Lionheart (film)

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Lionheart
Directed by	Sheldon Lettich
Produced by	Eric Karson Ash R. Shah Anders P. Jensen Executive Producer
Written by	S.N. Warren Jean Claude Van Damme Sheldon Lettich
Starring	Jean Claude Van Damme Harrison Page Deborah Rennard Brian Thompson Lisa Pelikan Ashley Johnson Ash Adams Michel Qissi
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	11 January 1991 USA 1 August 1990 France
Running time	105 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Lionheart (also known as A.W.O.L.) is a 1990 film starring Jean Claude Van Damme. Van Damme plays Lyon Gaultier, a member of the French Foreign Legion station in Djibouti, North Africa. He deserts his legion when they wouldn't let him leave to see his brother and flees to the U.S. to help the family of his murdered brother. He arrives in New York and needs to travel to California to be with his brother's family. Along the way, he meets Joshua, a man who runs fights for money. Tagging along with him, Lyon meets Cynthia, who also specializes in the same thing. Figuring that this would be the best way to earn the money he needs, he fights in no holds barred bare-knuckle fights to finance the trip. Once he gets to LA, he tracks down his brother's widow, who is reluctant at first to accept any sort of finanical help when it is apparent she needs it. He then decides to start fighting to help his sister in law and his niece and Joshua would act as an insurance man who delivers checks to her frequently.

Meanwhile, the legion has caught up with him in LA and is now trying to apprehend him once more. Lyon of course doesn't want any part of it, and a fight ensues. After a struggle, he manages to escape, but with a broken rib.

Soon after, he has an emotional final fight with a tough fighter named Atilla. After an intense fight where it appeared Atilla had won, Lyon bounces back and sums up all his remaining strength to defeat him. Members of the Legion are in attendance though, and escort him back to the apartment, where they give him some time to wash up before being deported back to North Africa. After an emotional good-bye, Lyon and the Legion members speed off. Just a bit down the road, they let him go in respect for his determination and will power, both during the fight and helping out his sister in law all this time. Estatic, Lyon returns to the apartment, where his sister in law, niece, and Joshua are all both surprised and thankful that he has come back.