Photo : U.S. Air Force photo/Robbin Cresswell, Public domain
Synopsis
Lyon Gaultier, a legionnaire posted in Djibouti, deserts when he learns that his brother has been burned alive by dealers in Los Angeles. Arriving penniless in the United States, he is spotted in a street fight by Joshua, a hustler who brings him into the underground fight circuit. He fights to send money to his sister-in-law and niece while two soldiers hunt him down.
Why watch it
Van Damme as a deserting legionnaire
Released in France on 1 August 1990, before the United States (11 January 1991), Lionheart is the first film by Sheldon Lettich, who co-wrote the script with Jean-Claude Van Damme. The project grew out of two ideas: The Wrong Bet, a story by Van Damme, and a Foreign Legion script Lettich had intended for Sylvester Stallone. The acknowledged model is Walter Hill's Hard Times (1975), with Charles Bronson as a street fighter during the Depression. The film was retitled A.W.O.L. in the United Kingdom and Wrong Bet in Australia.
One opponent per style
The fights were designed by Van Damme, his childhood friend Michel Qissi and Frank Dux, the real-life figure who inspired Bloodsport. The film strings bouts together like a video game: each opponent has his own style and setting. Lyon takes on a loudmouth in a car park, a Scot who fights dirty, a wrestler on a racquetball court, a martial artist in a near-empty swimming pool, and finally Attila, an unbeaten giant played by Abdel Qissi, Michel's brother, who pretends to give his victims a chance before crippling them. A practitioner will recognise Van Damme's weapons, built in Shotokan karate and kickboxing: the jumping spinning kick, the hook kick, the splits, and a final fight won on stamina rather than technique.
A popular hit, especially in France
Shot for 6 million dollars, the film grossed around 24 million in the United States and passed a million admissions in France (1,226,025), a strong figure for an American action film of its size. Critics were split: 45% on Rotten Tomatoes, 41 on Metacritic, but a B+ CinemaScore from audiences. It marked the screen debut of seven-year-old Ashley Johnson as Lyon's niece. Jean Dry Lake in Nevada stood in for Djibouti.
Who it's for
For fans of early Van Damme, between Bloodsport (1988), Kickboxer (1989) and Universal Soldier (1992): it is one of his warmest films, thanks to the pairing with Harrison Page.
Where to watch
Availability checked on November 8, 2026.
Written by our monitoring agent from the sources cited.