3/5 NOT BAD
  by Reviewer
Actually, outside of JCVD this is probably the most "cinematic" movie he's done. It has a higher quality to it vs. the kickboxer type movies. You actually get to see Van Damme act a little in this movie. Two problems. 1) A needless torture scene. I don't like "mob/gangster" rubbish like that. It's uncalled for. 2) The camera angles were a little too much at times. Extreme close-ups that got annoying after a while. You don't need to zoom in so close that it feels like we're about to enter the actor's nostrils. Get my drift? The music was equally over the top at times. It was a more cinematic, or "grown up" version of what Van Damme normally does, but it felt forced at times because of the music and extreme camera angles. Almost like someone behind the camera was trying too hard to make this movie "art". The result was that I rolled my eyes more than once. But overall, for a Van Damme movie, not bad. Something your girlfriend might actually watch with you... just forward past the needless torture scene.

5/5 Wake of Death
  by Myra Elaine Jones (Oroville,WA USA)
Excellent movie. Jean-Claude Van Damme is an excellent actor and in this movie in his role, he showed a lot more emotion that came across real and genuine. Great to see.

5/5 Great movie, too bad it's full screen
  by D. Aletkine
It's too bad this movie is in Full Screen, not Widescreen aspect ration. THe story is deep and excellent. Van Damme's wife is killed by the Chinese triad and he wants revenge. It's not a fun movie to watch at all, it's very serious and Van Damme acts very well as a depressed person brought to a corner by the underworld that he's involved in. He is part of an Italian(?) gand himself and so a triad war ensues. Special effects in the movie are awesome, like an explosion of a truck and the whole movie is filmed very well. This is not a movie for young kids to watch and it has brutal scenes, such as when the 'good guys' drill a person to get the truth out of him. This scene actually has not too much place in the movie, since it takes away from feeling sorry for Van Damme and people he is involved with. Also, ending could've used a bit more of a concrete finish, just to tidy up the story, but it's great regardless. Great movie though and it has been a while before I've seen something this great from Van Damme.

5/5 Deathwish - Van Damme style!
  by Jason (Backwater, Alabama)
The Jean Claude Van Damme Review Matrix (JCVD-RM)

1. Who is he? Ben Archer, a worn down bouncer with weatherbeaten features who's ready to quit his rugged life at high-profile clubs (think Swayze from Road House, but with an accent)
2. Which family member/friend must be avenged? His wife Cynthia (Lisa King) gets her throat slit (gruesome close-up afterwards), his father-in-law gets blasted, and his mother-in-law gets an explosive head-shot from close range (like popping a water balloon with a pin).
3. Does he take his shirt off? Because it's such an essential plot device, there is an early shower scene, a sex scene, and a bath scene in which JCVD is shirtless.
4. Does he have sex with a C-List actress? He gets to "say goodbye" to Cynthia very early in Cinemax-quality bawdy tryst.
5. Is there a tournament? This is a grisly, evil, realistic battle to the death. It's JCVD at his skull-crushing darkest. There is no time for a stupid tournament with rules.
6. Is training needed for this tournament? Didn't you hear me!? JCVD has people to maim, kill, and torture!
7. Does he do the splits in training or in the tournament? This is serious! Borderline psychotic executioners do not do the splits.
8. Does he punch someone in the balls? No, but his brother punches someone in the balls, and performs a free castration later.
9. Does he do a series of flying or 360 kicks? He's fighting the Chinese Triad. What do you think?
10. Is his enemy unbeatable? No. In fact, JCVD kills about 50 guys who previously thought they were unbeatable.
11. Does he overcome an injury or other hindrance? No hindrance, this is all about the revenge killing.
12. Does he win? JCVD does everything but cure cancer in this one. You're damn right he wins.

I think the message in this one is that JCVD is against human trafficking, drugs, and the Chinese Triad. Basically, a Chinese girl named Kim runs away after her mother is murdered, becomes an import into America, gets pseudo-adopted by an INS agent, Cynthia Archer, and is tracked down by her Chinese Triad father named Sun Quan - the same guy who killed Kim's mother. During the hunt for his daughter, Sun Quan's people kill everyone Archer knows, and in doing so, they unleash the Charles Bronson within JCVD.

The action rivals the blockbuster movies spewed forth by the biggest budget of Hollywood movies. Awesome fights and action, a motorcycle chase that could be in the X-Games, a few graphic, gruesome deaths, superb acting (JCVD's best acting to date), great cinematography, and one of the top five car chases in cinema history, there really isn't anything missing. A few of the deaths are stunning, and along with the ominous music, are almost Tarantinoesque. One particularly gory moment involves some angry associates of JCVD, a power-drill, and an unfortunate enemy with information.

I can't give this movie enough credit. It should have made it to theatres. It's better than the majority of action movies that have been produced in the last ten years. In my opinion, this could easily be considered the best of all JCVD movies. Wake of Death is highly recommended for not just JCVD-aholics, but action fans as well.

3/5 [3.5] Nothing too original here
  by dominion_ruler (Carolina, USA)
It's another action movie with a story of revenge, but Wake of Death takes itself more seriously than one would expect of the typical Van Damme film. Realism has taken over (in most of Van Damme's recent films) resulting in better acting and plot details, and some bloodier action but less of it.

The directing and music set a tone that places Wake of Death in an action/revenge category a bit more sophisticated than the rest. However, if we wanted to see a beautiful epic drama there are plenty of other films out there with superb acting and stories, this is not that, but to see how far Van Damme is maturing in this sense is a bit of a treat, as is the bonus of some action that won't always be found in the other hollywood films. Wake of Death focuses more on story, though it is just a matter of revenge, it pays attention to some details keeping it interesting between action scenes, which there are not very many of until the last 30 minutes of the film.

I personally prefer watching Van Damme films for the action, and in the case of Wake of Death the action element is not completely satisfied. The good news is the action is contained in a certain reality, making things flow better with the story. However, the car chase scenes were a bit distracting to enjoy, as the scenes were not smooth but appeared choppy with fequent editing and directing. The hand to hand combat scenes were almost always over before they began, so do not expect any martial arts like in the good ole days (no Kickboxer of Bloodsport here).

The story focuses around a Chinese Triad member (Simon Yam) , and father, who's young 14 year old girl has fled to the U.S. after witnessing the death of her mother by her father's knife. Ben Archer's (Van Damme) wife takes her in out of kindess, but good deeds seem to go unrewarded as the father and his gang come to the U.S., very ticked off and will have nothing stand in their way. The worst occus (though predictable) and Ben Archer's son is also kidnapped. He thus sets out for revenge and to get his son back. Simon Yam (KillZone) does an ok job as appearing villainous but never overwhelmed me as a great opponent for Van Damme.

Wake of Death should be viewed by Van Damme fans. Action is there, though not as much as one would hope, but it's a neat watch to see how Van Damme has changed his film style around over the years, where the action has gone away, improved acting and well-created story (though unoriginal) have emerged.

Acting - 4
Action - 3
Characters - 3.5
Story - 3.5
Overall - 3.5