I know this movie as "A.W.O.L Absent Without Leave" but I have also seen it called Wrong Bet and Lionheart. This was one of the first movies I saw in 1990 knowing who Jean Claude Van Damme was, after previously seeing "Blood Sport" and "Kickboxer". Along with those two this helped set him on the road to stardom. Watching it today, I still think it is one of his best performances and best movies in general. Sure it's cheaply made and some of the acting is a bit dodgy but it's a lot of fun.

Plot In A Paragraph: Leon Gaultier is a deserter from the Foreign Legion arriving in New York . He finds his brother at death's door in L.A and his sister-in-law without the money needed to pay for medical care for her husband and to maintain her child. To earn the money needed, Gaultier decides to take part in some very dangerous under ground fights.

Whilst Van Damme is the star, Harrison Page steals the show as his friend/manager Joshua, I think he is fantastic. Having previously starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sly Stallone, Brian Thompson stars opposite the new action star in the block (at the time) Deborah Rennard does a fine job as Cynthia.

Nice movie considered to be probably Van Damme's best of his first and best period from his film debut No retreat , no surrender . Here Van Damme is a French Legionnaire who deserts from foreign Legion in Africa to come to America where his drug-dealing brother has been torched by competitors . Soon after, he hits the streets and realising that his struggle skills are the only way to help his brother's wife : Lisa Pelikan and little girl daughter , as he relunctantly ties in with hustler Harrison Page to compete in violent combats promoted by an egoistic woman : Deborah Rennard who changes the tables when he fails to succumb to her advances . As many fights ensue until an exciting , touching and thrilling finale. Honor or revenge, he has no choice...When the streets are jungle...they can only be one King. Too tough to die.

Fine flick with more than a semblance of an enjoyable and agreeable story without being excessively silly , including thrills , chills, and spectacular kickboxing mayhem in smoky backstret rooms . In spite of its violence, and adding some wholly as well as corny moments , this is an acceptable yarn with interesting storyline enhanced by sentimental and feeling touches and full of freshness. Jean Claude Van Damme is pretty well as a brave hero showing his gentle side , a deserter who learns his brother has been hassled, as he attempts to help his family by illegal fighting . Support cast is charming , such as : Harrison Page as a black street drifter, gorgeous Deborah Rennard as the predatory , illegal-fight promoter who turns against him , Brian Thompson as tough henchman, and Lisa Pelikan as the good widow with a daughter, Ashley Johnson. And brief appearances from Jeff Speakman , fighter Billy Blanks as a legionnaire and producer Lawrence Bender .

The motion picture was well and decently directed by Sheldon Lettich. He is a craftsman who has written/produced/directed some nice films, most of them starred by Jean Claude Van Damme as "The Order, Double impact , Hard Corps, and Lionheart" , or performed by other hunk men as Daniel Bernhart : "Perfect Day" , Dolph Lundgren : "List Patrol" , or , Mark Dacascos : "Only the Strong". Rating 6.5/10. Better than average action picture. The flick will appeal to Jean Claude Van Damme fans.

A simplistic but effective early film from Van Damme, his fourth starring role after BLOODSPORT, CYBORG, and KICKBOXER. While some of the scenes and music appear to have been ripped off from ROCKY, this is still engaging viewing, with interesting acting and some great fight scenes to break up the rather soppy melodrama of the plot.

Van Damme is definitely in his prime in this film, and it shows as he kicks, punches and elbows his way through a series of increasingly sadistic baddies in the ring. While his accent may be thick and his words not always in the right order, Van Damme still manages to inject some charm and charisma in the scenes he shares with his brother's family. Harrison Page is also surprisingly effective in a role as a down at heel, crippled fight veteran, and the viewer really warms to him by the end of the film. The female villain is nicely villainous, while Brian Thompson puts in another loathsome performance and gets a well-deserved kick to the face at the end of the film.

The fights themselves are fun and outlandish, with plenty of martial arts moves and agile stunts. Beginning underneath a bridge, they move to a car park, a deserted warehouse, a squash court, and even a half-filled swimming pool. The enemies themselves are hilarious parodies, including an animalistic Scotsman who jabs his finger into Van Damme's eyes.

However it's the final fight which really delivers the groceries, as it were. Van Damme, who has a broken rib, is forced to take on Attila, a maniac who feels no pain and toys with his opponents before breaking them in half. He's also virtually indestructible. We witness Van Damme being beaten to a pulp (Page tells him "he's gonna kill your ass, man, he's gonna kill your ass!") over and over again, until the audience begin to clap, the music builds and he literally kicks the living daylights out of Attila at the end, as everyone cheers and claps. This final bit is really great and worth waiting for, just like the final fight in KICKBOXER. Thus A.W.O.L. is something of a crowd-pleaser. I'm not ashamed to say that it's the only Van Damme that makes me cry, right at the end, and I'm no sentimentalist; something about Page's character in particular is completely moving.