The Hard Corps

The Hard Corps centres on Phillippe Sauvage, a US Army veteran of combat in Afghanistan and Iraq, who is hired to protect Wayne Barclay, a wealthy businessman and former boxing champion. Barclay has made a powerful enemy in Terrell Singletery, a rap mogul recently released from prison who blames the ex-fighter for his incarceration. Sauvage brings together a group of fellow veterans to guard Barclay and his family, training them into a close protection unit. The arrangement becomes strained when a romantic attachment develops between Sauvage and Barclay's sister, Tamara, and her brother grows suspicious of the bodyguard's intentions.

The film was directed by Sheldon Lettich, who also co-wrote the screenplay with George Saunders. It was the fifth feature Lettich directed, arriving after The Order and following a run that began with Lionheart in 1990. Jean-Claude Van Damme leads the cast as Sauvage, with Razaaq Adoti as Barclay, Vivica A. Fox as Tamara, and Viv Leacock as Singletery. Peter Bryant and Ron Bottitta appear in supporting roles.

Made for a budget of 14 million dollars and shot in Romania as a co-production with the United States, the film runs 110 minutes. It sits in the lower range of Van Damme's action output by audience measures, holding a 5.2 rating on IMDb from roughly 6,900 votes and a 6.1 on TMDB from a much smaller base of 273 votes.