Lionheart (1990)

An Ex-French Soldier begins participating in underground street fights in order to make money for his brother's family.

Director:

Sheldon Lettich

Writers:

S.N. Warren (earlier screenplay), Jean-Claude Van Damme (story)

Stars:

Jean-Claude Van Damme, Harrison Page, Deborah Rennard

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean-Claude Van Damme	...	Lyon
Harrison Page	...	Joshua
Deborah Rennard	...	Cynthia
Lisa Pelikan	...	Helene
Ashley Johnson	...	Nicole Gaultier
Brian Thompson	...	Russell
Vojislav Govedarica	...	Sgt. Hartog (as Voyo Goric)
Michel Qissi	...	Moustafa
George McDaniel	...	Adjutant
Eric Karson	...	Doctor
Ash Adams	...	Francois (as Jason Adams)
William T. Amos	...	Drug Dealer
Roz Bosley	...	Nurse
Dennis Rucker	...	Irish Legionnaire (as Dennis Wayne Rucker)
Billy Blanks	...	African Legionnaire

Storyline

Lyon Gaultier is a deserter in the Foreign Legion arriving in the USA entirely hard up. He finds his brother between life and death and his sister-in-law without the money needed to heal her husband and to maintain her child. To earn the money needed, Gaultier decides to take part in some very dangerous clandestine fights.

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Plot Keywords:

new york city | world trade center | tragic event | bone breaking | lion | 

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Taglines:

When the streets are a jungle...there can only be one king.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Sport

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphically violent fight scenes and for strong language

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filmed after Death Warrant (1990) despite being being released prior.

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Goofs

Right before Lyon's big fight with Attila, he tells Joshua that he took everything out of the bank and put a bet on himself. Then, during the fight, Joshua tells Lyon that all the money is on Attila. Most likely, they each made separate bets; Lyon on himself with his money, and Joshua on Attila with his own money.

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Quotes

Lyon: Sometimes life is... is... ugly. And stupid. And mean.

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Alternate Versions

The movie was released on VHS in Australia in an R rated version and a cut M rated version. Australian M rated Cut Report: VHS film time: 103:10 minutes (PAL).

• 01:38 The whole scene of Francois being set on fire by drug dealer is missing, and Francois being taken to surgery (11 secs).
• 02:26 Close-up shot of Francois burnt face in hospital when he screams "Lyon", just before it cuts to the foreign legion (2 secs) [Scream is heard over the desert landscape instead].
• 07:01 Legionnaire being stabbed through hand by knife, when Lyon escapes from the foreign legion (1/2 sec).
• 24:06 The first garage fight, the blonde (heckler's date) get sprayed by blood, the scene where she taste the blood is missing (6 secs).
• 92:38 2 Close-up shots of Lyon's hand around Attila's neck, and one close-up shot of Lyon's face at the end of the match (9 secs) [There is only one bloody face shot of Attila, instead of the 3 shots in the uncut version].

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Connections

Referenced in A Tale of Two Titans (2004)

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Soundtracks

FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE
Written by Curt Coumo, Guy Marshall and Elizabeth Vidal
Produced and Performed by TCB

User Reviews

Great martial-art movie

Lionheart is yet another Van Damme-movie with a lame story and great fight-scenes. Van Damme escapes from the French foreign-legion to find the people who killed his brother. When he comes to America he starts fighting for money, which he gives to his family. As said before, the story isn`t that good, but it is head and shoulders above the terrible "Black Eagle". Lionheart is a great B-movie that is worth renting. 8/10

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Serbian

Release Date:

11 January 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

A.W.O.L.

Filming Locations:

Argyle Hotel - 8358 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,094,552, 13 January 1991

Gross USA:

$24,078,196

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$24,271,196

Company Credits

Production Co:

Imperial Entertainment Corporation, Guild, Sunil

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1