Replicante

A serial killer called The Torch terrorizes a city by killing single mothers, and torches them. In order to catch him, a secret government organization clones the killer with DNA they found.

It was interesting seeing Van Damme portraying two very different roles; that of a ruthless killer, and the clone with childlike behavior. For a guy his age, he is also incredibly agile and flexible still, boasting incredible martial arts skills.

I enjoyed the fact they showed us The Torch's background and his motivation behind the killings. Michael Rooker stars as the policeman who takes the clone into his custody, hoping to find the killer. Due to their shared DNA, the clone is able to sense who the next victim will be, and where.

'Replicant' is a fast-paced, action packed thriller. The ambulance chase scene during the finale is absolutely fantastic! The film has a simple premise and I'm glad they didn't try to over-complicate things with specifics and too much detail. This is an easy to follow, satisfying thrill ride.

Would I watch it again? Yes.

26 January 2003. This is one of Jean-Claude Van Damme's most sensitive and exciting movies and ranks among his best along with Time Cop if not better. There is a sharp, serious, deadly edge to this cop thriller with a sci fi twist. There is compassion, tenderness, and an icy, cold-blooded, frozen hard serial killer - no holds barred action thriller here. Surprisingly complex, full of non-stop action, as well as relationship, character-driven backdrop to this movie. Worthy of a rental for sure. 7 out of 10 stars.

This was very different for a Van Damme movie. Even though this is like the 100th time Van Damme has done the double role thing, this is the best out of them. Van Damme really plays his roles well in this one. I don't really like Michael Rooker as an actor, but he does well with what he is given. Some of the characters are underdeveloped, but the movie still is decent.

Jean-Claude Van Damme sure believes in that adage of "the more Van Damme, the merrier". Also see "Maximum Risk" and "Double Impact" for examples of movies in which you got double the dose of Van Damme for your money. Here he plays both a sick serial killer, nicknamed The Torch, who has deep-seated mommy issues, and the result of a cutting-edge government program. This program creates genetic doubles of characters like The Torch for the purpose of getting inside their heads / memories / thought patterns. Or some such nonsense. The hard-driving former homicide detective put in charge of the child-like Replicant is grim-faced Jake Riley (Michael Rooker). Unsurprisingly, the Replicant has more of a sense of decency, so obviously he's not an *exact* copy of the psycho. Inevitably, the fight will be on.

Filmed in Canada, under the guidance of a capable director, Ringo Lam, who also worked with Van Damme on "Maximum Risk", this is rather routine entertainment, but it's watchable enough. Watching JCVD play these differing characters is basically fun, as it was in "Double Impact", and the martial arts / action icon clearly is enjoying himself as the psycho, decked out in greasy wig and leather jacket. Rooker typically adds some value with his usual patented coiled-spring intensity. The rest of the cast are so-so no-names, although Marnie Alton is delectable as your standard-issue "hooker with a heart of gold". JCVD fans need not fret, as you do get to see him strut his stuff in action and fight scenes, and it will create some amusement watching him attempt to delineate the mentally slow but good-hearted Replicant.

Overall, it's passable, although I'm sure it's far from Van Dammes' worst. It does go on for a bit (clocking in at 101 minutes), but there's still enough hard-edged violence and explosions to help combat short attention spans.

Six out of 10.

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.