Damage (2009) User Reviews

good film

[nickbenger · 7/10 · 22 February 2010]

good film overall, plot was a little generic rather similar to "Fighting" the fight scenes can be enjoyable although they all seem to be somewhat similar.It's a shame there is no real training scene as in these sort of films they're really needed, the closest thing to one is a little bit of jogging which is obviously unrealistic if he actually wants to win a fight worth the amount of money he is gambling!.

It's worth a watch, they're are better movies but i wouldn't disregard this one and would certainly watch it again. So i'm going to give this a 7/10, i think maybe a small minority are to quick to criticize when this isn't actually such a terrible movie.

not just another brainless action movie

[disdressed12 · 6/10 · 25 April 2011]

this is not just another brainless action movie.not that there's anything wrong with that.there's actually a story here,and a good one. there are some tender sensitive moments in which Steve Austin shows he has some real acting ability.yes there are some brutal fighting sequences,but that is not the core of the story.the core of the story is about doing the right thing,about morality,forgiveness and redemption.and that's what moves the film along.the dramatic scenes work very well here.partial credit must go to the cast,not just Austin but the supporting players as well.Walton Goggins and Laura Vandervoort are very good as well.for me,Damage is a 6/10

Do You Mind If We Finish This One?

[Ed-Shullivan · 7/10 · 5 November 2013]

"Do you mind if we finish this?"...is the line Steve Austin uses before he knocks out his last opponent in Damage. Steve Austin wasted too many good years in the wrestling ring when he could have been honing his acting chops in action films like this one. Austin plays an ex-con named John Brickner, who is enticed in to the underground fight world with the promise of a six figure pay cheque by a bar maid named Frankie played by Laura Vandervoort and her questionable crony friend Reno Paulsaint played by Walton Goggins.

Okay, so the story line has been done hundreds of times before. In this action film John Brickner agrees to enter the underground cage fight scene in an effort to raise $250K to pay for a new heart for the pre- teen daughter of the man Brickner strangled to death years earlier. I like Steve Austin as the ass kicking hero with a big heart in Damage. His fight scenes are better than most action stars, and his acting character that he portrays is humble and realistic.

If you like the action and fight scene genre than you should enjoy this film better than the other average cage fight movies. Steve Austin should go on to make many more action movies based on the quality of his acting skills, large physique, calm cool collected mannerisms, and his natural All American hero image.

best Steve Austin to date

[nightshift31 · 11 October 2009]

This is my first review i felt so strongly for this film i had to wright one. I checked out this movie not knowing only that Steve Austin was it i think hes a good actor so i may be bias. I like watching movies that i know nothing about cause well i enjoy watching the show truly unfold in front of you.

The movie starts out with Steve getting released from prison event then take him to the underground fighting world where he must win to save a life. Its a fight movie but it has more then you typical fight movie it had a great plot good script and all the actors showed up.

For a B movie this was worth every minute spent watching i would recommend this to anyone who is a Steve Austin fan or like UFC or just likes a good story driven movie. There is something for almost everyone to enjoy

Beat 'em up with heart

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 21 February 2013]

You wouldn't expect a lunkheaded beat 'em up starring hulking wrestler Steve Austin to go for the heart, but this virtual remake of the Van Damme vehicle A.W.O.L. (aka LIONHEART) is all feeling. Austin plays a guy fresh out of prison who finds himself engaging in a brutal gambling ring where he battles opponents to the death. His motive? To pay for an operation for an ailing girl.

For the most part, the film is all about the violence, featuring a string of well-choreographed and exciting bouts between Austin and various, even more fearsome fighters. Such bouts are satisfyingly hard-hitting and unflinching, and Austin holds his own against even the toughest brawlers.

What surprises is that the story outside of the violence is also engaging, with Austin delivering a realistic turn as a guy forced down a dark path in his bid to do good, and some heartfelt emotion dished out along the way with it. It's no classic, for sure, but it ably does what it sets out to do, which is entertain.

Steve Austin Damage

[Terryfan · 7/10 · 24 February 2015]

After retiring from the ring of Pro Wrestling Steve Austin begin to journey into the world of action films.

This one Damage is actually a good show case of what he could become. Now Steve Austin has play in TV shows and few movies this is his first solo film.

The film also starts Laura Vandervoort, Walton Goggins, Lynda Boyd, Scott McNeil. With Steve Austin as the lead.

Steve Austin plays a ex con who is trying to get his life back together after serving time for manslaughter he finds out that life outside is not easy as he struggles with staying out of trouble. Then when the mother of the man he killed Daughter fell ill he promise to help her with getting the money which leads him to underground fighting.

The story for the film fits it very well as it shows that a man can have something worth fighting for.

The fighting in the film has been done well as if you watch a old school brawl and it shows that Steve Austin can still open up a can. He stomps a mud hole in his foes and walk it dry.

The film shows that there is more can be done with a direct to DVD release and Damage shows off some good work.

It is very violet and can be bloody at times still don't count this film out just for that.

Overall Damage shows some good talents from Steve Austin and it is very good film.

I give Damage an 7 out of 10

A subdued Austin

[ctomvelu1 · 5/10 · 24 September 2012]

"Damage" is a remake of a Charles Bronson flick, "Hard Times," which in turn was remade some years later with J.C. Van Damme. Steve Austin plays an ex-con who gets involved in the murky and illegal world of bare knuckle fighting. A hokey subplot has our hero trying to raise enough money to obtain a new heart for the daughter of a late acquaintance. Walter Goggins plays Austin's sleazy but likable manager and the very pretty Laura Van DerVoot is Goggins' partner. Several veteran actors were cast as well, including Donnelly Rhodes, to support Austin, who in fact isn't all that bad as the soft-spoken, hard-hitting tough guy. Casting several veterans in a film like this is nothing new; it has been used with folks like Chuck Norris, Ah-nuld and Steven Segal, none of whom started out as actors. The fights are clumsily staged, which in a strange way befits an ex-pro wrestler. "Damage" doesn't begin to touch the Bronson version, but it is watchable, especially for Goggins, who reminds me of a young Tom Cruise.

I actually liked it

[angeleyesak · 7/10 · 8 May 2010]

This goes to show, to each their own. There are very few B movies that keep me interested. Surprisingly, this one did. The storyline was simple, at times a little predictable. I loved the relationships between the characters. Especially, Frankie & Reno's. Having Reno relive Frankie's attempt was a nice touch showing his soft side. As far as Stone Cold's acting I love him! He keeps it simple and to the point. His facial expressions are priceless. The action was great for a low budget film. It's about underground fighting which in reality is a "sport" that doesn't have a high budget. Just 2 guys beating the crap out of each other. So, many movies now lack simple fight scenes. Everything is overdone. If you are an action fan or a Stone Cold fan I think you will enjoy it.

Yep, it's bad.

[radiotheatre-1 · 3/10 · 11 October 2009]

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.

solid acting from Steve Austin but weak fight directing

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 27 December 2013]

John Brickner (Steve Austin) is starting over after spending 4 1/2 years in prison for taking the life of Mathew Reynolds. He gets a job as a bouncer at a bar when he comes to the rescue of barmaid Frankie (Laura Vandervoort). Reno (Walton Goggins) offers him underground fights. When Mathew Reynolds' wife (Lynda Boyd) tells him that she needs $250k for an operation for her girl, John needs cash and starts fighting to get it.

Steve Austin has a commanding and compelling personality. He pulls focus just by being there. He walks and talks like a pro. He could become an interesting actor. Walton Goggins, Laura Vandervoort, and Lynda Boyd are all good solid actors. The fights are good at first, but they're not shot in the most interesting way. The story isn't that complicated. This movie needs to be about the fights. Only the action directing isn't quite good enough.

Austin + AWOL = Damage

[matthewmercy · 5/10 · 8 October 2010]

In his second leading movie role, former WWE legend Stone Cold Steve Austin plays John Brickner, an ex-convict whose attempts to live a quiet life on the outside are thrown into jeopardy when he is forced into the shadowy world of illegal fighting. Though his acting skills are somewhat limited, Austin is perfectly adequate as the star of this low-key action drama; just don't expect anything groundbreaking from the execution or basic set-up. Like Austin's previous vehicle (WWE Films' The Condemned), this basically just adheres to an established action movie template (this time the 'inspiration' is the old Jean-Claude Van Damme effort AWOL), and goes through the motions of its familiar plot in an unfussy and unsurprising way. The direction is unspectacular, the fight scenes efficient but not particularly brutal, and the final result is a film that is nowhere near bad enough to despise, but nowhere near good enough to be memorable. The supporting performances are largely anonymous, though Walton Goggins (sporting the same ghastly brown leather jacket he wore as Shane Vendrell across all seven seasons of The Shield) makes the best of a badly-written part as Brickner's debt-ridden manager.

Good Stuff

[madcoyotejoe · 9/10 · 13 January 2010]

I felted the movie was very very good. I love the story. I like the whole karma feel to the whole thing. The way they pulled off the characters. I thought they got in touch with every character. They kinda hide it, but made it more realistic in my opinion. I do feel the fight scenes were good, but could have been a lot better specially with Steve Austin as the main character. Overall I loved the movie. Steve Austin did a great job as an actor more then just being a tough guy. He really plays a great tough guy as the look. I feel in this movie he was able to have that, but really pull of the guy that just wants to make things right and have a second chance at life. I loved it would definitely watch it again. Would highly recommend it. A good sit down and watch movie. I hope you enjoy it as I did.

Jeff

"Pain has a new name."

[tarbosh22000 · 6/10 · 24 May 2010]

Not to be confused with the Jeremy Irons movie of the same name, this "Damage" is full of hard-hitting fights. (It would be cool to see Irons in a punchfighting movie though. A man can dream...) John Brickner (Austin) was in jail for manslaughter for 5 years and is now just been paroled and looking for work. He finds work becoming a bouncer for a dive bar. Reno (Goggins) is a hustler who watches Brickner and invites him to fight in a underground tournament. At first Brickner says no way, but a phone call from the victim's wife asking for $250,000, forces him to fight.

Can he fight his way to the top? Steve Austin does a pretty decent job as Brickner. You care about his character...but this is a punch-fighting flick and we don't want to see maudlin acting. One of the plot points is that Brickner has 13-inch fists. When he punches once, it breaks a opponents ribcage. The movie forgets what it is. I like the effort it was making, but the most exciting moments are the fight sequences.

They deliver in spades. They are brutal and bloody.

I'm happy they are still making movies like this. Undisputed III (an upcoming review) should be very entertaining.

"Damage" is cool fight flick worth renting! For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

stone cold stinker....

[ActionFan-Reviews · 4/10 · 4 January 2012]

I watched the trailer for this movie and had high expectations going into this movie.... being a fan of stone cold in his wrestling days I thought I would enjoy this action movie... I was wrong. This movie doesn't know if it wants to be a drama or an action movie. The actions scenes are repetitive and theirs too much talk in between the fight scenes. If you like steve austin kickin a$$ than I recommend another B action movie and that is "hunt to kill". At least that movie knows what it wants to be.However I did buy this movie for $1 at a local movie store that was closing down, so for that much it's worth it. overall I give it a 4/10.

Most likely it will damage your wallet

[Wizard-8 · 30 March 2010]

I feel the first thing I should do is confess that I'm not a wrestling fan - I've hardly watched the sport, and I've never seen Steve Austin in action. Obviously, he wasn't the reason why I rented this movie. What did get me to rent it was my love of B movies - I watch them all the time. This one got me interested since it promised it would have a lot of action (fighting) in it.

Now here comes my second confession - I didn't think very much of "Damage". True, it does look pretty good for what was a Canadian low budget movie. And Austin, though he's no actor, does bring to the screen a strong presence and wisely doesn't try to be very expressive in his somewhat limited dialogue. But despite all that, I found the movie to be somewhat boring. There's far too much talk, as well as multiple subplots that slow the action from coming. And when the action does come, it's somewhat disappointing. The fights are mostly filmed with the camera zoomed way in, and with somewhat quick cuts, making the action hard to follow at times. The fights are supposed to be brutal, but I never got the feeling the fighters were suffering or in pain at any time.

This isn't a BAD movie - it's just somewhat bland and disappointing, considering they got a skilled fighter and a premise that would indicate wall-to-wall action. You can safely skip this one.

Damage

[Scarecrow-88 · 6/10 · 13 May 2010]

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.

Dumbage

[p-stepien · 3/10 · 5 November 2011]

An ex-convict John Brickner (Steve Austin) gets released after a second degree murder charge. Fraught with feelings of guilt he attempts to do his best to right the wrongs of the past and in doing so promises the victim's widow Veronica (Lynda Boyd) to do his best to gather up $250000 in order to pay for a heart transplant meant for Sarah, her daughter. Given the limited options of earning such cash he decides to enter into an illegal fighting circuit with the help of Reno (Walton Goggins) and Frankie (the sumptuous Laura Vandervoort).

In a movie littered with decent actors it seems surprising that the wooden barn-house performance of Steve Austin actually manages to be the best of the lot. The remainder of the cast seem to be part of the endeavour solely for the paycheck. Given this is an cranked-up testosterone all-American machismo fight movie I wouldn't expect anyone to go the distance, but some honest input would do everyone involved (including the viewers) a world of good.

Crudely placed on top of a simpleminded script bound to be targeted on supplying some decent fight scenes, "Damage" tends to be extremely tiresome in between the action, especially due to some poorly crafted story-building. Given the genre a blind eye can help you go the distance as long as the main ingredient - the fights - satisfied the blood-hungry needs of viewers. This is not to be so, as they lack the committed honesty of most classics of the genre. However likable Steve Austin may be he just isn't a persona of such intensity as Jean Claude van Damme or Arnold Schwarznegger.

Morality Lessons

[bemyfriend-40184 · 4/10 · 7 January 2022]

This is the second Steve Austin film I've watched this night. They both seemed to be morality lessons. THIS is how to be brave. THIS is how to be noble. THIS is how to be kind, etc. Early TV was like that. A typical sitcom would present a moral dilemma, and then give a demonstration of how to address it. Seen on Tubi, the free streaming site; which has many indie films, low budget films, foreigns, and older major studio films. Now Tubi has live TV.

Predictable

[phil-932-237806 · 4/10 · 12 January 2019]

A reasonable film, worth watching if you don't mind the dam camera shaking all over the place, it gets hard to tell who's winning the fight when you're sat trying to watch the movie without feeling dizzy!

NOT just another holy roller kick-boxer flick!

[charlytully · 8/10 · 5 July 2011]

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.

An action film to pass the time...

[Angelus2 · 5/10 · 15 January 2010]

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..

What a waste of Laura Vandervoort's beauty.

[JWBly · 4/10 · 19 January 2024]

I admit - I watched this to see the lovely Laura Vandervoort in one of her earliest roles. What a disappointment! Not only are her clothes not particularly flattering, but even the camera angles and the unfortunate placement of the large bag she carries all the time seem designed to keep your mind off her beauty.

So - no eye candy. How about the rest of the film? Austin does a passable job in the fighting sequences, but just about any Scott Adkins film is better. I like Walt Coggins, and he turns in his usual above-average performance here. But the storyline is awful. A kid who needs a heart transplant, which she can only get if Austin pummels a bunch of bad people? Seriously? I found myself fast-forwarding past the kid scenes, just because the entire plotline was so obviously contrived. So no eye candy, not enough Walt Coggins and too much choreographed fighting make for a relatively unenjoyable experience. I watched it, but only once and never again.

Another cheap Canadian production.

[mm-39 · 5/10 · 23 February 2022]

Another cheap Canadian production. Vancouver again is being the a fake Seattle for a movie. Throw in Stone Cold to grab viewers and I am sucked in. The video quality is on the cheap. Damage is a cheaper version of Van-Dams' Lionheart. Surprisingly the acting was well done. The actors did the best with the script material. What works is the fight scenes. Actually very good. A direct to video production. Or now of days Netflix filler material. I give Damage 5 stars.

Excitingly ethical action movie

[zemplen · 10/10 · 11 June 2010]

Why Excellent? Matrix-level (but very different) action movie. A rough, "theoretically sophisticated" action movie with an amazingly clear ethical and metaphysical dimension. On the action movie: conforming to Yin-Yang principles, use of Chin Na in a symbolic place, fighters with specific styles, brilliant reverberation of the first fight, and all this in rough, bloody street-fight, with sheer determinations and blocks of energy testing each other, at a point brilliantly nodding to Rodrigez. And all this in an amazingly clear ethical setting. Imagine that there is a man, who could be any of us. We could be this man if we believe that we have committed anything wrong. And he is forgiven. This is where the film starts. And the film is about the effects of doing everything morally correctly and responsibly. As a catalyst or alchemical amalgam this person doing the right cuts through a world not by destroying it but by forcing everyone else (i.e. all the non-fighters) to do morally right decisions. He is teaching all, like Jesus. Silently, without a word. And at the same time with all fighters he behaves as perfect gentleman - or warrior, always yielding a little, letting them show how far they go, and then adjusting the "teaching" load. Perfect for both East and West. For both believers and atheists. This amazing clarity is also true in my opinion of the filming style, and smooth transitions between levels of narrative and layers of the human psyche. The most mature action movie I have ever seen. Danny the Dog and Ong Bak Enlightened, in a guy heavier than the two of them together.

Great Movie

[snomisc · 10/10 · 1 March 2021]

Very similar to Van Damme's Lionheart, except the story is much better, the fighting is amazing, and the acting is much improved. Steve Austin finally got cast in a movie with actual supporting actors that don't look like film school drop outs. This movie is second to Austin's The Condemned, in my opinion as his best movie so far. If you love fighting, drama, solid plot and good casting, then you'll enjoy this movie. I will be watching this one again!