10 Hard Hitting Foreign Action Films

10. JCVD (2008, Belgium, France, Luxembourg)

Jean Claude Van Damme, the actor, plays a semi-fictional version of himself. In the movie, Van Damme is having money and work issues. As he heads into a bank, a robbery unfolds that leads to everyone being held captive. Sucks when that happens. Then because he's a violent movie star with money troubles, the media assumes it's Van Damme who is holding up the bank. No one points out that he obviously isn't holding up the bank because he would have already kicked his way out, but maybe they haven't seen Time Cop. But, anyways, from there a media circus ensues that scrutinizes Van Damme's role in society while he examines his own career. It has the fewest action scenes on among the films on the list, but the ones that are in it are awesome. Even just watching Van Damme kick a cigarette out of a guy's mouth is more exciting than whole action sequences in other movies. The opening four and half minute, one take, action sequence is the best of his career; and yes, that includes Blood Sport and Kickboxer. Although JCVD lacks action scenes, this film is an insightful commentary on action movies. Action film makers aren't trying to make the next Citizen Kane, they are trying to make movies that are entertaining and contain some impressive stunts. They aren't guilty of anything. But as this list will prove, sometimes all it takes is some impressive stars, doing impossible things and hurting some awful bad guys, to be liked all over the world.