Scott LeBrun 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.

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.

ivo-cobra8 Disclaimer: If you are a viewer that mainly prefers art-house-type movies, then you might as well ignore this review. In addition, if you're not able to take a Van Damme underrated, science fiction, action film from Ringo Lam, ignore this review, as well. We'll both be better off.Replicant (2001) is Van Damme's third Direct to Video decent Science Fiction/action movie, that I think is very underrated and bashed off. In my opinion this is my favorite Van Damme. It is the second movie from Van Damme that is direct to video I saw on VHS. The first one would be Legionnaire which I liked that movie, but I love this one. In my opinion this movie is far way better than Knock Off, Derailed and Inferno aka Desert Heat! I seriously hate those movies. Each of them suck and Replicant is miles way better than those movies together, that I think Van Damme made a shitty job in there. The movie starts off about a scientists who create a genetic clone of a serial killer in order to help catch the killer, teaming up with two cops.Replicant is about obsessed serial killer (Jean-Claude Van Damme) and the recently retired cop (Michael Rooker) intent on stopping him. After finding his hair follicle at a crime scene, a secret government agency clones the killer in the hopes that the replicant will aid in the search. Although he's full-grown, the clone (also played by Van Damme) has the emotional and mental capacity of a young child. Soon the naive replicant begins to have visions of past murders and an abusive mother, leading him to escape and seek the killer on his own. The film it self is more about retribution for a cop and a serial killer's replicant clone. I love Michael Rooker as Det. Jake Riley, I seriously love his acting performance in this movie, the same I did love his acting performance in his other movies as a cop. Renegade Force (1998) and The Replacement Killers (1998), which I own this movie on Blu-ray disc. Jean-Claude Van Damme did a solid job acting performance in this movie, the fight choreographer was good, and the fight scenes where also good.This was the second collaboration between Jean-Claude Van Damme and Hong Kong film director Ringo Lam that they where working together. This first one was Maximum Risk and this is the second one. Honestly Direct to Videos that Van Damme made, my favorites are Maximum Risk and this one Replicant. I love how smart and brilliant this movie is, that Van Damme's replicant helps Jake (Michael Rooker) catching the serial killer his original clone./: Edward "The Torch" Garrotte (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a serial killer, who prey's for the female's who are mom's or a single mom's and kills's them. Each of the mom is picked up randomly whenever she say's words like "You're a bad boy" than he attacks and kill's them. He uses his martial arts to escape from the cops, who are after him. Det. Jake Riley is actually a cop, who is chasing The Torch for a years not successfully. So now he is forced to get retired, but The Torch call's on the phone him and pushes him, beyond the limit. A scientist clone the killer with the help of his DNK and they gave him to Riley (Michael Rooker) in to the care. The replicant will help him to catch The Torch.I love how Rooker's character hated, the replicant and blaming him for everything that is happening in his life and so on. I also love how the replicant saves Jake on the end, beats up The Torch, fake's his own death and flees the crime and starts the new life with the hooker, he just saved. Seriously a good movie and not bad for 51 year old Van Damme. There are few more movies Van Damme made direct to video that I like beside this one. I am giving this movie a sold 8, because Ringo Lam did made a great job directing this movie and working together for the second time with Van Damme. I love this movie and it is my favorite Van Damme movie. I will get this movie on Blu-ray disc next month, I hardly wait. Replicant is a 2001 American science fiction action film directed by Ringo Lam, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Michael Rooker. It is the second collaboration between Jean-Claude Van Damme and Hong Kong film director Ringo Lam, and the fifth time that Van Damme has starred in a dual role. The film had a limited theatrical release in many European countries, and was released on direct-to-DVD in the United States on September 18, 2001.8/10 Grade: A Studio: Artisan Entertainment Eagle Films, Lionsgate Home Entertainment Starring: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michael Rooker, Catherine Dent, Brandon James Olson, Pam Hyatt, Ian Robison, Allan Gray, James Hutson, Marnie Alton Director: Ringo Lam Producers: David Dadon, Danny Lerner, John Thompson Screenplay: Lawrence David Riggins, Les Weldon Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 40 Mins. Budget: $17.000.000 Box Office: $848,053

Viva_Chiba First, i found the 5.0 rating TOO LOW for this movie, this movie deserves at least a 6.5.Looking at the cover, the rating, the plot, the cast and everything else i was expecting your average B-actioner. Replicant is not one of those action movies where everything gets destroyed, there is a lot of character development and it's well made.Jean Claude Van Damme has 2 roles, playing both the villain and the "good" guy, acting snobs will probably notice that JCVD's acting got better.The action scenes are cool and they are directed with a lot of effort and energyReplicant is directed by Ringo Lam, (he did the best JCVD flicks Maximum Risk, In Hell and this movie), a very good Hong Kong director, he did a better American debut than John Woo in my opinion.Overall, Replicant was better than expected is very entertaining and i refuse to say that this is a DTV movie, i think that it deserved a theatrical run, a wide one, not limited ! (same goes for ALL his DTV movies, expect Derailed).If you are a Van Damme fan, see this, if you hate him, see this too !