Darkness of Man
JCVD misses the mark with his latest.
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I very much wanted to like “Darkness of Man” (now on VOD) as I’m an old Jean-Claude Van Damme fan. Alas, I did not. Punches were pulled and kicks don’t exist.
Van Damme stars as Russell Hatch, an alcoholic Interpol agent who was running and romancing an informant named Esther (Chika Kanamoto) offering him intel on criminal activities occurring in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. Esther, for her troubles, gets killed leaving her teenage son Jayden (Emerson Min) parentless.
Hatch promised Esther that he’d look out for Jayden should anything happen to her. He keeps in touch with Jayden’s storekeeper grandfather Mr. Kim (Ji Yong Lee) and gives the kid rides to and from school to the point where he refers to him as his driver.
Jayden’s uncle Dae Hyun (Peter Jae) is a gangster currently engaged in a turf war with the Russian faction headed by Lazar (Andrey Ivchenko). This skirmish eventually leads to Jayden’s kidnapping. Hatch is aided in rescue efforts by his partner Yates (rapper Sticky Fingaz).
“Darkness of Man” is directed by James Cullen Bressack and scripted by Bressack and Alethea Cho from a story by Bressack and Van Damme. I interviewed Bressack a few years back (link here) and found him to be a thoughtful fellow. I’ve reviewed movies of his I enjoyed ("Hot Seat") and movies I decidedly didn’t ("Fortress"). Even though “Darkness of Man” is far more representative of the latter as opposed to the former, I do have to admit it’s awfully impressive that the 32-year-old Bressack has already amassed 45 directorial credits per IMDb. The guy’s definitely prolific if nothing else.
“Darkness of Man” attempts to develop a noir-ish tone (Hatch has Humphrey Bogart movie posters hanging in his extended stay motel room and Van Damme does incessant, clichéd voiceover), but it’s a bore and the motif is boned.
“Darkness of Man” is at its best when engaging in action (there ain’t a ton) or going goofy and dropping the self-seriousness. There’s a bit where Hatch shoots up an SUV full of Russki hoods with a silenced sniper rifle that’s pretty cool. Kristanna Loken brings a kooky energy to the role of Claire, Hatch’s cat’s veterinarian and his f*ck buddy. The “BloodRayne” actress spends most of her screen time lounging around in lingerie and vaping. I was also tickled whenever grown child actor Spencer Breslin turns up as Hatch’s druggie neighbor, Chris.
“Darkness of Man” sports a Z-list who’s who of a supporting cast. Playing Russian thugs are Zack Ward aka Scut Farkus from “A Christmas Story,” Nicolas Cage’s son Weston Cage and Van Damme’s sons Kris Van Damme and Nicolas Van Varenburg (Van Damme’s actual last name). Shannen Doherty shows up as a woman who chastises Hatch for smoking on school grounds during pickup time. Eighties martial arts icon Cynthia Rothrock plays a nurse for a minute or two. Eric Roberts is credited as playing Larry, but I must’ve blinked (or been playing on my phone … tisk, tisk) and missed him.
“Darkness of Man” is attempting to be a showcase for Van Damme’s thespian abilities, but it’s mostly just a reminder that some performers – especially those for whom English is a second language – shouldn’t be allowed to do voiceover. If you want to see Van Damme properly flex his acting muscles you’re better off revisiting or checking out for the first time 2008’s “JCVD.”