Wake of Death (2004)

Wonderful character development!

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

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 a Van Damme good dark,bloody, brutal, action flick direct to video, ignore this review, as well. We'll both be better off.Wake of Death (2004) like my title say's it is very brutal, revenge, action, violence movie! In a completely different tone from Van Damme! I have never saw him acting and playing a character like that! I am wondering now if Van Damme is in real life like his character Ben Archer is. This is my favorite direct to video Van Damme movie. I like the action in here, but the whole movie was more brutal than ever. I have watched the cut version, I don't know why was this movie cut in the first place? Maybe because they were too violent scenes in it. I don't think is a bad movie, I like it. I know a lot of people like this movie and they love it, like it or love it to death. I like it a lot and I think this movie "Wake of Death" is decent. At least is much better film than Street Fighter, Knock Off, The Quest, Inferno aka Desert Heat and Derailed was, those movies suck ass and I will not see them in a long time soon! I think this movie is good for what it is. It is a Badass violent, action, bloody, brutal movie. I've always said the thing that sets Van Damme apart from everyone else, like are Dolph Lundgren, Seagal, Gary Daniels etc..... Is that Van Damme can Act. I know that Steven Seagal did had a lot of direct to video movies, but after watching this movie, I have enjoy it much more than I would enjoy a Steven Seagal direct to Video awful movies. Not a Seagal fan anymore, but I am the biggest Van Damme fan and I care what is happening to Van Damme. I love the man and his movies and Wake of Death is not a bad action movie but is not my favorite film from Van Damme.Jean-Claude Van Damme's acting is far beyond what he was able to do with previous material and the film has a nice dark edge to it. Plenty of great, well choreographed (and violent) action scenes and you can actually see Van Damme doing most of his own stunt work for once. Visually the film looks very sleek (in a dark way) and considering it's over a decade old, very little about it has aged. The plot is fairly simple (revenge) and the dialogue and script are tight for the most part. The film runs at about 86 minutes (pre-credits) and moves at a brisk pace though it never feels short and sells itself and it's contents very well. It doesn't set the world on fire for originality but what it does, it does very nicely and in my opinion, it adds a little class to Van Dammes filmography. Simon Yam did a terrific joy playing the villain and a triad leader in this movie. I remember him from watching his early movies like were: Bloodfight (1989),John Woo's Bullet in the Head (1990), Naked Killer (1992) and Full Contact (1992) those were the movies that I liked from him. I did not saw how Simon Yam got aged in here, but he still did a good solid performance.The basic plot about this film is After his wife is brutally murdered, an ex-cop wages war against the Chinese triads. A triad leader Sun Quan (Simon Yam) murdered with knife his wife, when she wanted to leave him and taken his daughter away from him. His daughter Kim (Valerie Tian) saw him murdering her mother and she flees away from him. She comes to America with an immigrant's ship, one of Sun Quan's ships. When Sun Quan (Simon Yam) find out that out, he come to America to get her back. Cynthia (Lisa King) is a social worker with the INS, helping to process illegal Chinese immigrants. Then she discovers Kim (Valerie Tian), a young girl on board a ship that is full of immigrants, and decides to bring her home. She convinces a judge that the girl is in grave danger if deported and successfully pleads with him to give her one-week to sort out her case against deportation. Without hesitation Sun Quan (Simon Yam) orders his gang to get the girl back and kill everyone. So they kill everyone but the kids run away, when Ben Archer (Jean-Claude Van Damme) finds out about this he takes the matter in his own hands, the justice he delivers it is his own fury of hell.Philip Tan also played in this movie , I saw him in Tango & Cash (1989), Martial Law (1990) and Bloodsport II (1994), I mostly remember him from that movie. Overall I am giving this movie a 8, I like it,it is my favorite Van Damme movie, it is hell of a better movie than Seagal all shitty direct to video movies and previous shitty movies that Van Damme did before.Wake of Death is a 2004 American/German action film directed by French director, Philippe Martinez and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Ringo Lam was the original director, but he left the project after a few weeks of filming in Canada. The film was released to the cinema in France but direct to video in America in 2004.8/10 Grade: A Studio: Bauer Martinez Studios UKFS Frame Werk Produktion GmbH & Co. KG Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lisa King, Valerie Tian, Simon Yam, Tony Schiena, Philip Tan, Pierre Marais, Tom Wu, Claude Hernandez Director: Philippe Martinez Producers: Alan Latham, Philippe Martinez, Stéphanie Martinez, Stanley Roup Screenplay: Philippe Martinez, Mick Davis, Laurent Fellous, Kristina Hamilton-Grobler Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 31 Mins. Budget: $14.000.000 Box Office: $1,206,134

In my opinion, this is by far the best Van Damme film. The acting is superb and first rate. The story is nothing new but it's done very well. The directing and the editing is first rate too. All about this film is first rate. There is maybe a few glitches but that's it. The fights are awesome as well. What I think makes this film superior, it's how well it was made. You actually feel "something" for the characters. I loved Max and Raymond. The actor who portrayed Max is awesome. Tony was very cool as well. My feeling is that if someone like Bruce Willis or another big time movie star played the main role of Ben Archer, the film would've been a theatrical box office success. Jean needs to stick to films like this.

First of all I've been reading the bad comments to. Peeps, don't even bother to read those the contain so many typos, that it does not take a genius to figure out its been written by complete children. That have no taste for cinema or what so ever.Jean Claude, not my favorite why? Very simple, because call me a old movie lover. His best still for me was Bloodsport. The rest of his "euvre" was just popcorn entertaining. You don't watch a jean Claude movie for the great plots, or amazing acting. But for the fun of it, This movie however, stunned me pretty much.It showed, that Jean was capable of real acting. When he morns over his wife's death. One of the best pieces of acting I've seen a actor do in a long longtime. I think Gladiator, Russel crow did it amazing, but in this movie. The music is from Kruder and Dorfmeister. Plus points to because i LOVE that music. And so i recognized it at the first tone.Anyways in this movie, Jean shows for once that he is HUMAN. And not a guy that kicks 30 mens asses in the movie. To get to the big cheese and kick his ass to..the end.I think most people who see this movie. Will be surprised in a good way. If Jean did this acting 10years ago he would be a very respected actor by now! 8 points.The story OK given, no need to be a genius. But the acting, who ever says "crappy acting". Did not see much of Jean Claude, older movies, and properly never seen a good actor on the white screen at all. OK given its still not like a Brad Pit, or Edward Norton, or Robert De Niro, or Al Pacino.But Jean...good work and certainly a worthy DVD in my *big* collection!

Wake of Death was the first "Van Damme" movie I'd seen in a couple of years. Shortly put it's a real surprise. Where Arnie acts in big budget movies only, Chuck Norris has become a TV star and Stephen Seagal is heading on the emotional tour, none of them has evolved the way Jean Claude has. It's a metamorphosis! The movie is still centered around action, but "Van Damme" makes you care. His character feels real enough, he's not the 'staring off in the distance' kind of muscle actor anymore. With age, he's gained bearing as well. The lines in his face, the way he acts without forcing his role. He is more patient, takes his time and it makes the roles he chooses more realistic.It's time to look at the now... and Van Damme is in it!(PS: He's come a long way even since this movie; Watch "Until Death" to see where it's taken him today.)