Truly Dreadful Film

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Disclaimer: If you are a viewer that mainly prefers art-house-type movies, then you might as well ignore this review. In addition, if you're not able to take an underrated Van Damme realistic acting performance, including a realistic war drama, ignore this review, as well. We'll both be better off.Second in Command (2006) in my opinion is a really good war drama, that is realistic in my opinion. I like this movie a lot, It is not my favorite Van Damme movie, bit I think it is pretty good. I know a lot of folks will disagree with me and put my review down, but seriously I like it. I did not thought it was bad. Some haters are saying: "Tom Hanks or a Brad Pitt would do a better job, leading a group of soldiers, but not JCVD!" Wrong! You guys are wrong! Van Damme can act and he completely surprised me by his acting skills. After just finishing watching this movie, I thought it was a realistic war drama. I think the movie is good, it has a mayor problems and mistakes, but which movie doesn't? I have enjoy it.This movie in my opinion is miles way better than Street Fighter (1994)! Remember Street Fighter? Van Damme played Colonel Guile who lead his soldiers in to a battle against Bison (Raul Julia) and his men. That movie sucked major ass! Colonel Guile sucked leading his soldiers in to a fight! That movie sucks, I hate Street Fighter movie! I don't care what anyone says, Second in Command kicks Street Fighter's ass to the ground! Anyway this one, had some good action, pretty cool to see Van Damme in this type of role, in a political action war movie. I haven't watched a realistic war drama since I saw and watched Black Hawk Down (2001). The siege in the American Embassy was awesome. Velibor Topic as Anton Tavarov the leader of the militia group did a fantastic job. You can even hear him talking Serbian language when he was cussing out on Van Damme. The final fight scene between those two was really good. I am glad Van Damme could use some of his martial arts skills, that I like. Jean-Claude Van Damme can play a soldier and in my opinion he played a Navy Seal Commander more convincing than Steven Seagal ever did in Under Siege (1992)! I still think Under Siege is a classic action movie from the 90's but Van Damme could play more convincing a Navy Seal soldier than Seagal did. Seagal acted more as a cook and martial artist that was it. Seagal eat your heart out, because Van Damme is much more better actor than you are, even his direct to video movies are much better than yours. In the film, Jean-Claude Van Damme plays an official who's just been appointed as "Second in Command" to the U.S. Ambassador at an American Embassy in a small, turbulent Eastern European nation. When local insurgents attempt a coup d'etat, the nation's President takes refuge inside the embassy. The embassy is then besieged by the well-armed insurgents. The U.S. Ambassador is killed in the ensuing action, and now it's up to Van Damme and the embassy's small detachment of U.S. Marines to defend off the attackers.What I like about this movie is there were a lot of army and marines used for this movie. It is a siege movie and it goes with "Second in Command" delivers enough on the action quotient to make it a worthwhile effort. It's no "The Nest", but then again, few movies can match that one's raw and relentless intensity. And despite the fact that the insurgents are pressed for time, having to take the Embassy and kill the President before two impending arrivals — one by the President's astray military and the other by U.S. Marine reinforcements — the film does fail to really generate mounting pressure. The time the film allots itself for the siege is 4 hours, but it feels more like 4 days. Of course it doesn't help that the country's military is apparently composed of one tank, two armored transport vehicles, and a couple of troop transport trucks. I like that the movie shows a marine ship a USS Challenger on Adriatic Sea. I like that the movie shows the marines in a helicopter who are flying off in Sbelnska, Croatia, since I live near Croatia, I am from Slovenia tough. I like the shout outs and I like Van Damme a lot. Specially I like the ending a lot when he is staying in the Embassy in Moldavia with Michelle Whitman United World News his girlfriend. I like the characters and the story in this movie. So sorry if you disagree with me and Second in Command is not your movie that's fine. I am giving this movie a solid 8, it is a good movie for me. Probably I am the only one that likes this movie. Second in Command is a 2006 American action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and directed by Simon Fellows. The film was released on direct-to-DVD in the United States on May 2, 2006.8/10 Grade: B- Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Clubdeal Castel Film Romania MPCA Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Julie Cox, William Tapley, Alan McKenna, Velibor Topic, Razaaq Adoti Director: Simon Fellows Producers: RBrad Krevoy, Donald Kushner, Pierre Spengler Screenplay: Jonathan Bowers, David Corley, Jayson Rothwell Story by: Milt Bearden, Jonathan Bowers, David Corley Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 32 Mins. Budget: $12.000.000 Box Office: $10,400,000

When I first saw the back cover to this, the first thing I could think of was "uh oh....another military themed movie." But appearances can be deceiving and it turned out to be a decent flick.The plot to this one is a new president was elected in Moldavia (Vigo the Carpathian must be proud) and the citizens are none too happy. A gaggle of rebel militants threaten to overthrow and kill the new prez so the US Embassy calls upon Van Damme to save the day. What looks like a standard evac turns into a complete Alamo where the US Marines barely make it out alive with the president.I thought the cast did a hell of a job with the roles they were given, Raz Adoti was hilarious which would be akin to his role in Doom. Van Damme was his usual self which you can consider good or bad while the rest of the unknowns did a tremendous job. The only negative I can think comes near the end where the Moldavian army sides with the rebels and lays waste to the Embassy building, are we to believe a few American cobra choppers repel a panzer column? The highlight of the movie is Raz Adoti's one liners, picking up where he left off in Doom. The rest of the movie was a modern day Alamo, I say its worth picking up only if you now what you're getting into 6 out of 10

This is probably one of Mr. Van Damme's worst movies in my opinion. I wouldn't even grade it a good B movie! As a 20 year veteran of the U.S. Navy, I was shocked at the poor attempt to recreate US Military uniforms. The officer uniform he is wearing when he enters the hotel at the beginning has Enlisted service stripes (that go approx 1/4 the circumference of the sleeve) instead of officer stripes indicating rank which totally encircle the sleeve. The jacket itself has such large lapels that the ribbons and his Seal insignia are not even visible. Actual uniforms may hide the first ribbon, but the Seal insignia is quite large and very visible when worn on this uniform.In addition, when he arrives at his new command after the attack, he is greeted by a Marine in one of the worst uniforms I have ever seen on a Marine! If a Marine were to wear his uniform in that manner, he would not be a Marine for long! It is very apparent that the US Military did not get consulted for this movie! Errors glare like this throughout the movie. I am a 20+ year retired veteran of the USN and quite able to accurately known what uniforms should look like!

In the Eastern European nation of Moldavia, the new appointed prime minister is facing some political resistance, where some figures want to take him down. To do so, they plan a sniper to shoot an innocent civilian, which makes it look like the prime minister's guards were shooting. Riots break out and it's up to American marine Sam Keenan to get the prime minister to the American Embassy for protection. Soon they find out there's a large militia group outside the Embassy and they want the prime minister. So the small group of American soldiers and civilians hold up inside and try to wait for reinforcements, while the well-armed insurgents surround the building.Jean Claude Van Damme has kind of been in the wilderness of churning out straight to DVD junk over the last decade, but honestly on this occasion what entertaining junk "Second in Command" turned out to be. As Van Damme action vehicles go, "Second in Command" is a modest action thriller joint that delivers the goods in a fast-paced and intense fashion, even though the whole one-idea set-up is familiarly derived. It does comes off, though. "The Alamo" reference is fitting to what you're seeing and it also takes some tips from Ridley Scott's frenetic "Black Hawk Down". The premise starts off at a breakneck pace and then tightly builds up to its chaotic siege situation with a exhilarating climax with some organic grit. Along the way it offers up a surprise or two and there's no real political interference in how they shape the story, despite the topic at hand and flawed nature. Logic is lacking and it's far from clever. The basic script won't set the film alight, but never falls into any cheesy mumbling. It's an old school layout with new technology adding to the glitz. The camera-work has that natural doco-style intrusion with many nauseating movements, fast editing is razor sharp, slow-motion gets a look in and the musical score has a cutting techno jibe that stays in the background. I usually can't stand these types of novel techniques, but it was easy to swallow because it never gets overwhelmed by it all. The action scenes, which for this type of film is what we are actually hanging around for. Are handled with great vigour and the set-pieces can raise a sweat. Those looking for Van Damme's crisply striking martial arts skills will get very little of it, even though it boasts a few exciting one-one combat scenes (mainly the climax with the lead bad guy), but instead there are ample explosions and raining gunfire that makes sure this parade is aggressively violent. There's plenty of bang for your buck! The robust direction by Simon Fellows can build up the tension effectively and it does well to staying to its strengths, as it feels larger than it actually is, because it works around its budget restraints to achieve an honest attempt. The film location was in Romania, but you can easily tell when they were staged on sets and the real stock footage interwoven into the film sticks out clearly. They do get that washed out look with a dusty and at times hazy air forming in certain sequences. Jean Claude Van Damme is capably good and fit's the mould perfectly, with his downtrodden and workman like performance of a more beatable and humane character than anything overly heroic. Yeah he ain't bad at all. The rest of the support performances are agreeable enough."Second in Command" is a bold, noisy, ultra-zippy action film, which doesn't kick up anything of special importance or originality, but to simply entertain. It enjoyably succeeds and never lets a flat note get hold.