Casper Van Dien Movies
An action specialist whose impossibly chiseled jaw makes him the ideal candidate to portray heroes who favor plenty of action over useless small talk, Casper Van Dien first made an impression on viewers with a recurring role on the teen soap Beverly Hills 90210 before taking a turn as James Dean (James Dean: Race with Destiny) and battling giant killer bugs on faraway planets (Starship Troopers).Raised in Ridgewood, NJ, on a street that was named after his great-great-grandfather, Van Dien enrolled in Admiral Farragut Academy when his family relocated to Florida, eventually graduating third in command. After finishing his education at Florida State University, it was off to Los Angeles to purse success on screens both big and small. While success doesn't always come fast in L.A., Van Dien's photogenic visage gave him something of an edge at auditions, and it wasn't long before the occasional television role blossomed into a full-on feature career. After taking the lead as the heroic Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers and as the Lord of the Jungle himself in Tarzan and the Lost City, Van Dien expanded his resumé to include the role of producer with the release of Richard Elfman's Modern Vampires in 1998. While subsequent years found Van Dien largely relegated to made-for-television features and straight-to-video B-movie fare, occasional roles in such wide releases as Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow showed that there was indeed a sense of humor behind the stone-faced veneer.
Following Van Dien's wedding to second wife Catherine Oxenberg in 1999, the pair worked together on numerous projects in addition to co-founding a production company dedicated entirely to socially responsible, family-friendly entertainment. In 2005, Van Dien and Oxenberg made the production of the PC shooter Starship Troopers something of a family affair by enlisting aid of three of their five children in recording voice-overs for the video game. Subsequent roles in Slayer, The Curse of King Tut's Tomb, and Starship Troopers: Marauder proved without question that Van Dien wasn't looking to hang up his guns anytime in the near future. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
The bugs are back in this straight-to-DVD third entry in the Starship Troopers film series, this time with Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) back in the lead after being absent from the first follow up, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation. Also back is Edward Neumeier, the writer of the original, who takes on the directing reigns with this action-packed installment. Star Trek Enterprise's Jolene Blaylock co-stars in the Stage 6 Films production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Jolene Blalock, (more)
Casper Van Dien, Bruce Boxleitner and Oscar winner Ernest Borgnine star in this action-packed western about a town of old west settlers beset by a ruthless group of trigger-happy gunmen. They knew they were taking a risk by settling in uncharted territory, but the land was bountiful and the future looked bright. The one thing that these settlers didn't count on was the railroad. When the bullets start flying and the locals start dying, there's no sheriff to maintain the peace within a hundred miles. With no one to defend the peaceful pioneers but a retired gunslinger and an ageing rancher, this unlikely duo loads their pistols and prepares to become the only law this town has ever known. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Bruce Boxleitner, (more)
A Los Angeles detective takes on the deadliest order of assassins ever assembled while attempting to prevent a biological weapon from falling into the wrong hands. Detective Jack Barrett (Casper Van Dien) has taken down some of the most notorious criminals on Los Angeles, but he's about to face his biggest challenge to date. Plunged into a treacherous world of shadows while investigating a high profile murder case, Detective Barrett learns of a biological weapon that could threaten the very future of mankind. Only the mysterious Miko (Kristy Wu) holds the key to solving this apocalyptic mystery, and in order to protect her Detective Barrett must do battle with an army of invisible enemies schooled in the art of silent killing. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Kristy Wu, (more)
- 2006
The third of MyNetwork's nightly English-language "novellas", Watch Over Me was based on Telefe Argentina's Resistere. Daynara Torres, a Puerto Rican actress and former Miss Universe, starred as young psych student Julia Rivera, who was engaged to wealthy but faithless "medical entrepreneur" Michael Krieger (Mark Menard). With fingers in several dirty pies, Michael had made enemies of a number of tough underworld characters, and thus found it expedient to hire a bodyguard for Julia, a handsome hunk named Jack Porter (Todd Cahoon). With typical soap-opera inevitability, the impressionable Julia found herself romantically torn between the dashing Michael and the down-to-earth Jack--while Jack, anxious to wrest Julia aware from her dangerous sweetheart, endeavored to open the girl's eyes to Michael's true nature. Others lurking about included several "star names", among them Casper Van Dien as Andre Forester, a hired assassin who knew where most of Michael's bodies were buried (chances are Andre buried them himself!), Catherine Oxenberg as Michael's enigmatic personal assistant Leandra Thames, and Roxana Zal as all-purpose femme fatala Natalie Weller. Rounding out the main cast was Caitlin McCarthy as Michael's troubled daughter Caroline, whose horrible nightmares invariably provided clues as to what had previously transpired and dropped hints concerning the perils in the furture. The series benefited from a strong tie-in with the Wal-Mart retail store chain, which provided many of the characters' costumes. The first of the 65 hour-long Watch Over Me episodes premiered December 6, 2006, as the replacement for the previous MyNetwork nighttime soaper Fashion House. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Discover the centuries-old secrets of King Tutankhamen as two archaeologists race to recover the sacred object with the power to save the world, or destroy it, in this globe-trotting adventure starring Casper Van Dien, Jonathan Hyde, and Leonor Varela, and directed by action veteran Russell Mulcahy (Highlander). The year is 1922, and Danny Freemont (Van Dien) is an archeologist whose outlandish theories about the pyramids, Atlantis, and the Egyptian Book of the Dead have made him something of an outcast in the scientific community. Perhaps no one is more critical of Freemont's unconventional approach to archeology than Dr. Azelia Barakat (Varela), a serious-minded Egyptologist who scoffs at her free-spirited colleague's ideas about King Tutankhamen's mythical tomb. When Freemont determines that the Emerald Tablet rumored to be buried with the Egyptian king will provide its owner with the power to rule the world, Dr. Barakat's curiosity soon trumps her skepticism and the pair quickly set up a team of experts to locate the tomb and find the tablet. Despite Freemont and Dr. Barakat's noble intentions, their efforts to locate and protect the Emerald Tablet threaten to backfire as nefarious archeologist Morgan Sinclair (Hyde) tracks their every move in hopes of beating them to the prize and using the treasure to unleash the ultimate evil. Now, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance, the race to uncover one of history's greatest mysteries is on, and it's going to be a wild ride. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Malcolm McDowell, (more)
A secret U.S. military strike force battles a vampire infestation in the South American jungle in this action/horror film commissioned for the SciFi cable network. The top brass can't officially admit that vampires exist, but that doesn't stop Col. Jessica Weaver (Lynda Carter) from sending army commando Hawk (Casper Van Dien) and his team to the rain forest, where entire villages are being overrun by bloodsucking fiends. Things get even trickier when Hawk finds out that his ex-wife, Laurie (Jennifer O'Dell) -- who is also Col. Weaver's niece -- is in the same region conducting scientific research. Grieves (Kevin Grevioux), Hawk's right-hand man, soon gets enlisted into the ranks of the undead. But it's Laurie who unwittingly stumbles on the king of all vampires: Javier (Tony Plana), a seemingly mild-mannered nobleman whose secret history begins with the conquistadors and their quest for the fountain of youth. Slayer premiered July 8, 2006, on SciFi. Star Van Dien and writer/director Kevin VanHook previously teamed up for the 2005 horror film The Fallen Ones, while Van Dien and Grevioux are both veterans of Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Kevin Grevioux, (more)
Casper Van Dien stars in Meltdown: Days of Destruction as a Los Angeles cop who leads a team of science experts in an effort to save the Earth after an asteroid knocks the planet out of its regular orbit, causing a number of meteorological disasters. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Venus Terzo, (more)
Kevin VanHook's horror film The Fallen Ones concerns an archeologist who must battle a fallen angel who has come to Earth in order to reanimate a mummified giant and use him to take over the world. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- 2005
A fledgling detective on the trail of a notorious serial killer finds that sometimes your prime suspect is the last person you would ever expect in a tense police thriller starring Sherilyn Fenn and Casper Van Dien, and directed by Christopher Miller. When the most notorious criminals on the street are systematically stalked and murdered by a killer who seems to know police procedure all-too-well, it appears as if a renegade cop has decided to toss aside due process and personally play the roles of judge, jury, and executioner. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Multi-tasking attorney Bonnie Locke (Penelope Ann Miller) definitely gets more than she bargained for in this Canadian made-for-cable movie. While trying to locate her brother Chris (Casper Van Dien), who has mysteriously vanished, Bonnie also finds time to help her best friend Nicole (Laura Mennell) keep a stalker at bay. By the time Bonnie figures out that her brother's disappearance and her friend's plight are inextricably linked, her own life is on the line! Personal Effects made its US cable bow via the Lifetime channel on April 18, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Penelope Ann Miller, Casper Van Dien, (more)
The action film The Psychic stars Casper Van Dien as Jack Barnes, a police officer who is killed in the movie's first act. After Barnes is resuscitated, violent images haunt his thoughts. He discovers that his visions are of events that have not yet happened. While he attempts to keep these tragedies from occurring, evil people set their sites on destroying him and his loved ones. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
The son of a powerful police commissioner, uniformed officer Philip Gammon (Casper Van Dien) is secretly in charge of the Vigilantes, an illegal band of fellow cops whose mission in life is to track down and kill all known drug dealers. Inevitably, the Vigilantes become drunk with their own power, using their vendetta as an excuse to extort money from innocent bystanders, and to knock off anyone who learns too much about their covert operation. Rookie cop Kathryn Shaunessy (Sherilyn Fenn), herself the daughter of a legendary lawkeeper, gets wind of Gammon's activities and publicly exposes him and his cronies. Inevitably, the Vigilantes swear vengeance against Kathryn and her family -- and with so many corrupt cops on the force (not to mention a hostile public who thinks of the Vigilantes as folk heroes!), to whom can she turn for protection? Made for cable's Lifetime network, Officer Down was originally telecast on August 1, 2005. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sherilyn Fenn, Casper Van Dien, (more)
The undead discover a new home in the far reaches of space in this blend of science fiction, action, and horror. In the year 3000 A.D., the crew of a commercial space freighter happens upon the wreckage of the Demeter, a massive space ship that has been missing for nearly a century. Aware that there's a substantial bounty being offered for the return of the ship's cargo, the freighter's crew begin exploring the Demeter to see what remains, and they discover that the ship's hold includes a large cache of black coffins. However, the real surprise lurks inside the coffins -- a gang of vampires, taking advantage of the darkness of deep space, have taken refuge in the Demeter's payload, and they soon begin attacking those who have discovered them. Can the freighter's crew keep the menace at bay until the ship's orbit takes them into the path of the sun? Dracula.3000 includes a stellar exploitation cast, including Casper Van Dien, Erika Eleniak, Coolio, Tommy "Tiny" Lister Jr., and a special guest appearance from Udo Kier. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
An ancient Native American spirit in the form of a cloaked skeleton on horseback is hunted by a group of soldiers in this made-for-cable Predator knock-off. Michael Rooker stars as the captain of an elite squad of government assassins that are sent to bring down a deadly and mysterious force that has been decapitating oil refinery workers throughout a nearby chunk of wilderness. Needless to say, when they are faced with the teleporting skills of thier opponent, they soon find that all the training and firepower are nothing when compared to the sword-wielding fury of the Skeleton Man! ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Rooker, Casper Van Dien, (more)
One of several fictional films produced for the Animal Planet cable network, Big Spender was inspired by a real-life rehabilitation program sponsored by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. Having spent most of his adult life behind bars, embittered petty criminal Eddie Burton (Casper Van Dien) is afforded the opportunity to turn his life around by participating in a work-release project caring for retired thoroughbred horses on a minimum-security farm. Although there's little love lost between the cynical Eddie and crusty, crippled farm hand Jake (Graham Greene), Eddie manages to connect with Big Spender, a worn-out race horse who has obviously endured a life of abuse. Through his efforts to save Big Spender from being destroyed, Eddie comes face to face with his own humanity for the first time. But will this new lease on life be enough for Eddie to earn the friendship of Jake and the love of pert female jockey Melinda (Tara Spencer-Nairn)? And what about Eddie's long-estranged seven-year-old son (Matthew Knight)? Filmed in and around Cambridge, Ontario, Big Spender debuted March 25, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Graham Greene, (more)
When a father discovers that he has inadvertently come into possession of plans for a massive biological attack, the race is on to save his family -- and perhaps all of humanity -- in this breathless thriller featuring Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers). No sooner does Gerry Anderson (Van Dien) realize that the plans have entered his workplace than his daughter mistakenly makes off with the documents believing that they are nothing more than coloring paper. With desperate government agents and murderous terrorists hot on his trail, Anderson must now do the unthinkable if he has any hope of saving his family and getting the plans into the hands of the proper authorities. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien
Master thief Ace Logan (Casper Van Dien) and his partner Scratch (Robert Englund) are caught after a wild chase as they attempt to rob the vault of a casino on a tropical island. But instead of landing in prison, the casino owner (Ray Wise) inexplicably hires them to become security specialists who catch cheating gamblers. This doesn't sit well with the head of security (Gregg Henry) who hates him, but it suits Amber (Libby Hudson), a casino executive with a crush on Ace, just fine. Meanwhile, there's another plot to rob the casino, and a hurricane is gathering force on the horizon. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Gregg Henry, (more)
Young U.S. Navy Commander Sheffield (Casper Van Dien) has his nuclear-armed fast-attack submarine taken over by renegade sailors who are certain there has been a devastating exchange of nuclear bombs while they were without radio contact. It doesn't help that one of them was snubbed for Sheffield's promotion. They have the ship's doctor drug Sheffield to keep him in his quarters, giving them opportunities to load and launch the sub's nuclear warheads at targets in Russia in retaliation for their perceived war. Meanwhile, steely Admiral Justice (Gerald McRaney) works topside to have the sub torpedoed before it can start a real nuclear war. Can Sheffield regain command in time to save the world? ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- 2001
When lovely Kim Chang (Lexa Doig) is kidnapped in a bloody assault, disgraced private detective Connor Spears (Casper Van Dien) is enlisted by her brother Rick (Russell Wong) to rescue her from warring Russian and Chinese mobs. Connor, a former lover of Kim's, and Rick team up to crack the case, which proves useful as they both know martial arts and use their skills to save each other quite frequently. But with both the Russians and the Chinese coming after them -- not to mention Connor's nemesis on the police force (Alan Fawcett) trying to even an old score -- the two have their hands full. Thankfully, a feisty cabbie (Françoise Robertson) is available to rescue them.
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Russell Wong, (more)
The members of Echo Company, lead by rookie captain Ramsey (Casper Van Dien), experience a disastrous tragedy when several Marines are killed by friendly fire during an assault in Vietnam. Three decades later TV documentarian Kathleen Martin (Carre Otis) brings six of the survivors back to Vietnam to confront their issues and make peace with their former enemies -- but the enemy these days is Ramsey, whom they hold to blame for the deaths of their comrades. Via flashbacks and on-the-scene battle footage, the men come to realize a painful reality, one that results in new violence in the rice patties. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Carré Otis, (more)
Vic Cooper (Stephen Baldwin) is an undercover agent with U.S. Customs who is dedicated to his job, but has a bad habit of getting too close to his adversaries for his own good. Back on the force after a suspension, Cooper is assigned to infiltrate a group of nomadic sky-diving enthusiasts led by Red Line (Tom Berenger), who are believed to be smuggling drugs to support their lifestyle. Red Line and the other members of his group call themselves "cut aways" -- people who have cut their ties with conventional society to feed their appetite for the adrenaline rush of sky-diving full time. Cooper impresses Red Line and his second-in-command, Turbo (Dennis Rodman), with his sky-diving skills, and he's soon invited to join the group. But true to form, as Cooper develops a closer friendship with Red Line, he finds it harder to report his wrongdoings, and Cooper doesn't do himself any more favors when he becomes romantically involved with Star (Maxine Bahns), a beautiful female diver. Cutaway also features Casper Van Dien as Red Line's nemesis Delmira. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tom Berenger, Stephen Baldwin, (more)
- 2000
The dirty laundry of the wealthy and oversexed gets yet another airing in this prime-time soap opera from producer Aaron Spelling. Richard Williams (Perry King) is a tough-as-nails businessman who single-handedly built his aviation business into a powerful multinational conglomerate. Richard is engaged to marry Heather (Yasmine Bleeth), a manipulative woman who only recently had an affair with Chandler (Casper Van Dien), Richard's son. Chandler isn't sure what he should tell his father about Heather, especially when he learns Heather is pregnant. Elsewhere in the family, Peter (John Barrowman) oversees the Williams family's finances, Jenny (Elizabeth Bogush) tries to keep her drinking problem in check (with mixed results), Laurie (Josie Davis) operates a nightclub and keeps her poisoned pen sharpened at all times, and Richard's former wife Gwen (Victoria Principal) observes the action from her bungalow across the street from his Beverly Hills estate. In the midst of all this, Samantha (Lourdes Benedicto), daughter of the family's housekeeper, works for the Williams and keeps track of their many peccadilloes, while also carrying a torch for Chandler (and wishing Heather would dry up and blow away). Got all that? Titans first aired on the NBC television network on October 4, 2000. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Yasmine Bleeth, (more)
They say you shouldn't take rides from strangers, and a young woman gets an especially vivid reminder of why in this thriller. Sonia (Danielle Brett) is a college student whose relationship with her fiancé has begun falling apart; after an especially ugly argument with her boyfriend, Sonia hitches a ride home with Jim (Casper Van Dien), a truck driver. At first, Sonia thinks of Jim as her knight in shining armor, but before long it becomes obvious that Jim is not the good Samaritan he seems to be, and when he becomes involved in a dangerous game of tag with another motorist, Sonia realizes her situation has gone from unpleasant to potentially deadly. Also shown as A Friday Night Date, Road Rage also stars Chuck Byrn, Joseph Griffin, and Catherine Oxenberg. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Danielle Brett, (more)
Eric Roberts is at it again in this serial killer thriller from Uwe Boll, a director best known for his 1991 film German Fried Movie. In an anonymous American town (actually Vancouver) a serial nutcase is taking the proverb "See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil," a little too seriously, robbing victims of their eyes, ears, and tongues. Detectives Jim Renart (Michael Pare) and Dorothy Smith (Jennifer Rubin) are under pressure from their superior (Roberts) to capture the killer, and they finally get a break when alpha-yuppie stockbroker Tom Gerrick (Casper Van Dien) offers himself for questioning. However, actually nailing Gerrick proves to be a difficult matter, especially with the feds set to take over the case in mere hours, and Gerrick's impending appearance on a TV talkshow. ~ Rebecca Flint Marx, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Millbern, Catherine Oxenberg, (more)
Hired by a cheap tabloid, washed-up reporter Tom Merrick (Casper Van Dien) begins collecting research for a series of articles on famous disasters. Along the way, he makes a curious discovery: In the photos of such catastrophes as the San Francisco Earthquake and the Hindenburg explosion, he notices that the same person keeps showing up in the crowds. It soon develops that a group of futuristic "tourists" have signed on with an organization called Thrill Seekers, which whisks its customers to historical tragedies so that they can experience the thrill of being eyewitnesses. Much to his horror, Tom finds out that these time-traveling tourists have shown up in his own town, preparing to watch a cataclysmic disaster that has not yet transpired -- one that, unless prevented, will claim the lives of Tom's ex-wife and son. Originally telecast as The Time Shifters by TBS on October 17, 1999, this made-for-cable feature has since been released to video as Thrill Seekers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casper Van Dien, Martin Sheen, (more)
