard
The Movie:
There was a time a when Jean-Claude Van Damme was one of the hottest Action stars in the world. After hits like Bloodsport, Kickboxer, Double Impact, and Universal Soldier it was not unheard of to mention Van Damme’s name in the same breath as Schwarzenegger or Stallone. Unfortunately for the actor, he’s now relegated to straight to video fair like Second in Command.
Van Damme plays Sam Keenan, a decorated Navy Commander, sent to the Eastern European nation of Moldavia. I’m not sure if Moldavia is a real country or not, but it really doesn’t matter. Accuracy isn’t exactly one of Second in Command’s main agendas. At any rate, Keenan is sent to the U.S. Embassy in Moldavia’s capital city to become the new Security Attaché there.
When he arrives, Keenan learns that Moldavia is in the middle of civil war. Recently, the U.S. installed a new government into the country, but insurgents have caused a major riot, threatening the fragile democracy. I’m not even going to comment on the parallels to the current Iraqi situation, but they’re pretty obvious. What this all builds to is Van Damme’s Keenan leading a small band of soldiers in defense of the embassy, while enemy forces try to wear them down.
In the hands of a talented director, this film could have easily been an entertaining thriller. Essentially, this film is a Siege movie, but Second in Command doesn’t come anywhere close to the likes of Rio Bravo or The Magnificent Seven. Low budget examples of the genre have worked in the past, with John Carpenter and George Romero giving audiences plenty of jolts as Assault of Precinct 13 and Night of the Living Dead launched their careers. I doubt Second in Command will do the same for Director Simon Fellows.
This film desperately wants to be a low budget version of Black Hawk Down, and with a bigger degree of energy, it could have come close. Van Damme isn’t terrible, and some of the rest of cast is spirited such as Razaaq Adoti and Julie Cox, but movie just feels flat. Rioters seem uninspired or sparse, and villains go from woefully one dimensional to even less than that. Too many times, the film’s budget betrays it as well. Battles are often bloodless or don’t make any sense at all. One scene features the Joint Chiefs sitting around a table in a completely black room, which looks awfully silly. Would the security detail of a U.S. Embassy ride around in what looks to be a 1992 Ford Bronco? This one appears to. Those simply looking to see Van Damme do some decent butt kicking will be disappointed, as he is relegated to two very short hand to hand scenes.
There’s simply nothing about this project that doesn’t scream “Direct to Video”. Whether it’s the film’s shabby cinematography, the sloppy direction or budget constraints, Second in Command is hardly a worthwhile experience. Sony keeps putting together these “Straight to Video” Actioners with 80’s and 90’s stars like Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Dolph Lundgren and Chuck Norris. Why don’t they put them all together in one movie? Either in a “Kumite” style tournament movie where they fight each other or have them team up to take down Osama Bin Ladin or something. Then all Sony would have to do is wait and let the dollars roll in. Otherwise, all they’re going to keep doing is wasting their money and ours by producing dreck like Second in Command.
STORY: 2/10
ACTING: 5/10
ORIGINALITY: 1/10
LOOK/FEEL: 1/10
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 2/10
TOTAL POINTS: 11/50
FINAL SCORE: 2/10
The DVD:
The Video
The film isn’t very pleasing to the eye, but the problem seems to be the film’s low budget cinematography instead of the DVD’s print. The film is presented in Widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1.
The Audio
The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, though the audio is nothing to scream about.
SPECIAL FEATURES: Trailers
Trailers – This DVD offers no extras other than a slew of DVD trailer, several of which are for other “Direct to DVD” titles such as Detonator, starring Wesley Snipes and Today You Die starring Steven Seagal. You would think there would be some other Van Damme trailers, but none are to be found. Best of the lot are trailers for new DVD’s The Patriot and Black Hawk Down.
Score: 1.0/10
