Customer Reviews

The Shepherd

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

In "The Shepherd" (2008), Van Damme plays a Texas border cop battling former member from an elite U.S. military force who now turned their past expertise into running a proficient drug smuggling trade from Mexico into the US. The movie breaks new grounds for Van Damme as he moves in to a more mature role with stronger acting. Van Damme's trademark fight scenes highlights an upcoming martial artiste, Scott Adkins whose zeal nearly turns the staged studio fights into a legitimate match between the two with a visual delight jammed with innovative techniques and true-to-life kicks. Reality slips into the fights forcing and inspired and newly invigorated Van Damme to truly draw on his own genuine fighting history to legitimately weather his younger rival. By way of irony, Adkins in real life while growing up was inspired by Van Damme.

I must say, I was really looking forward to this movie. And I was probably looking forward to Scott Adkins as much as I was to Van Damme. My expectations were high (even for a ridiculous b-movie like this) after what Issac Florentine and J.J. Perry did with Undisputed II. The movie wasn't spectacular and it didn't quite reach my highest hopes, but I wasn't disappointed. Van Damme played his usual laconic self - this time with a bunny. Scott Adkins' character wasn't very interesting either (and the main villain was a bit annoying), but you can't have it all with these kinds of movies.

With the exception of the final showdown, the fight scenes were very well shot and choreographed. J.J. Perry (the fight choreographer) did a great job with Van Damme's abilities while still giving him room to exhibit his "Van Damme" style. Scott Adkins was excellent as usual (although his skills are best displayed in the director's other films), but it doesn't seem that the writers gave much attention to Adkins' character, or the plot. My chief complaint is about the poor editing and screen effects used in the last fight scene between Damme and Adkins. It would have been an excellent fight if the editors had just left the fight alone and not tried to enhance it. And so the last fight was disappointing because of the editing.

On a five point scale, I'd give it a 3.5, but amazon doesn't give you half points to work with, so I decided to give it a 4. For the kind of movie this is, it was very satisfying. It's certainly Van Damme's best martial art movie of his direct-to-dvd career, at least until this point.

The Shepherd: Border Patrol is a very good film! Van Damme's best and most action packed since Wake of Death. Seriously, all the good ingredients are in there, guys. There's plenty of hand to hand fighting in The Shepherd, even the gratuitous bar fight. There's a likable chemistry between the lead and supporting cast, and the villains are well picked. There's also a lot of good soundtrack work done in a style familiar to spaghetti westerns.

Although Van Damme has had fewer stinkers than those of his peers, he's had his share. This, however, isn't too bad. It's more polished and the dialogue more believable. But like so many others of this genre, it relies too much on formula. It's very predictable and making Bulgaria look like New Mexico was a bit of a stretch. In the end, though, it was entertaining. I like Van Damme and I hope he does more, but it would be good to see some surprises for a change.

I'm quite torn, after all, this movie, directed by Isaac Florentine, has some silly dialogue and obvious set-ups. Movies need to be rated according to the genre they belong. An action flick with a martial arts twist movie such as this is really quite average and should be 3 stars; however, Van Damme delivers a more than adequate job and he is back kickin' and punchin'! That is the primary reason for the four stars, he is kicking again and unlike "The Hard Corp" or "The Order" where he was kickin' too, this is more stylish and rugged.

Vam Damme, while no Oliver, has developed into a moderately decent actor. Time cop was probably the first movie to showcase this, but he was inconsistent in bringing out a fine acting performance (For example, Sudden Death - good, The Quest - bad). This movie does not have the depth in script or direction of "Until Death", yet, it is more enjoyable because Van Damme is once again the action and martial arts hero.

Further, Van Damme has always stayed in either great or at least good shape (unlike Seagal) and while he has aged in the face, he turns in some great martial arts scenes with Scott Adkins (whose fight scenes are terrific and villainous). So four stars, not because it is necessarily that great of a film, but because Van Damme is kicking again, and the kicking was fun to watch.

This is the first Van Damme flick worth owning since his movies were being shown in theaters in the late 90's. He's back in shape, doing what he does best: kick, punch, and keep the talking to a minimum. The story is only mildly entertaining, and the gunfights are tedious at times, but there's no shortage of action and marshall arts. Some of the fights are fantastic. The super-agile Scott Adkins should be the next Van Damme - he steals every scene he's in. I've struggled to sit through most of Van Damme's straight-to-video projects, but this one is definitely worth checking out.

In "The Shepherd" Van Damme plays a border patrol cop in New Mexico who has to stop some ex-soldiers from smuggling drugs from Mexico. Van Damme's recent direct-to-video efforts have generally been better than those of Steven Seagal and this one did not disappoint. The plot is straightforward and it offers some nice action. Recommended to Van Damme fans as well as action fans in general.

Van Damme continues to impress me with these direct to video releases. His only competition (that I am aware of) is Steven Seagal, also continuing to pump out the direct to video releases year after year, which fail to make it with fans of the genre. Where Van Damme succeeds, is that his acting and the stories in his new films continue to improve over his earlier action films. Obviously the age factor is limiting his martial arts capabilites (as to be expected), and in Van Damme's most recent entry (before Shepherd) "Until Death" focused very little on action and more so on story and character depth - and succeeded. In the Shepherd, we have a return to action (though still certain expected restrictions) but the addition of Scott Adkins (Undisputed 2) aids in carrying it through.

Van Damme's acting has reached a new level and we can expect it to stay, and it is present in the Shepherd (though yes, he is never going to be close to getting any awards). If we compare Shepherd to Until Death, Van Damme's character is about 50% as interesting and the story isn't quite as emotional, though it has it moments. What I enjoyed a lot about the Shepherd story is that it focuses on some touchy present-day issues - specifically the border patrols near Mexico, and with a touch of the suicide bombers from Afghanistan. The movie begins with a group of American soldiers led by two men (one of them Adkins) who come into contact with a suicide bomber. The experience certainly has an effect on these men, and though we never find out how or why, they now reside in Mexico where they are leaders of drug smuggling into the U.S. Jack (Van Damme) is assigned border patrol in the area, and it doesn't take him to long to get into the heat of the action, and eventually, into a Mexican prison.

While I do look forward to new Van Damme releases, he isn't the only reason I was looking forward to this film - Scott Adkins. Undisputed 2 was the first time I heard of and saw this guy in action, and wow...while I do not have a great deal of knowledge about particular styles of martial arts, he has some incredible athletic abilities with his kicks. They are put to use in this film. I was hoping to see much more of him than I did (thought he was the leader, but he is actually the boss' henchman) but when he gets some action in, man is it incredible. As predicted, Van Damme and Adkins fight in about a 3 minute long match. To get picky, I wasn't impressed with a lot of the slow motion thrown in (as it really takes away from the speed at which Adkins can kick) and some editing was awkward, but hey - its Van Damme vs Adkins, so it was still worth it to get this movie for that. Not the best fight I have seen, but I would watch it again.

I think for a direct to video release this is an excellent all around action flick. In some ways, this film beats out all earlier Van Damme works back in the day, except for action. But even though the action is more mild and there are less fights than say Bloodsport, it keeps a sense of reality involved and Adkins adds enough flash to wow us every now and then.

Acting - 4
Action - 3.5
Characters - 4
Story - 4
Overall - 4

The Shepherd (2008) is a crime adventure, where routine and reality, quickly become non-factors. Jean-Claude Van Damme stars as Jack Robideaux, a New Orleans police officer newly transferred to a border patrol unit operating out of Columbus, New Mexico.

Things on the border are usually quite tense, but it is evident that the situation has changed, when Robideaux and his partner Billy Pawnell (Gary McDonald), apprehend an illegal with C4 strapped to his chest. Smuggling has gone to a new level, due to ex-US military personnel turning to crime. Benjamin Meyers (Stephen Lord), formerly of the special forces, is the leader of the smugglers, who have a plan to transport a huge shipment, using a bus. Violence erupts, when their plan unravels. It's comic book time, when hidden panels slide back to reveal machine guns, manned by the mercenaries disguised as priests. Robideaux and Pawnell go cowboy, illegally pursing the bus into Mexico.

The new guy moves fast, and certainly has all the luck, becoming tight with his female CO Captain Ramona Garcia (Natalie Robb), getting a partner that is morally conflicted, and winding up in the heart of a storm, hanging tantalizingly upside down over an electrified pool. Meyers seems to be in love with the sound of his own voice, and he and his crew are not too bright, which creates an opportunity for escape.

Just barely in touch with reality, The Shepherd is an entertaining ride, that takes itself much too seriously. Although the plot is events are most unlikely, Van Damme plays it mostly straight throughout. Robideaux's grief for a lost daughter, seems an extraneous element in the story. Still physically fit, Van Damme doesn't employ the same kind of tricks favored by Steven Seagal. Among Jean-Claude's recent films, this is one of his better efforts. Presentation is anamorphic widescreen, with subtitles, but no extra features.

The Jean Claude Van Damme Review Matrix (JCVD-RM)

1. Who is he? Jack Robideaux, a former New Orleans cop transferred to Columbus, New Mexico for a job with the border patrol
2. Which family member/friend must be avenged? He must avenge his daughter, who overdosed on his enemy's drugs.
3. Does he take his shirt off? His shirt comes off, but it's not his choice. It's all part of an intricately designed method of torture.
4. Does he have sex with a C-List actress? He gets his Captain drunk, but he never seals the deal.
5. Is there a tournament? A one match tournament takes place in a Mexican prison, and JCVD, the underdog, finishes things up making a cholo whine like a little girl.
6. Is training needed for this tournament? Absent from this one.
7. Does he do the splits in training or in the tournament? The only splits are of the flying kick variety.
8. Does he punch someone in the balls? JCVD spares "the boys" in this one.
9. Does he do a series of flying or 360 kicks? When pitted against the baddest criminal in a Mexican prison (does anyone get in more prison fights than JCVD?), we get to see the full repertoire of front kicks, flying kicks, and incredible joint manipulation moves. It appears that JCVD has been watching some MMA lately. Afterwards, there is a truly epic display in a fight with Karp (Scott Adkins - Undisputed 2), the second-in-command for the bad guys.
10. Is his enemy unbeatable? Considering his enemy is a drug-smuggling collection of former Special Forces operatives who strap C4 to immigrants crossing the border, I'd say the competition is a little tougher than normal. Unbeatable though? This is MFJCVD we're talking about!
11. Does he overcome an injury or other hindrance? One would think that carrying around a live rabbit would be a hindrance, but JCVD makes it work.
12. Does he win? Not only does he win, but his actions probably led to the construction of his life-sized statue right next to the Pancho Villa's on the border.

As JCVD has gotten older, it's clear his fighting skills have diminished. The great thing for fans, however, is the inverse relationship with his acting and the depth of his movies as compared to the action. The storyline is complex and thorough enough that it doesn't elicit a search for plot-holes.

In this one, JCVD battles Benjamin Meyers (Stephen Lord) and his men. It's a fairly developed story; with hints at modern day issues like suicide bombers in Afghanistan, the meat of the story, however, deals with the touchy immigration issue, and how many of the illegal aliens are treated by border patrol agents. The setting and feel is authentic, with just enough Tex-Mex to make me want to travel down to Columbus for some taquitos (mmm). The character development is also superb. It's easy to picture JCVD making a transition from New Orleans officer to troubled, vendetta-sporting border patrol agent. The film-makers also do a fine job of developing the soldiers turned criminals, suggesting that some of their war-time experiences have led to their degradation.

With all of that said, don't let that dissuade you into thinking this lacks action. There may not be as much as in JCVD's earlier movies, but there is more than enough to keep the movie from a noticeable lull. Lately JCVD has incorporated more and more into his action sequences, and he doesn't disappoint here, adding explosions, car chases, and gun play to the excitement. This is one of JCVD's better movies, and comes highly recommended.