‘Pain has a new name’ says the tagline, although, perhaps the film shouldn’t be so self-deprecating on the cover art. Damage, after all, does what you expect.

Steve Austin stars as John Brickner – a man released from prison and on a trail for redemption. Unfortunately, redemption for his past act of violence comes at a price – kicking the crap out of everyone. It’s not the most ingenious set-up, and appears to be a surprisingly lowbrow effort from the writer of  The Cooler, but this film is all about walls with teeth, so who cares?

Well Steve does actually, a man who knows how to knock a man down til his face resembles a strawberry McFlurry. Austin wants to bring the man on a mission movie back, being the everyman (that is the 6ft 5inches everyman who can smelt gold with his hands) who tries to battle against adversity.

It’s a noble idea, but one that doesn’t completely connect. Austin doesn’t quite hold the chops yet to handle the drama as well as he does the action. He is aptly supported by The Shield alumni Walton Goggins and Battlestar Galactica’s favourite Doc, Donnelly Rhodes.

As the film continues, Austin manages to inject some humour into the role, and what could have been just another excuse for a brutal exploitation flick actually tries to gun for a bit more heart and feeling. The character gradually connects and lesser actors could have made it feel a lot cornier than it actually is.

It isn’t enough, though – the action strays away from gratuitous face-smashing (although there’s still plenty of it). Meanwhile, the script lacks any real spark and just moves along to its inevitable happy end.

A good effort which has the spirit but doesn’t follow through. The action feels occasionally repetitive and it is a story told many times before, only better. The DVD also lacks wealth, offering a chirpy behind the scenes featuring a few members of backslappers anonymous and nothing else.

This is a film trying too hard and, ultimately, not hitting hard enough. It should prove an entertaining watch for Stone Cold fans and action nuts, but don’t expect it to knock your socks off.

Watch the trailer for Damage here and read our interview with Steve Austin this week on Hecklerspray.

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