Double Impact (1991)

 

There is no denying it: this guy really likes Jean-Claude Van Damme and always has, every since I was a skinny little shrimp. It's also a fact that Belgians usually are incredibly non-chauvinistic when it comes to being proud of countrymen and -women accomplishing something like being known all over the world. We're weird that way. We'll always be: "Yeah sure, you're world famous, just keep your feet on the ground and don't let it go to your head." 

Bit silly, really.

Anyways, you could rightfully argue that Van Damme's films aren't high art and you would be absolutely correct. Nevertheless they often are a lot of fun and you pretty much know what you're in for every single time. This one is no exception and even if it is not JCVD's best, it is one that will always hold a special place for me.

You know what's better than one Jean-Claude? Two.

After a flashy new tunnel has been opened in Hong Kong, the architect and his wife are brutally gunned down by a Triad hit squad. No surprises that the business partner of this couple is a devious businessman with ties to the underground, something the bodyguard sees. This bodyguard manages to rescue one of the twin babies and takes it with him to France and then Los Angeles, whereas the other one is left by the nursery maid at an orphanage in Hong Kong.

Fast forward 25 years, and Chad (Van Damme) is a karate and aerobics instructor in Hollywood, living the easy life. His 'Uncle' Frank discovers the whereabouts of the other twin Alex in Hong Kong and decides it is time to reunite the twins and tell them the truth: that they are the rightful heirs to a lot of money courtesy of that tunnel project. So as soon as they get to Hong Kong, the fun starts. Of course the brothers are pretty much each others opposite, but through various happenings/beatings/dealings, they get their act together in order to take down that nefarious business partner and his Chinese mob connection. 

Is it a bare bones revenge tale? Of course it is. Is the female lead mostly there to look pretty and be a damsel in distress? Of course she is. But the reason anyone would watch this, is seeing Van Damme kick ass and this is what you will get for twice the fun. Van Damme has a blast with switching between characters and there even is a fun fight between the brothers that must have been a bitch to choreograph and shoot. Add to that the presence of the almighty Bolo Yeung as an evil henchman and the fun just keeps on going. No joke: Bolo Yeung was terrifying for us kids back then. He's probably an incredibly sweet man in real life, but when you see him in his prime you'll understand why he can be scary. The fight scenes are well done and even if henchmen get dispatched rather easily, they are still cool to watch. Even the guy with the spurs on his boots and the musculare female bodyguard are memorable,  despite not having a lot of dialogue or in fact in many scenes. This film nails the look more than anything else.

Is it the best thing since sliced bread? Of course not. The dialogue is often inane and one would be mistaken as to assume this is filled with top notch actors, because it most certainly is not. The plot is threadbare thin and an enormous amount of things don't make sense when you think about them for more than five seconds, but it does deliver on the action. And isn't that the main reason to watch a film like this? 

For Van Damme fans, this is obligatory viewing, but give it a go if you're feeling nostalgic for some old fashioned butt kicking.