Pretty Good

Let's be realistic.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

I got sucked into this movie just because I'll watch almost any Tom Everett Scott movie. Tom is a former Navy Seal but he may be the third or fourth best fighter in this movie (the Seals may have something to say on that). I wasn't familiar with Orlando Jones but he is one scary dude at the start of this, I thought he played his role effectively. So as park ranger at Kings Island Tom gets simultaneously confronted by Jones for personal reasons and Van Damme seeking out sunken drugs. Elements of this seem like they've been done a thousand times before and I don't like the way in which Van Damme hurts/kills people. I don't know who gets into that aspect of Van Damme, but I know I won't watch it. I also thought some of Scott's dialogue was lame. But Jones and Von Damme were intriguing along with attractive Cocker as the love interest so I'm settling on a 7, at least I made it all the way through.

This straight-to-DVD Jean-Claude Van Damme action flick is distinguished by a "name" director (Peter Hyams; '2010', and JCVD flicks 'Timecop' and 'Sudden Death') and somewhat recognizable B-list faces in Tom Everett Scott and Orlando Jones. I don't know that they make the film any better, but they certainly give it a sheen of credibility so often lacking in these affairs.But the real star here is Van Damme. Years of hard living has left the once matinée idol looking like a hobo with a gym membership, but he brings a quirky energy to his rare villain role.'Enemies Closer' is an efficient, moderately entertaining little action movie, and a good step or two above the usual straight to video trash flooding the bargain bin at your local Wal-Mart.

This is a Pretty Good Van Damme as the Short One is Aging Somewhat Gracefully and seems to be having Fun Playing Complete Psychotics of the Comic Book Variety. Taking a cue from the Joker, He Slays and Plays with a Teased Up Orange Hairdo and Jokes for the John.Here Director/Cinematographer Peter Hyams Clicks Away with One Fight Scene After Another in Various Locations for Variety and the Body Count is High and the Violence is Intense. But Buffering it all is the Whimsical Van Damme and a Tone of High Style and Over the Top Dialog.This is a DTV that Caught some by Surprise because it is Above Average for that Type of Thing and it Delivers the Goods like a B-Movie Should. The Supporting Cast is Along for the Ride but No One can Keep Up with Van Damme and for the most part are Interchangeable and Hardly Worth Remembering. But They do Show Up for the Shoot and there is Quite a bit of that along with some Bone Crushing Hand to Hand that is Impressive. Watch Out for the One in the Trees.

I have been watching Van Damme movies from decades ago, and pretty much all of them sucked, with very few exceptions. For the first time, we see Van Damme in solely a villain role, which happens to be his best yet. I never thought I would see a Van Damme movie that I liked so much. In this one, he is absolutely superb. Some of the movie is tedious and drawn out, but not the parts with Van Damme. This is his greatest role, and it's the first time I have seen him play just the villain, and he rivals Jack Nicholson as The Joker. Just because he's older and playing a villain doesn't make him any less potent. In this movie, he was close to an Oscar nod.