Rosanna Arquette Movie:

				Salesrank: 220051
		MPAA Rating: R (Restricted) Media: DVD

Editorial Review:
Poor Rosanna Arquette ended up in this Van Damme potboiler about an escaped convict who moves onto the farm of a widow (Arquette) and her two kids. Stuff happens: a cop who likes her gets jealous and beats up the Muscles from Brussels (but only after handcuffing him), there's a fire in the barn, bad guys are trying to drive her away, etc. The story was first developed by screenwriter Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct) and the late director Richard Marquand (Eye of the Needle). Eszterhas wrote the script, but who knows what direction this story was originally going? Van Damme's best film is still Timecop, and this is a long way from the quality of that. --Tom Keogh

Nowhere to Run [Region 2] Reviews:
Nowhere to run
2009-12-11 - I really liked this movie, some parts are a little over board and it could have been made better, but it was still enjoyable.

good movie point blank..
2009-10-06 - its pretty good van damme dose what he dose best..!! which is fighting nd acting

Claude & Roseanna Show Off
2009-03-30 - This is another Jean-Claude Van Damme action flick, but a definite notch above many of his other films, at least in production values. The photography and stereo sound are excellent.

Actually, this is pretty simple stuff and old storyline of a low-key good guy rescuing the girl from local meanies. Here, Van Damme defends Rosanna Arquette and her small kids.

In another respect, the movie is just another avenue for the two stars to show off their incredible bodies. Neither has ever been shy about doing that and certainly aren't in this movie. My only objection is having one of the kids make a sexual remark, which is done in here. There is no excuse for that.

Ted Levine, who has turned nice guy in the hit TV series "Monk," is an effective bad guy in here. He played a lot of villains before "Monk" came around.

Anyway, it's fairly low-brow entertainment, but at least it is entertaining and fun to watch.


JCVD redoes the classic Shane?
2009-01-14 - The Jean Claude Van Damme Review Matrix (JCVD-RM)

1. Who is he? Sam Gillen, a criminal on the loose
2. Which family member/friend must be avenged? His friend Billy, who breaks him out of police custody, and Clydie (Rosanna Arquette), a worn down widow and mother of two youngsters
3. Does he take his shirt off? In one of the most disturbingly inappropriate images possible in a movie, Sam is completely naked in front of Clydie's children. Luckily, the viewers are spared.
4. Does he have sex with a C-List actress? In one of his most provocative sex scenes ever, Sam and Arquette do a little carnal gymnastics (JCVD gets to a legit second base on film).
5. Is there a tournament? JCVD steers away from his kumite roots in this one.
6. Is training needed for this tournament? He clearly trained and prepared in some way, because he beats everyone down, has a law degree, understands the nuances of the animalistic fright-versus-flight dynamic, is an accomplished motorcycle stuntman, and knows how to drive a forklift.
7. Does he do the splits in training or in the tournament? Sorry JCVD fans, no splits.
8. Does he punch someone in the balls? In the first fight of the movie, one unfortunate guy gets an axe handle to the jewels.
9. Does he do a series of flying or 360 kicks? No jumping of flying in this one.
10. Is his enemy unbeatable? Essentially he's fighting "The Man" and "The System"; so, it depends on your point of view.
11. Does he overcome an injury or other hindrance? It's possible that he had some broken ribs, but that didn't stop him from fixing Clydie's pipes.
12. Does he win? Hmmm...

Nowhere to Run is almost a mirror image of the 1953 classic Shane. An outlaw escaping his past, houses up with a family struggling against the classic tale of greedy corporation versus small land owner. With a sheriff - played by the guy who played Mr. Belding's brother in one episode of "Saved by the Bell" - paid off by the land developer, and a creepy henchman played by Ted Levine, a man who appears to be perfectly suited for only that role, it's up to Sam to save the day. Motivated by the taut, perky body of Arquette, not to mention multiple full frontal shower and sex scenes, JCVD gives us perhaps the best movie in his legendary career, following the lead from Shane one last time, as he rides off into the sunset of an ambiguous future.

An enjoyable film, if you don't expect too much
2008-12-18 - An escaped convict, Sam (Jean Claude Van Damme), hides out on the ranch property of a single mother, Clyddie (Rosana Arquette), and her two children, and ends up helping the family to stand-up to an unscrupulous developer (Joss Ackland) who wants to buy Clyddie's land to mine it.

"Nowhere to Run" is not a great film. The plot is lifted directly from some old western and is utterly contrived and predictable, and the two young children seem to only be included in the story in order to emotionally manipulate the audience. Jean Claude Van Damme doesn't even get to show off his martial arts skills all that much. Nevertheless, in spite of all of the above, somehow this film managed to work, and I enjoyed it more than many films that are far better made. It is a fun, mindless action movie that kept me entertained and didn't tax my brain too much. Sure, the script is laughably bad at times (in particular the romance elements and any scenes involving Van Damme's relationship with Clyddie's son), but that just added to the entertainment value. Provided that you go into this film not expecting too much, you too will probably enjoy it.