We all know that Van Damme has made some good movies, none that are really memorable but at least entertaining. Sadly, he is more renowned for his bad films - the late nineties saw a string of them: Double Team, Knock Off, Universal Soldier 2, Desert Heat. And, as much as I like the guy, he got his just deserts when they started to be released Direct-to-Video. However, when a film like Replicant comes along, this is where the tragedy really happens. It deserves sooooo much more credit. Now, by no means is Replicant Oscar winning material, far from it actually, but it is nevertheless a gripping, original flick. For one of the first times in a JCVD film, we really feel pity for a character - Replicant, as he is constantly beaten up and abused. Van Dammes acting as the clone is fantastic as is his portrayal of The Torch. The film has some fantastic stuntwork, from the incredibly realistic destruction of the Torch's apartment to the ambulance chase between the same guy and Jake (Michael Rooker). I honestly believe that this film is worthy of a wide theatrical release, it's just a shame it never happened as this truly marks the comeback for JCVD.
To conclude, Replicant is a very dark, sometimes unsettling thriller that really draws you into the action. It takes a while to get going but the ending is fantastic. Performances all round were good and the action scenes were quite simply beautiful. It just seems like it's too little too late for the Muscles from Brussels...
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