Replicant (2001)

Why so much hype?

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Memorable, crazy movie

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Scientists create a genetic clone of a serial killer in order to help catch the killer, teaming up with two cops. Replicant boasts another terrific and strong perfomance from Jean Claude Van Damme and this time? in both sides of the coin. I mean i love the shy and also pretty dangerous clone but i also very much enjoyed the bad psychotic murderer role as well. Michael Rooker was also very good in his role as well. If you enjoyed seeing the double Arnie's from The 6th Day (2000) you're going to love this fast paced action thriller as well.... (10/10)

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.

Trying to catch a deranged serial killer by cloning him, that's the kind of logic only a Van Damme movie can employ. It has to be said though: this is very different from his usual material, because the writers felt like exploring his range a little. Sure, he has played a double role before in "Double Impact" (why do I know this?), but there it was just tough guy/tough guy. Here it's bad guy/mute, which is very interesting to say the least. I particularly liked the scene where the hapless clone visits a prostitute, Van Damme is actually sorta uhm, dare I say convincing? Villainous Van Damme may just be even better, the long hair and sunglasses is a perfect touch. Michael Rooker is also awesome as usual, whenever I hear that trademark gravelly voice I know the movie can never completely suck. But screw the actors, what about the action? Well, I'm glad to say that it looks really good, even despite the limited budget. Director Ringo Lam apparently really knows how to squeeze every penny and treats us to some excellent brainless mayhem, fun all around. This movie is WAY better than it looks.

Replicant is set in Seattle where over the past three years a serial killer known as the Torch (Jean-Claude Van Damme) has murdered eleven people, cop Jake Riley (Michael Rooker) has been trying to catch him but thus far has failed. The day of Jake's retirement comes & he hangs up his badge with the Torch still at large, however Jake is contacted by National Security Federation boss Satn Reisman (Ian Robison) who wants Jake to work for them & that they can help him catch the Torch. Jake agrees & it is revealed that the NSF have created an exact clone, or replicant (according to the IMDb's automatic spell-check the word 'replicant' isn't actually a word at all...) as they like to call it, of the Torch taken from an extract of his DNA from a hair strand at a crime scene. The NSF hand the replica over to Jake in an attempt to use his genetic memory inherited from the Torch to track him down...Directed by Hong Kong action film maker Ringo Lam this was his second Hollywood made film after another JCVD vehicle Maximum Risk (1996) & to date his only other two Hollywood films have also starred JCVD in In Hell (2003) & Wake of Death (2004), I have to say that Replicant is actually a fairly intelligent sci-fi action flick although it's not perfect. The script by Larry Wiggins & Les Weldon has a fairly emotive & relevant issue at it's core with both the moral & ethical dilemmas surrounding human cloning touched upon. Replicant doesn't just use the notion of cloning as an excuse for lots of action as it really does try to approach the issue in a somewhat grown up way. The whole idea of how a clone should be treated & the line 'if you treat someone like a criminal expect them to behave like one' is a very obvious allusion to the way we treat each other, the themes of the relationship between the clone & the person who has been cloned is raised as is whether they would share the same memories or feelings or thoughts. In the end it doesn't amount to much but at least Replicant tries to say something & have some sort of message which is a lot more than most straight-to-DVD action films attempt. Of course it's not all good news, the action scenes are a little too low key & infrequent for my liking & despite trying to present cloning in a semi serious light I don't see how a clone can have the memories from the person used to create it yet alone some sort of telepathic link. At over 100 minutes I think it goes on for a bit too long as well with an alarming amount of time between action set-pieces.Director Lam does a decent job, there's not much style here & it's a little bit flat & bland. In fact it feels like a made-for-telly film at times. The special effects are good & the action scenes are well choreographed. The fights are good, there's some explosions & an impressive sequence of an ambulance speeding through a car park crashing into other cars & the like. The violence is strong but not graphic. You know call me odd but I actually quite like JCVD, while the likes of Steven Seagal, Chuck Norris, Mark Dacascos, Dolph Lundgren & Wesley Snipes are content to churn out horrible low budget action films JCVD at least tries & his films are usually much better than those as well with the interesting if not totally successful Replicant a good example.According to the IMDb this had a budget of $17,000,000 which is total crap, in fact I believe it was $7,000,000 so I guessed someone pressed the '1' button by mistake somewhere along the line! It's well made for sure, although set in Seattle it was shot in British Columbia in Canada. The acting is pretty good, JCVD plays a dual role again as both the bad guy & his clone. Michael Rooker is decent as the burnt out cynical cop while there is no one else of any note in the cast.Replicant is a film which tries to be different, it tries to take a relevant issue & do something with it & it almost pulls it off. A couple more 'big' action moments & Replicant could have been great, as it is it's definitely good but not great.