Van Damme's strange directorial debut

THE QUEST (1996)

Reviewed by Jerry Saravia

"The Quest" is an incomplete, half-hearted martial-arts adventure. For Jean-Claude Van Damme fans, it is passable entertainment that has ambitious higher than most martial arts pics with a 1920's setting, and focuses on a martial-arts competition with different fighting styles implemented. On the other hand, it has a charismatic actor playing a role with not one shred of nuance so that we are left with secondary and tertiary characters that have more variety than its main leading star.

Van Damme injects a dash of "Oliver Twist" into his character, Chris Dubois, a pickpocket in clown face and stilts who is trying to make a better life for a bunch of street urchins. He escapes from the police after one of his urchins steals a bag of money from the mob, and finds himself a stowaway in a ship headed to Asia. He is then sold into slavery by a dapper con-artist and pirate named Lord Dobbs (the always dapper Roger Moore) on an island where Chris learns the art of Muay Thai fighting. Dubois is already fairly accomplished at kicking people in the face and months later, he becomes a pro martial-artist.

Eventually, the story segues to the actual competition in the Lost City of Tibet. Along for the ride is a competitive Gentleman Jim-type (James Remar) heavyweight, and an anxious female reporter (Janet Gunn). Dobbs is along for the ride since he has an avid interest in the Golden Dragon trophy, which he tries to steal by way of a zeppelin! Chris wants to be the champion who takes the trophy and uses it to give a better life to those desperate street urchins. Martial-arts competition ensues and we get several fights, and a ridiculously elongated fight with Chris and an imposing Mongolian fighter (Abdel Qissi) who can literally break his opponents's bodies in half.

"The Quest" is mindless fun and has scenes that make the body quiver and the mind race, such as Van Damme's Chris staring at a Buddha statue! Why was that shot included - was Chris hoping for some peace in his life? I can't say for sure but Van Damme (in his directorial debut) has given himself more close-ups than anyone else in the film. A touch of subliminal romance with the reporter is subdued by all the fight scenes, which are remarkably well-staged and exciting. "The Quest" is beautifully shot but it also bears far too many abrupt transitions - a stunning silhouette looks like a vintage Western composition but Van Damme has no faith in visuals lasting longer than 3 or 4 seconds. Roger Moore and James Remar seemed to be having a hell of a good time playing colorful archetypes from another time. Van Damme still kicks ass. A curious movie but definitely one to see, even if you are not a Van Damme fan.