NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Matylda Swan It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

Cissy Évelyne It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

charlytully Though the plot of DAMAGE has more bends than a deep-sea diver yanked up too soon, most viewers will not be sent to the decompression chamber. Director Jeff F. King does a bang-up job of keeping film spectators aware of who will clobber John Brickner (Steve Austin) next, and why. The only person who will continue out of the loop is John's parole officer (played by Paul Jarrett), who just can't be bothered. Those of us with 106 minutes of time on our hands (five minutes more than promised on the DVD box) will see ultimate fighting in nearly every sort of venue conceivable (except on the arm of the Statue of Liberty; they must be saving that scene for DAMAGE 2). Though all this carnage is punctuated by more than a few Biblical references, this isn't exactly THE ULTIMATE GIFT. When a character tries to kill herself, she makes the attempt totally naked, subconsciously aware her husband's killer is the one man who might save her. And sure enough, her homicidal white knight demonstrates no qualms in scooping her up in the buff from the shower stall floor (she's too poor to have a proper bath tub for her final farewell) and carrying her to the slower-arriving EMT's (whom he'd given a head-start via a 9-1-1 call). All in all, DAMAGE should have something to entertain nearly everyone not shocked by the sight of grown men biting each other.

Scarecrow-88 Well, one thing's for certain, this bare-knuckle slugfest lives up to the title..men do indeed damage each other. World Wrestling Entertainment's pro wrestling icon Stone Cold Steve Austin both deals out and is on the receiving end of damage. Stone Cold stars as a recently released convict, John Brickner, out on parole after serving time for manslaughter(we later learn it was self-defense), given a new found freedom thanks to the victim's widow, Veronica(solid, heartfelt performance by Lynda Boyd). Veronica demands that John come up with 250,000 dollars, the necessary monetary sum for the heart transplant for her daughter. After working both as a construction worker and bouncer, John meets Reno Paulsaint(Walton Goggins)through the waitress, Frankie(the lovely Laura Vandervoot), at the bar which he is employed. Reno is on the inside of an underground fighting circuit and can arrange for John to be introduced as a new participant. Reno, however, needs to build John's credibility, and through a series of hard fought, and brutal, fights might just be able to get him in on the big-money brawls. It won't be easy, that's for sure, as John continues to collect numerous cuts and bruises, while always on the verge of making the appropriate funds needed for the child's heart transplant operation. Reno has his share of financial troubles(he has debts owed to a number of associates), including a huge cash amount he must have soon(150,000)or else his life may be in danger. A secret in regards to Frankie is revealed eventually(it is established that the major money debt Reno must pay concerns Frankie)and a certain act on John's part in how he saved a no-good boss' life after firing him for no reason both play a hand in the tumultuous cyclical process of coming close to achieving the ultimate goal set at the beginning of the film: the struggle to get the money John needs and the hurdles he must overcome in order to do so. Donnelly Rhodes is old man Deacon, the one who orchestrates fights and often negotiates bets. With all the plot, and this movie has a dead-serious tone, it's still all about two men beating each other to a bloody pulp. An amusing recurrence is John's visits to his parole officer, each time his face more worse for wear(quite annoyed at the parole officer, John doesn't like how he barely even acknowledges his presence). Veronica's difficult situation is never forgotten in the plot, though, no matter how often we spend with the trio of John, Reno, and Frankie. The filmmakers want us to keep her plight on our minds and hearts. I saw several similarities to the Jean Claude Van Damme action flick, Lionheart, also about a stoic hero with a kind heart who finds himself in violent full-contact underground fights with muscular behemoths.

Angelus2 John is a ex-con who is approached by the wife of the man he killed. She needs money for her daughters heart transplant..Now John needs to redeem himself by getting together the money...But how? By beating guys to a pulp, of course. It's not a great film, but the action is there to keep the smiles on a majority of the audience...Steve Austin brings his bad guy attitude to the screen, but a little sombre than usual....Walton Goggins plays the greedy manager...he's fine...But I felt that Laura Vandervoort character was just there to be the eye-candy. Yes, it's corny with cheesy heroic music at the end of the film...But the fight scenes are okay, brutal...I couldn't help notice that this was similar to 'Blood and Bone' which I loved...But this is a mindless action film that entertains..

radiotheatre-1 There's a workable story hiding in there somewhere, but it's mostly obscured by mind-numbingly cheap fights, a clichéd soundtrack and general DTV feel.Stone Cold Steve Austin is John Brickner, a recently paroled ex-con. He is aided by Veronica (Lynda Boyd), the widow of the man John was imprisoned for killing. However, Veronica's help is not motivated by forgiveness or understanding, but rather by a need to have John help her with her own desperate agenda.Needing money and fast, John befriends underground fight agent Reno (Walton Goggins) and his girlfriend Frankie (Laura Vandervoort). Together they enter a fight circuit hoping that the rewards of victory will solve their respective dilemmas.The acting in "Damage" is sub-par. Here I don't evaluate Steve Austin because you aren't expecting much. Laura Vandervoort is a little bit of eye candy, but her character seems more interested in appearing scene than actually helping her man out. Walton Goggins is too old for his role and is very inconsistent. Sometimes he's convincing, sometimes very dry --- but you can never put a finger on what his character really values. Instead of helping his woman, his character seems to gamble all his spare dollars away.Thematically the film is a Christian tract with an "original sin" subtext. Necessarily, this leads to a class warfare view of social relationships whereby everyone is either portrayed as a "master" or a "slave" due to their debts --- moral, economic or otherwise. By consequence this perpetuates the bromides that money = root of all evil, and happiness consists of a duty ethic.And oh yeah, rich whitey is behind it all.Many action film fans are willing to overlook genre clichés if the film has exciting fights, like in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine". But the fights in "Damage" consist of unrealistic blood splatter and mindless repetition, so it's doubtful that even the action buffs will be satisfied. Steve Austin only throws hay-makers (which rarely appear to connect),and his primary fighting attribute seems to be that he is "Stone Cold", i.e., takes a beating without getting knocked out.The "final fight" of the film hearkens back to the cheese of mid-80's action flicks, but without the enjoyable payoff. Captive audiences should not be made to endure such a ruthless conglomeration of "YOU CAN DO IT!" aerobic workout music and extreme body greasing. It's not 1986 anymore, and there's just no excuse for direction of this kind.The whole film is summed up by the homophobic hug given at the end:Weak.