Replicant

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Very Good- Van Damme Delivers
Review: Jean-Claude Van Damme has reunited with Director Ringo Lam (Maximum Risk) for the movie "Replicant." To my surprise, this movie delivers a powerful punch and why it did not get a theatrical release in the United States is unknown. However, it deserved one. This is not the average straight to video/DVD type of movie. The production values are high and the acting by Rooker and Van Damme is very good. Actually, it is Van Damme's best performance ever and is the caliber of any action star in the "A" market today.

Van Damme plays a convincing serial Killer and Clone who is directed to track him down. Both characters are well acted. He, for once, does not over act in two roles which could have been very easy to do. Rooker plays a street cop who is obessed with catching the killer. His character is developed well for an action flick and the two pull if off nicely.

The fight scenes are terrific and the stunts are great. For action fans-this film is a must. For others, it may not be worth the purchase, but is well worth the showing. You will be entertained.

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Very Good- Van Damme Delivers
Review: Jean-Claude Van Damme has reunited with Director Ringo Lam (Maximum Risk) for the movie "Replicant." To my surprise, this movie delivers a powerful punch and why it did not get a theatrical release in the United States is unknown. However, it deserved one. This is not the average straight to video/DVD type of movie. The production values are high and the acting by Rooker and Van Damme is very good. Actually, it is Van Damme's best performance ever and is the caliber of any action star in the "A" market today.

Van Damme plays a convincing serial Killer and Clone who is directed to track him down. Both characters are well acted. He, for once, does not over act in two roles which could have been very easy to do. Rooker plays a street cop who is obessed with catching the killer. His character is developed well for an action flick and the two pull if off nicely.

The fight scenes are terrific and the stunts are great. For action fans-this film is a must. For others, it may not be worth the purchase, but is well worth the showing. You will be entertained.

Rating:
Summary: This is the worst Damme movie ever
Review: Jean-Claude Van Damme, darling, what were you thinking?! This movie REEKS! Terrible acting by all charactars, a cliché plot, and not enough action. This is what happens when good actors make bad movies. If you want a good Van Damme movie, see Bloodsport, Kickboxer, Hard Target, Double Impact, Street Fighter, or anything besides this one!...

Rating:
Summary: Wham Bam Thanks Van Damm!
Review: Let's cut to the chase. You know what the movie is about. But what you don't know is that Van Dam became an actor. He is totally convincing in the dual roles. As the serial killer he shows us a dark side to his personality which works on all accounts. Focused and confident. As the Clone (Replica) he shows his more sensitive side. He even get's to do a little bit of the Tom Hanks in "Big" routine. Though I will admit I like him in the villan role. In all, the movie moves very well by the sure hands of it's director Ringo Lam. It has some very violent and realistic scenes that will frighten younger viewers so parents please be responsible and do not let them watch it at all. It is rated R. Thanks Van Dam for a excellent film.

Some other Van Damm Films I recommend:

Timecop
Sudden Death
Maximum Risk (Ringo Lam, Dir)
Hard Target (John Woo, Dir)
Nowhere to Hide
Death Warrent

Rating:
Summary: Almost...
Review: Maybe 3.5 stars would have been a more accurate rating for me.

I certainly agree that Van Damme puts forth his best acting performance as the two characters. I like how even the fighting styles are different between the two (the killer being brutish and direct, the clone using excelent physicality and gymnastics maneuvers but little control). A well made film as well.

But I really did not like Michael Rooker - either the actor or the part he played: a short fused, rather dense ex-cop. They could have explored the killer's mind a little more. The psudo-science used to explain the clone is also wrong - either use the "genetic memory" idea or the "twin telepathy" idea, not both.

One neat touch is the killer's rap sheet - pause the film and look at his occupation.

Rating:
Summary: Van Damme It All This Could Have Been Great!
Review: Movie Summary: Veteran detective Jake Riley has not been able to catch the serial killer known as "The Torch" who kills mothers and burns their bodies. Jake retires from the force but is sucked back into the case when he is offered another way to catch the killer. The government is seems can clone people and they have cloned The Torch in hopes that they can use the genetic double to track him down.

My Opinion: My biggest problem with Replicant was that it could have been so good. It could have delved into the nature/nurture argument and made a statement. It could have developed a relationship between Jake and the replicant and showed that The Torch turned into a killer because of the way he was tortured as a child. Instead Jake turns out to be a morally bankrupt character with no back-story who can't grasp that the replicant is a human being until it's too late. They didn't show any reason for Jake's brutality towards the replicant. When his mother scolds him for treating the replicant badly, I was hopeful that things would change, but a blanket and an ice cream cone just don't cut it. Had Jake been mistreated as a child, or had his mother been murdered, then there could have been some common ground to build on. Instead he's just a black box to us. Now maybe this is all too much to expect from a Van Damme movie, but they had it all set up and came so close. I was impressed with Van Damme's acting in the film. He was genuinely convincing as the replicant. His facial expressions were really convincing. Rooker on the other hand just seemed to be angry the entire movie. Maybe he's still upset over Henry. I know I still am. The stunts and explosions were impressive too, especially for a direct to video movie.

DVD Quality: Widescreen Anamorphic 1.85:1 with excellent video quality, Sound is DD5.1 This is a decent DVD release with extras including deleted scenes and commentary.

What You Should Do: Most Van Damme fans will probably enjoy this one. The killing and burning of the female victims bodies is not for the squeamish so beware. If you are not a Van Damme fan, then you might as well skip this one.

Related Movies To Check Out: Cyborg, Timecop, The Silence of the Lambs

Rating:
Summary: Hero with Sorrows
Review: Never saw Van Damme plays a good part with such a sorrow heart. We like the good guy part more than the bad guy - Van Damme never plays in such good role before. It's a movie you will enjoy, for the story, the characters, the Kung Fu fighting,...etc. But the most thing that touches our herat is the Replicant himself. A little bit sorrows in heart...But he made it finally. A happy ending as a compensation. We really enjoy this movies. It's a must seen if you're a fan of Van Damme!!

Rating:
Summary: For a Van Damme anyway...
Review: Okay, folks. Nobody is going to mistake Jean Claude for Al Pacino, but let's be honest - he's a fun actor with a slew of fun movies. If you like action and martial arts, you can't help but admire the master (and former world-champion) Jean Claude Van-Damme.

Directed by Ringo Lam (Maximum Risk) the action sequences are as realistic as they come (que the apartment exposion with debris floating over innocent passer-by's down below). This is a direct-to-video flick, but the budget is higher than most theatrical blow-busters ... Yes, Van Damme squares off against himself (again), but this time, it manages to be fun (unlike Double Impact where the acting is simply grotesque). The music is complimentary to the dark theme, and the acting is (surprisingly) average. ... For Van Damme fans, you'll love it. The protagonist, Van Damme, is silly but interesting. The antagonist, Van Damme, is convincing as if our former world-champ missed his calling in non-verbal roles as the broad-shouldered bad-ass capable of defeating even a Terminator.

Okay, okay. Yes, I love Van Damme flicks. But this film is simply cool. There are no stupid one-liners or ridiculous special-effects. The stunts are amazing, and Jean Claude finally returns to the amazing arts we haven't seen since Kickboxer or Bloodsport.

If you love Van Damme, you'll cheer over this flick. If not, drive through. This movie is fun and full of explosions, fight-sequences, incredible accidents and thrill-rides. Enjoy, and rok on, Jean Claude! You're still the man!

Rating:
Summary: Good Plot, Good Action,Good story, Good movie.
Review: Replicant is a movie where a mask murderer goes on crime sprees killing innocent women. Not only that, this sick murderer (Jean-Claude) actually takes pictures of these sick crimes. That's where Jake comes in (Michael Rooker), Jake is a undercover cop who has been chasing Garrett (the murderer) for 3 years, after one particular night he calls it quits and retires from the force at a early age. After he starts getting on with his life he gets an insulting call from Garrett and is given the opportunity by the CIA to help them bring down the murderer. He accepts and heads down the there headquarters. He finds out that they aren't actually the CIA, their Special Forces Unit and they have a DNA sample of the killer and they will use that to create a Replicant (clone) of the murderer. After many tests they are finally able to put the Replicant out of hibernation and into the real world.

The Replicant is suppose to have the brain capabilities of a 40 year old (the murderers approximate age) and if given enough time, it could remember how exactly the murderer went about the killings, how he escaped, who he is, and where he lives, and that's what they want to get out of him. But the Replicant is like a baby, he needs to learn how to eat sleep, walk, talk, everything. That's where Jake comes in again, Jake is basically suppose to baby sit the Replicant until he can remember the crimes. The Replicant grows to care for and accept Jake, while he doesn't trust anyone else.

During the movie we find out more about the murderer and kind of get an inside scoop of how this murderer lives and why he's doing all these killings. I'm not going to spoil it for you but let me tell you, this guy is a sick puppy, anyone who has watched Van Damme movies in the past will be shocked at the role he's playing now. The Replicant meets up with the murderer a few times and each time the Replicant starts to bond with the murderer, since he can think how the murderer thinks, and given enough time, he could read the murderers mind completely. At first the murderer doesn't know who the Replicant is but then he eventually finds out.

The Replicant is not like many creatures, it copies what people do and say, in one part of the movie where they try to apprehend the Replicant they end up losing, why? Because anything you show him he learns, if you punch him he learns the exact punch you did, if you put him in a head lock he learns that exact head lock, and that's what he used to defeat them. I'm still not going to spoil all the movie but Jake and the Replicant track the murderer down many times, and each time the murderer tricks the Replicant into thinking that their brothers and that Jake is the enemy, The Replicant starts to show his true color by allowing the murderer to escape and apprehending Jake at that. But then the Replicant learns the murderers true colors and turns on the him and that's what allows Jake and The Replicant to defeat this sick murderer.

The movie had a tight budget but it doesn't show it at all. Good special effects, good action, good plot, good story. Good Movie.

Rating:
Summary: Replicant
Review: Replicant is one of VAN DAMME's good movie ever made by the ASIAN director RINGO LAM.It's a rearlly movies made ,with plot on DNA cloning,whitch is a real scintific process in are future. He plays this sereal killer,very strong,very smart.he goes all over the world, and can never be caught.The police hunting him manage to get a sample of his blood, and from this they make a duplicate with process of cloning,an exac duplicate of the killer, a Replicant,whitch they use the copy to track down the original killer.Jean Claude playes dual roles again like: DOUBLE IMPACT, MAXIMUM RISK and REPLICANT- revolves aroud this clone and original killer.