Jean-Claude Van Damme may never have risen to the
top ranks of action stars, but his movies have
been consistently enjoyablepartly because they
don't take themselves too seriously. In The Order,
Van Damme plays a thief of religious artifacts
whose archeologist father has found the lost
scripture of a mysterious religious order. When
the old man is kidnapped, Van Damme soon finds
himself cruising around the twisty streets of
Jerusalem, getting into dynamic kickboxing battles
while disguised as a Hasidic Jew. With the help of
a beautiful Israeli cop (Sofia Milos), Van Damme
uncovers a plot within the religious order that
leads to secret catacombs beneath the holy city.
Silly Perhaps, but directed with vitality and
surprising wit. Van Damme is trim and energetic,
Milos is engaging, and a cameo by Charlton Heston
(!) only adds to the general atmosphere of spunky
fun.