Rating: 
Summary: It's not Beau Geste, but . . .
Review: . . . it was not intended to be.I like movies about the French Foreign Legion. I like this movie. All of the stock-characters and stereotypes are here, and the plot is as old as . . . well . . . as old as movies about the Legion! Van Damme is, of course, the recruit seeking escape in the Legion from enemies on civvy-street. It is that preliminary background that rather drags ("Yes, yes, he's on the run . . . get on with it!"). The training stage in Africa is not particularly well done, either. But once the "bleus" get marching to that far-away, isolated fort-- and the Rifs-- the action picks up. A number of reviewers do not like this film because it is not a martial arts film. That's their prerogative. But this was not billed as a "Van Damme martial arts film," so I think their criticism unfair. Van Damme actually does some acting, here, and he is more at home in a besieged fort or boxing ring than in a night-club or romancing the "female interest" character. It's not high-art, but it's entertaining, so pass the wine ration and quit your grumbling!
Rating: 
Summary: Good action shots but a pitiful storyline that yawns
Review: 2.5 Stars because the action scenes are great, but the plot is simplistic and the semblance at drama pathetic, with irritating stabs of shallow sentimentalism and worn cliche. Worth renting but not worth buying unless you want good action shots and are a Van Damme fanatic. I will sell my DVD if I can. A previous review compares this to Glory, but I consider the comparison far-fetched, unless action is the sole criteria.
Rating: 
Summary: A surprisingly good film...
Review: Even though I love Van Dammes hard hitting martial art/action films, Legionnaire is totally the opposite.I was so amazed by the acting effort Van Damme put into this film despite the fact that it had absolutely no supporting cast.Van Damme takes out all the fancy kicking and relys mostly on the acting performance which in my mind is rare to see.With action here and there the drama mostly really catches you up in the moment.Even though the Quest{Van Dammes 1996 release}takes place in the 1900's,Legionnaire as well in the 1900's show epic war effects,this is Van Dammes first real war type movie,and by all standards it's a damn good one...
Rating:
Summary: good old fashion storey
Review: great to see jean claude in a non-martial arts movie, not a oscar winner by any mean, but a good storey , up dated by modern advances in photography, see it, and see history, the way it was..
Rating: 
Summary: Legion Etrangere
Review: Great movie - a historically correct depiction of the Legion of the '20s, and Van Damme plays a character who embodies the classic heroic traits of courage, honor and nobility. The desert scenes, especially the marches, convey the sense of struggle and tribulation with which every infantryman is familiar. Credits at the end are run to a beautiful rendition of the immortal tune "Mon Legionnaire", made popular in the '30s when recorded by Edith Piaf.
Rating:
Summary: good old fashion storey
Review: great to see jean claude in a non-martial arts movie, not a oscar winner by any mean, but a good storey , up dated by modern advances in photography, see it, and see history, the way it was..
Rating:
Summary: Not Bad as You May Think But...
Review: Here in Japan, this film was given a limited theatrical release. in 2001. Before I see this movie, I knew this film went straight to video in US,so I didn't expect much fun from it. Frankly, the plot is a dull one; the situation is borrowed from the typical "leginnaire" films like Beau Geste, and there is nothing new nor original here. Well, and for fans of the previous films of the star, it must be disappointing because there is no bone- crunching action scenes. Still, it has good, authentic location, and superb supporting cast including Steven Berkoff and Nicholas Farrell. My favorite actor, Steven Berkoff, displays his over-the-top acting (though a bit overacting, you may think), and I find it very delightful, and Nicholas Farrell's subtle performance is giving some reason for not avoiding the video. Not a classic, but good one of the genre.
Rating:
Summary: VanDamme does right by the genre
Review: I grew up loving movies and books about the Foreign Legion; the misfit recruits, the brutal sergeants, the doomed stand against the odds in a lonely desert fort. So it was with some trepidation that I watched "Legionnaire". I had never previously watched a movie starring Jean-Claude van Damme, and I am no fan of martial arts movies. Would he mess it up with pointless anachronisms, a legionnaire/kick boxer? But I was happily surprised by this movie. All of the basic elements of a good Foreign Legion movie were present and the production values were first rate. The cast was strong, with all of the standard stereotypical misfits becoming Legionnaires with the Legion's "Marche ou creve" spirit. This film is by no means movie as great art, but it's solid, well done and entertaining. Movie as comfort food. I loved it.
Rating:
Summary: A "Beau Geste" for the Modern Era
Review: I grew up watching "Beau Geste" (which is a film which deserves to be on DVD)and all other films about the French Foreign Legion fall or rise to that film's greatness. That being so, "Legionnaire" stands as a solid drama of the men who join the legion to forget their past lives and to rebuild new ones--if they survive. The film is well-crafted and the wide-screen format is perfect in bringing the viewer the feel of the desert--its vastness, its heat, and its beauty. The film's action scenes are sensational and the final battles are both memorable and brutal. Jean-Claude Van Damme proves he is more than just a good body or fighting machine--he does some fine acting in this film. One wishes that it could be seen on the large screen--it deserves it.
Rating:
Summary: A "Beau Geste" for the Modern Era
Review: I grew up watching "Beau Geste" (which is a film which deserves to be on DVD)and all other films about the French Foreign Legion fall or rise to that film's greatness. That being so, "Legionnaire" stands as a solid drama of the men who join the legion to forget their past lives and to rebuild new ones--if they survive. The film is well-crafted and the wide-screen format is perfect in bringing the viewer the feel of the desert--its vastness, its heat, and its beauty. The film's action scenes are sensational and the final battles are both memorable and brutal. Jean-Claude Van Damme proves he is more than just a good body or fighting machine--he does some fine acting in this film. One wishes that it could be seen on the large screen--it deserves it.
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