Ross622 Ringo Lam's "Replicant" is a movie with a really lame title that turns into a very lame movie and I happen to be very lucky that I haven't seen many boring action movies. The movie stars Jean-Claude Van Dammewho plays the replicant whose purpose is to track down a serial killer named Edward Garrotte (also played by Van Damme) with the help of two cops. One of them being Detective Jake Riley (Michael Rooker) who has been tracking down Garrotte for three years and now more than ever because his family is at risk. When the replicant meets the serial killer the battle stunts are so pathetic it's like they're pretending to play a superhero video game, Ringo Lam's direction is so pathetic and the screenplay by Lawrence Riggins and Les Weldon is one of the worst screenplays ever to be executed on film in motion picture history. If I were a cop several years from now and I was looking for a killer I definitely wouldn't want to clone him only because this movie was so god awful it is one of the biggest pieces of cinematic garbage that it can take up a lot of space in a sanitary landfill for bad movies only if only there was one.

Leofwine_draca The second teaming of Jean-Claude Van Damme and director Ringo Lam after the underrated MAXIMUM RISK is an extremely violent tale with a neat twist which makes it akin to both THE BONE COLLECTOR and Schwarzenegger's recent THE SIXTH DAY, as it mixes both science fiction and horror elements into an otherwise action-orientated plot. Hong Kong legend Ringo Lam shoots his movie with style and his typically hard-edged action scenes don't disappoint here, from the acrobatic martial arts battles (Van Damme inevitably ends up battling himself, as almost always in these kinds of films - the actor has a fetish about playing dual roles, you see) which make good use of props and take full advantage of Lam's brutal, fast-paced style. Then there's a hair-raising ambulance chase in an underground car park which really gets the blood going - an excellent sequence, near flawless in its execution.The plot is slower-paced than normal and rather more complex than you might at first expect. The 'bad' Van Damme is a long-haired sunglasses-wearing punk, who was tortured and beaten by his mother as a child and now has a vendetta against single mothers, whom he burns like in the chilling opening shots. As the baddie, Van Damme is pretty nasty and totally acceptable in what is a total turnaround from the normal, masculine hero-type parts he plays. The 'good' Van Damme on the other hand is a clone with the mind of a child, who must quickly learn to mentally grow and adapt to the world. Van Damme's acting in this part is superb and far surpasses any of his previous performances: he conveys the naivety and wonder of a child trapped in a man's very well indeed, far better than the likes of Robin Williams have done so previously. Congratulations indeed for such a complex part for the actor and that he managed to pull it off successfully.The only major flaw that this film has is its handling of violence - some of it is pretty graphic, not bloody but still repellent. I refer to scenes in which beaten men are repeatedly kicked - hard - in the stomach whilst on the ground, sadistically so. The worst offending moment is when Michael Rooker beats the heck out of a handcuffed Van Damme whom he believes has mistreated a child (it turns out he hasn't after all) - judging by the mental state of Van Damme's character at the time this is akin to the beating of a child and as such leaves an unpleasant aftertaste - is this really necessary? Fortunately this and other scenes don't spoil the film too much but the gratuitousness of the violence is something we haven't seen much of before in Van Damme's other movies and take the edge of what could have been a classic.The only other actor of note in the cast is the veteran Michael Rooker, playing yet another cop (okay, an ex-cop in this case) with a grudge. Rooker puts in a solid and believable turn but it's nothing he hasn't played before, having become typecast in such roles in recent years. Ironically a minor character - Marnie Alton playing a hooker with a heart - is the strongest female part the film has, but then this is really a three-hander between Rooker and the two Van Dammes. A solid entry for the ageing action hero and different enough to be accessible for even those who aren't his fans - this is deeper and far more complex than anything he has made in the last five or six years and also a better film for it. Well-made, well-acted and only spoiled by some unnecessary sadism which it would have been better off without, my advice is to give REPLICANT a chance.

preppy-3 There's a vicious serial killer around (Jean-Claude Van Damme) who only kills mothers but leaves their kids alone. A secret government agency makes a clone of him from a strand of hair (!!) and figure the clone will telepathically lead them to his "father" (!!!). They hire reluctant retired cop Jake Riley (Michael Rooker) to train him and teach him to find his double. Naturally everything goes wrong.OK the plot is ridiculous but who watches a Van Damme film for the plot? You watch it for the violence and action and there's PLENTY in this one DEFINITE PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!!! However this goes TOO far. It opens with a young mother being brutally killed in front of her little kid. All through the movie there are some incredibly vicious beatings--Rooker really gets it at one point. And, near the end, there's an all out no holds bared fight in a hospital which has corpses being shot up, elderly people in wheelchairs being shoved around or knocked off, nurses being knocked cold and plenty of people being brutally beaten. I have no problem with violence but this movie just went TOO far.Still, I was never bored. The plot was so stupid that I had to keep watching and some of the humor in this is actually pretty funny. Rooker is excellent in his role and (surprisingly) Van Damme is OK. He's not GOOD but at least he tries to pull off two roles at once--and succeeds! The movie moves very quickly--after it gets going there's barely a let-up. So, it IS too violent but I enjoyed it. Some people might find this amusing--in one scene Rooker was supposed to strip Van Damme nude (to see if he was bugged). Rooker refused saying he didn't want to star with Van Damme and Van Damme Jr:) So he's just stripped down to his underpants. Gotta say Van Damme still had a great body considering he was 40 when he did this! I give it a 7.

callanvass I have seen Replicant quite a few times now, and I appreciate it more,each time I view it. For a direct to video film, your not gonna find many better than this one. Replicant is so sinister in its approach,taking us on a wild ride, we soon won't forget. It's got much more depth then the usual serial killer film . It's unrelentingly brutal nature only helped the film. It starts off with a disturbing sequence of Van Damme burning a mother to death,then putting on one hell of an exciting chase sequence, when Rooker shows up. Van Damme's double performance as Garrotte and The Replicant is truly astonishing. I have been a Van Dammefor many years. He's never been known for his acting, but lately he's been putting on some incredible performances, as far as him is concerned. He is absolutely chilling as Garrotte the serial killer,with no remorse, yet perfectly restrained as The Replicant, and vulnerable. I enjoyed him most as The Replicant, because he brought a lot of humor to the film's proceedings, with his mimicking of Michael Rooker.It also boasts some of the most impressive flashback scenes i've ever seen. Every flashback scene shown of Garrotte managed to send chills up and down my spine, especially the one's of him as a kid, with his mother scolding him. Though, I have to say, the non flashback one of him visiting his Mom in the hospital, out does it. The veteran presence,Michael Rooker has in this film, is all that more beneficial. UnlikeMr.Seagal|Who I like, but has become very lazy with his films} VanDamme always puts effort into his DTV films. Van Damme obviously cared a lot about the project, and because of it, the film turned out really good. It develops it's relationships perfectly. I do feel the need to warn you all though. This is not your typical Van Damme film. This one has plenty of action, plenty of roundhouse kicks, but it's more story oriented then anything else. Replicant's plot is a pretty simple one,but it all comes together extremely well, due to its well structured story, and it's relentlessness.Performances. Jean Claude Van Damme has played doubles before, but he's better this time around. He gives one of the finest performances of his career. He is a complete madman as The Serial Killer, yet managed to not go too over the top. If your used to seeing him as a good guy, your in for a shock, when you see his fantastically sickening performance, as The Serial Killer. As The Replicant, he is wonderfully vulnerable. His chemistry with Rooker is truly excellent. It's obvious Van Damme thought this role was special, because he put his heart and soul into the role. Michael Rooker is one intense guy. I always enjoy watching him on-screen. Nobody can match this guy's intensity, nobody!well very few, anyway. Catherine Dent is OK as the wife, she did what she had to do adequately.Bottom line. Replicant is one of Van Damme's best films. Don't be put off, because it's DTV, Replicant is a great film, in pretty much all aspects. If you want action, emotion, well-developed characters and good acting, you've come to the right place. Clone this!.8/10