While Jean-Claude Van Damme was one of the biggest action stars of the 1990s, viewers might be surprised to learn his best performance was in the little-known Netflix movie The Last Mercenary. As the man dubbed ‘The Muscles From Brussels,’ Van Damme has never been afraid to poke fun at his reputation as a genre-bending martial arts star. Following his breakout role as the real-life fighter Frank Dux in Bloodsport back in 1988, Van Damme has continually delivered fast-paced thrills across action, comedy, sci-fi, and thrillers.

Van Damme has excelled as a hero in classics like Universal Soldier and has even ed fellow action movie icons as a villain in The Expendables 2. While Van Damme has poked fun at his cinematic persona with some underrated movie that captured all these facets of his legacy was the wild French-language comedy The Last Mercenary from 2021.

JCVD Delivers Both Action & Comedy In The Last Mercenary

Van Damme Proves His Talents For Both Genres In This Netflix Film

The career of Jean-Claude Van Damme began with him showing off his incredible karate and kickboxing skills in now classic martial arts movies, but as the years have gone on, he’s begun to embrace comedy a lot more. This was seen in the meta semi-biopic JCVD, as well as light comedies like Welcome to the Jungle, and even as the voice of Jean Clawed in Minions: The Rise of Gru. With these credentials to his name, it made sense for Van Damme to embrace his sillier side in The Last Mercenary.

Telling the story of a former Secret Service agent, The Last Mercenary saw Van Damme’s Richard Brumère urgently returning to after his estranged son was falsely accused of drug trafficking. As a master of disguise, Brumère makes effective use of several wigs to blend in as he embarks on a wild quest to clear his son’s name. The sheer ridiculousness of Van Damme’s costumes alone was enough to make The Last Mercenary a must-watch release, and it was further elevated by great fight sequences and some truly cheesy dialogue.

The Last Mercenary Is Even Better For Longtime JCVD Fans

Van Damme Hilariously Pokes Fun At His Career And Legacy

The Last Mercenary works well as a hilarious French action comedy for those unfamiliar with Van Damme’s legacy, but for those with in-depth knowledge of his career, it’s truly sidesplitting. And, speaking of side-splitting, Van Damme even finds time to perform his signature splits move that has been seen time and again throughout his career. That’s because The Last Mercenary was absolutely packed with references to Van Damme’s filmography, with eagle-eyed viewers in for a treat as they try to spot every allusion throughout.

The many wigs that Van Damme donned throughout the film also hinted at hairdos that the martial arts star has had over the years.

There was even a blatant reference to Bloodsport in the scene where Brumère punches an opponent in the groin, which harkens back to Frank Dux’s fight against Pumola. The many wigs that Van Damme donned throughout the film also hinted at hairdos that the martial arts star has had over the years, such as his greasy mullet as Chance Boudreaux in Hard Target. These clever nods to the Belgian star's legacy made The Last Mercenary absolutely essential viewing for hardcore Van Damme fans.

While The Last Mercenary landed on Netflix to little fanfare in 2021, it stands out as the best performance in Van Damme’s entire career and a firm showcase that he can still deliver laughs and thrills in equal measure. With a lighthearted sense of fun and a willingness to embellish the image he built of himself in the public eye throughout the 1990s, there’s something great about an action star who's not afraid to laugh at his legacy. Any Jean-Claude Van Damme fans will be in for a great time when they check out The Last Mercenary on Netflix.