This feels like a collage movie. There are so many scenes that seem to be drawn from other movies, it makes it impossible to get immersed in the 'story'(such as there is one). The effect is jarring, like experiencing a sequence of superficial deja vus that bring to mind the superior films they were channeling. Particularly notable is Peter Weller's horribly camp cartoon villain which stood out as a very poor impersonation of Christopher Walken's Vincenzo Coccotti (from True Romance).Overall, a really poorly written film. Even after an hour and a half, you don't feel as though you've come away with an understanding of any of the characters, including, problematically with the protagonist,Hong (played by Le) who basically spends the duration of the movie in an ambiguous pursuit for redemption, acting out vaguely motivated duties for the pleasure of his mentor Tiano (Van Damme). Hong clearly shouldn't be the brains of any operation because the culminating tone of 90 minutes of his machinations is akin to walking out of room filled with your significant others trumpeting an especially tempestuous fart. Having said that, Cung Le wasn't bad, struck me as an interesting presence deserving to be in a better movie, reminding me of a more youthful Bolo Yeung.As for Van Damme, it seems that they only had him for afternoon or so. He's just basically there to phone in the role of a generic fight coach/zen master. In any case, its always good to see that guy, though not at the cost of watching this movie again.One to miss.

When a "artist" runs the camera shots, the story gets lost in "great... picture effects". I would rather see a movie done in super 8, than look at someones photo album. I'm afraid there just isn't enough of a movie there for the super shots they were looking for. I was amazed that the whole town of St. Jude was shot in a cul de sac apartment building! It was like 2 guys got together and just wrote up the days work that morning and some poor super artist tried to put it all together on the editing floor. Hmmm, is that possible? From the first 2 minutes I figured this to be a "B" movie, all that was missing was the awfully done sex scene- oops and there it was!! Well, that 1 and a half minute will get the teenagers interested. Unfortunately for the rest of us it was passe'. I am guessing that the "stars" will be glad to see this buried. Better luck next time. I was going to give it one star, but I just can't be that mean.

Fan or not, there is no denying Jean-Claude Van Damme's action star status throughout the 90's. Over the years he has made a name for himself in the straight to video market, but unlike some out there his movies have held a sense of quality on some level. His latest film Dragon Eyes brings along MMA fighter Cung Le, but takes Van Damme in a different role than we are used to seeing him in.Dragon Eyes follows a man who moves into neighborhood living in fear thanks to the rival gangs at war. Slowly he begins playing them against each other using his martial arts skills he learned from his mentor while serving time in prison. Just as he starts gaining control in the neighborhood he is thrust into a war with a corrupt police chief as well as the gangs to try and defend the scared people of this desperate neighborhood. While the story here isn't anything all that original it still gives it that old school feel. It kind of goes all over the place at times and seems to suffer a bit due to editing, but not enough to hurt the overall film. This film is very much like most martial arts films of the 80's and 90's. Cung Le takes the lead and does a decent job. His acting skills are slowly but surely getting better, but this is his first time out carrying one on his own shoulders and he does a fine job. Van Damme takes a back seat approach playing more of a Mr. Miyagi to Cung Le with very little dialogue, but still delivering an effective character through action. This film is clearly more about the martial arts and there is no shortage. Le does a great job with the fights delivering some well-choreographed entertaining fights.This is an old school martial arts film that fans of the genre will have fun with. Cung Le has made numerous films, but his turn as the lead here showcases a new generation of action star that he could easily fill. Van Damme serves his purpose here very effectively and gives you just enough of what he does best to tide you over until he steps it up as the villain in The Expendables 2.http://www.examiner.com/movie-in-dallas/bobby-blakey

This pugnacious criminal melodrama about a taciturn Asian who smashes a drug running operation qualifies as standard-issue stuff from start to finish. Nevertheless, "Universal Soldier: Regeneration" director John Hyams doesn't let the low budget undercut his gripping but formulaic thriller. Basically, "Dragon Eyes" is a modern day town-taming western. An enigmatic loner, Mr. Hong, is dispatched to the small town of St. Jude as a favor to a cell mate that served as his mentor. St. Jude is seething with anarchy. Pushers are selling drugs on the street, and the authorities are crooky. Although the setting and the characters are different, Hyams and scenarist Tim Tori have appropriated the Dashiell Hammett's novel "Red Harvest" as the template for this brawny slugfest as our reticent protagonist (former MMA champion Cung Le of "Pandorum") infiltrates the local gangs and manages to turn them against each other. The main villain cuts a flamboyant figure in a fedora named Mr. V (Peter Weller of "Robocop"), and he delivers a first-rate performance as a murderous crime lord who has no qualms about killing in cold blood. Martial arts legend Jean Claude Van Damme appears in our hero's flashbacks and serves as our hero's mentor. Hyams never lets the action slacken, and he stagess several effective, knuckle-smashing fights. Of course, the action supersedes plot, and the characters are strictly one-dimensional. "Dragon Eyes" contains some earthy dialogue, consistently cynical attitudes, and free-flowing violence that generates a body count. The amazing thing about "Dragon Eyes" is that Hyams keeps everything down-to-earth and believable. The action occurs in rooms, around apartments, but never ventures out into sprawling cityscapes. This is a no-nonsense brawling that doesn't wear out its welcome at 92 crisp minutes.