Cast: Jean Claude Van Damme, Roger Moore, James Remar, Janet Gunn, Jack McGee
Director: Jean Claude Van Damme
Producer: Moshe Diamant
Screenplay: Steve Klein and Paul Mones based on a story by Frank Dux and Jean Claude Van
Damme
Cinematography: David Gribble
Music: Randy Edelman
U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures
The Quest is Jean Claude Van Damme's directorial debut, and, judging by its somnolent pace and inability to generate any energy, it may also be his last venture behind the camera. While no one could reasonably expect this to be a "good" film in the traditional sense of the term, it comes as a surprise that The Quest is actually boring -- even the fight scenes lack panache. The level of high-tension violence expected from a Van Damme film is blunted by poor direction, uninspired camera work, and a bland villain. During the climactic battle, it's difficult to stifle a yawn.
The simple premise is presented in a needlessly cumbersome manner. The result is sixty minutes of exposition to introduce twenty-five minutes of kickboxing matches. In the mid-1920s, Chris Dubois (Van Damme), the leader of a gang of orphans on the streets of New York, escapes police pursuit by stowing away on a ship bound for the Far East. When the crew learns of his presence, he is put in chains and forced to endure slave labor. Eventually, Chris is rescued by a group of pirates led by Lord Edgar Dobbs (Roger Moore). But Dobbs isn't as altruistic as he initially seems, and soon Chris finds himself sold into a different sort of slavery.
After a great deal of additionally pointless plot development, Chris and Dobbs, along with Dobbs' assistant (Jack McGee), a female journalist (Janet Gunn), and the U.S. heavyweight champion (James Remar), arrive at the fabled "Lost City." There, Chris is to participate in a knock-down, drag-out contest with fifteen of the world's greatest fighters. The winner takes home a huge, solid gold dragon to go with the championship title.
The Best of the Best did the kickboxing matches a lot better, and they're about the only things worthy of cursory notice in this abysmal film. Van Damme could use a few lessons about pacing. A number of scenes in The Quest should have been a lot more exciting than they are. Van Damme the director makes Van Damme the actor a dull and lifeless screen presence. An almost-painful sense of lethargy hangs over all ninety-four minutes of this motion picture.
Roger Moore hasn't done anything of note since he retired from the role of 007 after A View to a Kill. This won't be the start of a major comeback. Moore doesn't show any more ability or enthusiasm here than he did in his last few Bond films (although he does briefly lampoon his most famous role by introducing himself as "Dobbs, Lord Dobbs"). The pairing of Moore with Van Damme makes for a sorry combination.
At least Van Damme has the good sense not to moralize in The Quest (unlike fellow action star Steven Seagal in his first directorial effort, On Deadly Ground). This film was designed as a straightforward action/adventure effort, without even a token romance to muddle things up. The problem is that the action is sluggish and the adventure is stagnant, and that makes for a tedious hour-and-a-half.
© 1996 James Berardinelli