Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Pretty Good

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

I enjoyed this one. The fight scenes are plentiful and well executed. The very early 90s was when JCVD's career really began to take shape. "AWOL" or "Lionheart," is slightly reminiscent of the Charles Bronson film "Hard Times." The similarity, is that Van Damme competes in these highly illegal but exceptionally dangerous (aren't they usually?) fights against all comers from all walks of life. After the turds he had been producing beforehand, JCVD finally came up with a winner!!

A simplistic but effective early film from Van Damme, his fourth starring role after BLOODSPORT, CYBORG, and KICKBOXER. While some of the scenes and music appear to have been ripped off from ROCKY, this is still engaging viewing, with interesting acting and some great fight scenes to break up the rather soppy melodrama of the plot.Van Damme is definitely in his prime in this film, and it shows as he kicks, punches and elbows his way through a series of increasingly sadistic baddies in the ring. While his accent may be thick and his words not always in the right order, Van Damme still manages to inject some charm and charisma in the scenes he shares with his brother's family. Harrison Page is also surprisingly effective in a role as a down at heel, crippled fight veteran, and the viewer really warms to him by the end of the film. The female villain is nicely villainous, while Brian Thompson puts in another loathsome performance and gets a well-deserved kick to the face at the end of the film.The fights themselves are fun and outlandish, with plenty of martial arts moves and agile stunts. Beginning underneath a bridge, they move to a car park, a deserted warehouse, a squash court, and even a half-filled swimming pool. The enemies themselves are hilarious parodies, including an animalistic Scotsman who jabs his finger into Van Damme's eyes.However it's the final fight which really delivers the groceries, as it were. Van Damme, who has a broken rib, is forced to take on Attila, a maniac who feels no pain and toys with his opponents before breaking them in half. He's also virtually indestructible. We witness Van Damme being beaten to a pulp (Page tells him "he's gonna kill your ass, man, he's gonna kill your ass!") over and over again, until the audience begin to clap, the music builds and he literally kicks the living daylights out of Attila at the end, as everyone cheers and claps. This final bit is really great and worth waiting for, just like the final fight in KICKBOXER. Thus A.W.O.L. is something of a crowd-pleaser. I'm not ashamed to say that it's the only Van Damme that makes me cry, right at the end, and I'm no sentimentalist; something about Page's character in particular is completely moving.

Van Damme is a celebrated action-star, who's now very rightly so regarded as a legend. 'Lionheart' explores the potential Van Damme has, and I must say, this 1990 film is a must for Van Damme fans. 'Lionheart' stars Van Damme as a paratrooper legionnaire; when his brother is seriously injured he returns to Los Angeles to enter the underground fighting circuit to raise money for his brother's family.'Lionheart' works in parts. The Fight Sequences are Outstanding and all the credit goes to Van Damme. In terms of Writing, the film has some engaging moments that work on it's advantage. Sheldon Lettich's Direction, is plain ordinary. Van Damme is truly the best thing about 'Lionheart'. The actor performs well throughout, and is Outstanding when it comes to Action. He holds the film on his shoulders and does complete justice to his part. If you're a Van Damme fanatic, then 'Lionheart' is your best bet.

Jcvd had been my favorite actors in early 1990s , i still have got his autographed photo he sent me in 1994. Even now in these times he is at least better than that freak Steven seagal. Some times on occasions along with his martial art moves he also delivers a solid performance being an actor like he did in Jcvd and in hell. However in this particular movie he delivered a fantastic performance both as an artist and martial arts tough guy. The fights were i believe after bloodsport were the most best , van dammes kicks were really awesome ,on the other hand he also played another face of a family man. The movie started when is his brother was killed by hired thugs/drug gangs after being set ab lazed , he who is serving in french foreign legion had to escape from his over zealot strict superiors to get to his sis in law and a niece he never saw. Now when he is U.S he s got no home and nothing to live on here he finds organized street fights where money is poured and paid in form of bets. Van damme meets a man named Joshua and shows him the fight skills and impresses him. Then Joshua takes him to Cynthia a very rich woman running the organized underworld fight biz while also she has connections to drug cartels. Inside she is quite vicious mean and cunning lady when she observes Lyon (van damme) s fight potential she is very anxious to capitalize on it. May she has some connection to death of his bro. Lyon for the sake of his remaining family is reluctantly agreed to fight for her while is being pursued by his officers of the legion. His manger Joshua is very concerned and sympathetic for him , always ready to help. i think i perhaps have seen this film some 20 times and still i ve not been bored. Wehn it comes to Van damme i consider it his one real great movie to be remembered.