New Orleans cop Jack Robideaux (Van Damme) has opted to move and take up a position with the border patrol in Columbus, New Mexico. At the moment, the border patrol are struggling to fend off a highly dangerous drug smuggling operation where illegal aliens are sneaking through the border with bricks of heroin. As it turns out though, the smugglers are actually a rogue special forces unit led by Benjamin Meyers (Stephen Lord) and his right-hand man Karp (Scott Adkins), who have taken over by killing all of the major drug kingpins. Now Jack and his new partner Billy will have their work cut out for them as they try to bring down Meyers and his operation.

It's strange but just when it looks like Van Damme is getting his career back on track, he'll suddenly take two steps backward and appear in run-of-the-mill action fodder such as this. In fact, calling it "run-of-the-mill" is probably being kind as 'The Shepherd: Border Patrol' often verges on being so bland that its boring while the (limited) highlights have always been done better elsewhere.

For starters, the story manages to serve up just about every cliché in the book, from corrupt cops to prison fights, and is further hampered by a script completely devoid of emotional content. Director Isaac Florentine also seems incapable of handling his actors and lets them run riot with their line delivery, showing he has learnt nothing since his early days working on 'Power Rangers'. Speaking of the actors, they too are questionable as we have a main villain who acts more like a spoiled child than an ex-marine and a partner for Van Damme who is clearly just the stereotypical black guy. However, perhaps the guiltiest party of all is Van Damme who seems to be phoning in his performance from another continent and looks so bored at times that I kept waiting for him to doze off.

Those of you hoping that the action would represent the film's upside are also likely to be disappointed as there isn't much special on offer. Admittedly the opening is quite promising as Van Damme looks sharp and Scott Adkins shows off some amazingly acrobatic kicks but this seems to be where the excitement ends. All of the remaining fights are just far too short and even the final duel seems to be nothing more than glimpses of what each actor is capable of. Once again, I'd probably pin the blame on Florentine who seems to have done his research by watching John Woo movies which has given him the impression that slow motion automatically equals style. Sorry Isaac but it really doesn't. Moderation is the key and by putting every single move in slow motion you remove the impact and just make the combat look dull.

Normally I'm the first to find some sort of saving grace in all Van Damme vehicles but 'The Shepherd: Border Patrol' is just so by-the-numbers and lacking in all areas that it's painful.