Replicant Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
A ruthless killer... to destroy him, they had to create him.
Think twice before you clone a killer.
He just became his own worst enemy.
The future's most ruthless killer... to destroy him, they had to create him.
Jake Riley is working on the "Torch" case, a psycho serial killer, who kills women with kids and sets them on fire after they are dead. The killer calls Riley sometimes and now, that Riley retires, the killer has no person to play against anymore. The NSA comes into play here and offers a job to Riley. A replicant, or better a clone of the killer should help him find the real one, as kind of test if it works out. Now Riley is back on track, with a clone of the killer at his hand on the way to discover that nobody is born as murderer.
| Jean-Claude Van Damme | Replicant, Garrotte |
| Michael Rooker | Jake |
| Catherine Dent | Angie |
| Brandon James Olson | Danny |
| Pam Hyatt | Mrs. Riley |
| Ian Robison | Reisman |
| Allan Gray | Roarke |
| James Hutson | Snotty Concierge |
| Jayme Knox | Wendy Wyckham |
| Paul McGillion | Captain |
| Chris Kelly | Chris |
| Peter Flemming | Paul |
| Margaret Ryan | Gwendolyn |
| Marnie Alton | Hooker |
| Ringo Lam |
5.00 out of 10 (4473 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Awesome Van Damme Movie!!!
posted on 19 Jun 2009I have always been a fan of Van Damme. I was one of the few who enjoyed his theatrical movies, and one of the few who like or have seen his DTV movies. In the past few years I was getting nervous. Sure I liked Van Damme, but some of the recent movies were getting kinda bad. Now I have only seen 1 or 2 truly bad movies, I usually like all movies that I see, because most of them have a great scene here or there. Lately some of the VD flicks were even getting kinda bad to me. I liked Universal Solder 2 but it was pretty bad when compared to his other flicks. I was a little leary about Replicant, but after the first few minuted I knew that everything would be OK.I really enjoyed this movie! The plot was very cool and it kept you thinking and wondering what would happen next. Also Van Damme really acts in this movie!!! Unlike his other movies where he just kicks and punches to the plot he actually does some good acting. I really felt for the "Replicant." Unlike some movies that I have watched recently, this movie really held my attention. Uusually I am checking my watch but not this time.To sum it up, I reallly think that you should see this movie. If you are a Van Damme fanatic you MUST see this. And if you are a Van Damme hater you Must see this. It is just that good. 10/10 best Van Damme movie ever!
Deeper Van Damme!
posted on 02 May 2009Jean-Claude's 26th movie - a straight-to-video release which deserves far better. One of those films you either like or dismiss out of sight on gut instinct. Fact is, its one of his best - quite as good as NOWHERE TO RUN or MAXIMUM RISK, perhaps shy of TIMECOP which is by far his best effort.This is perhaps Van Damme's best "acting" to date. With far less high kicks and macho mannerisms than is his standard fare, he offers virtually an antihero here and it works exceptionally well if you're prepared to watch the film and not decry its seeming lack of mindless violence.Van Damme plays the twin roles (a la SUDDEN IMPACT) of serial killer "The Torch" and his genetically engineered clone, assigned to former cop Michael Rooker who has been on the trail of the Torch for years. Bred in a laboratory, the cloned Van Damme has no knowledge beyond that he is permitted to experience at the (often brutal) hands of his keeper.. Rooker!
Many of these scenes show an exceptionally vulnerable and moving side to the Van Damme personna. Those who criticised the flick for its lack of action, catatonic plot and dearth of imagination are simply to be pitied for their own limited awareness.The action sequences towards the conclusion are outstandingly filmed, the fight choreography is exceptional and the budget constraints (as someone so correctly pointed out) do not show at all. Ringo Lam's direction is spot on and all up what you have here is a first-rate actioner requiring some cerebral input on the part of the viewer, which is possibly what has led to many of the childish, inappropriate and absurdly irrelevant comments evidenced in the accompanying reviews.If you have an awareness of the human condition and an interest in social values, it is likely you will find something in this flick of value to you!
Avoid this appalling trash like the plague
posted on 23 Mar 2009IF ONLY I HAD CREATED a replicant of myself...SO THAT POOR SUCKER COULD HAVE SAT THROUGH THIS MOVIE!I'm still reeling from the appalling trash that is REPLICANT! I hope the kindly folks at my local AMC theatre near Tokyo Disneyland forgive me for leaving claw marks all over their comfortable seating. HAH. I must admit I didn't walk out.....I was with a friend, and, well, she whispered to me that she kinda liked it, so...well, you know.Jean-Claude Van Damme AKA The Muscles From Brussels defines himself as an actor in this movie. Hang on...what am I saying? Oh yeah, that's another actor, another movie...Syllabically-challenged Van Damme stinks! His acting is oh-so woefully bad he easily makes a naked store mannequin look like an Academy Award winner. But I suppose I'm the idiot for expecting anything more from this Belgian Waffle. To think he plays two characters in this movie - one a vicious killer, the Torch; the other a drooling, IQ-lacking, Mummy-change-my-nappy replicant...with the very original name, Replicant - so unconvincingly that it actually invokes belly-aching laughter...well it did from me any way! See Van Damme (as the Replicant) bumble, fumble and stumble around the city like a Scientology recruit on the run! And what can I say about all-rounder Michael Rooker's performance?
Ummmm...not much! Does Rooker have to act so damned angry in every movie he makes? His brutish Jake Riley seems fitting at first, but he overplays the role. I did, however, enjoy somewhat his stomach-pounding mistreatment of Van Damme throughout the film. "That's for 'Timecop', and that's for 'Double Impact'..."On a serious note, the murder scenes are graphic and a real turnoff. Do we really need to see the Torch burning his victims and putting a baby's life at risk? I also found a scene involving the Torch's dead mother to be one of the worst I've ever seen. Not recommended for those with weak stomachs.My advice is to avoid this movie like the plague.Skottyrock's rating: 0.5 out of 10
double impact is the shiznit
posted on 19 Mar 2009low budget, lame settings, fx are crap, this is Replicant. Backtrack a decade to 1991, after Wrong Bet(Lionheart), Death Warrant, Kickboxer, Double Impact really got me revved for van dammes style of carnage....Uni-Soldier followed in 1992, some parts looked cheap, but after watching the Order, replicant, unisoldier 2, legionaires, Inferno(COyote mOon), I regained respect for uni sol 1 and will add it to my dvd collection. In 1993 , Van Damme and a guy called Woo released at the time an exciting action packed adventure with an unformidable villain.... He was on track, then Nowhere TO run followed, I was still eager Van damme at that stage, being a 14 year old youth... Then Streetfighter, doh! Then Sudden Death, double doh! 1996, van damme wrote and directed the Quest, passable, nice fight scenes, blasted roger moore! Maximum Risk, boring, tried too hard....good fight in bathhouse with dolph lookalike.... DOubleteam, Comic book action all the way, low budget, Rodman added flair with fight style.. Legionaire, no comment. Knock OFf, 1998, van damme on Etonight said this was his comeback film. Critics didnt agree, fans were undecided, althought I enjoyed the camera work and over top fight sequences..... 1999, 2 movies which will be forgotten quickly, unisol2, absolute joke, inferno, terrible.... 2000 seemed to be a drought on shelves for a van damme flick. 2001, replicant is released.... mid 2001, the order....poor charlton heston, mustve been in early stages of his disease when signing contract for that role... 2002, where's abominable?, Derailed also in can. 2003, Hell in pre production....I hope I bored you to death as you are a van damme fan already if are reading this and already know all this irellevant information on a fading action 'star'.critic out
great action flick
posted on 26 Jan 2009Van Damme is in top form in this action film, boasting more action then all of Jet Lis Hollywood offerings it makes me wonder why this never hit the pictures in the UK! Van Damme plays two roles (again!) but this time one of them is a serial killer! The action is good, the story is good, the movie is good....watch it!
No1 gets unlucky to be No1 in real
posted on 10 Oct 2008Well after watching this film i was very happy to see Van Damme in good and great shape .The film was filled with martial arts colors, a different style by (VanDamme) no 360 degree spin this time but he added some gymnastic fun in it which was great. He also acted well doing both roles (The Torch/No 1). There were also heavy explosions in the film.The fight b/w The Torch and No 1 was perfectly filmed by Ringo Lam.The scene in which the pick up gets destroyed during careless driving by Torch was extraordinary. (Micheal Rooker) acted according to his role ,he seemed to be very natural. But after doing all the great work I wonder why they didn't released it in theaters . I think the No1 of Replicant is not accepted as No1 in the market. Any how a great work by the Replicant Team.
Encountering Self
posted on 13 Aug 2008I think there is a Zen of encountering movies, not unlike encountering people. You need to get beyond the fact that they are incompetent at carrying who they are and dig into the essence of the person.Art is all in the carrying, I think so you might find yourself admiring something that is incompetent, unartful, even repellently stupid if it has an engaging heart.This disaster of a movie has an interesting kernel I think. It is only a disaster because the director and support crew thought that its center was in the thud of flesh between two brutes, a simple serial killer and a simpler cop. But you the viewer have the power to relocate that center to the encounter with self.(For those who don't know the story, evil killer exists. Shadowy federal agency makes a clone and lends it to the discalced cop who is on the case. The cone has "memories" that are used to track the killer. The clone "grows")Set aside the bizarre notion of the US government fighting terrorists by making more of them from scratch. (Insert your own political commentary here.) And set aside the notion that memories convey by genetics. The cool idea here, something like in "Faceoff" or "Purple Rose" or "Last Action Hero," or even "Thirteenth Floor." is that a personal stumbling through life has his stumbles fabricated from blows from the world, but has the ability to see them from the outside.Encountering self is an old idea... in film and literature, and much deeper and more clever notions have been spun than this. But this ain't bad, at least in theory. And for my taste Van Damme is no worse than Li or Arnie and unless you get a real actor everyone else is roughly as good.If they could just have more Schrader and less Harlin.Ted's Evaluation -- 2 of 3: Has some interesting elements.
The best Van Damme's movie.
posted on 26 Jul 2008I've seen this movie at the cinema in France cause I'm French (Normal) I thought it could be a bad movie like "Knock off" but it's a great film, with action, graphic violence and a good story...
Van Damme must continue like that and stop his "aware" experiences.
best van damme movie ever
posted on 24 Jun 2008This one is a tough action movie with a very strange kind of humor (that is weird to us but seems quite common in HK movies) : Ringo Lam makes JCVD act like he's got no brain (no jokes here, please) and maybe this is the way he acts the best (but why did they cancel the totally crazy sequence where Jean Claude eats a banana WITHOUT putting of the skin ?????). Action is cool (i particularly like the ambulance race - yep !) and Michael Rooker is definitely one of the best (and unfairly unemployed). In fact you could like this movie even if you're not a great fan of "The Muscles from Brussels". In fact it is so good that it was released in theatres in France (not in America, it seems) - but hey, only for two weeks.
No this is just too much!
posted on 11 May 2008Ok, we all know that VD is an exellent actor, right? After this film i was scared for real. In this movie he´s supposed to be cloned. He has to learn to walk, takl, eat when he is an adault. He is like an psychotic animal who gets beaten up all the time. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OLD VAN DAMME WHO FIGHTS AND KICKS?!
An average action-movie
posted on 22 Mar 2008Obviously, van Damme is on his way out of Hollywood. This movie is yet again proof of that.The story is mediocre and it's just filled with loopholes. For example, for someone who has genetic memory, the replicant's memory is even worse than that of a pig. Further more, if he's a replicant, why doesn't he have the murderous tendecies his 'original' has? Not much of a replicant if you ask me...Van Damme's acting is, I give him that, a bit better than his last few movies. However, it just barely makes up for the rest.Six out of ten. This movie is great for filling up some time you've got left, however I'd recommend against actually making some time to see this movie.
Van Damme Vs. Van Damme... Yet Again
posted on 12 Oct 2007'The Replicant' is a bit of a mish-mash for me, it's hard to like it but it's hard to hate it. Basically, Van Damme plays two roles - the first role is that of a psychopathic (and very strong) serial killer named Edward 'The Torch' Garotte, a man who preys on single mothers and after killing them, sets fire to their houses. The second role is that of Garotte's doppelganger, a mildly retarded clone who is created by a quasi-secret service organisation called the National Security Force as an experiment to see if creating clones of known felons will eventually lead the police and other law enforcement agencies to the real felons. The film also stars Michael Rooker, who is usually always good in whatever film role he takes.The film's premise isn't entirely remarkable in that it shares genres with both Science Fiction, Thriller and Action, and it's also directed by recent Van Damme collaborator Ringo Lam in their second film together. However, because Lam is such a great director, the film isn't entirely a bad example of a direct-to-video movie. The film does miss the mark on a few occasions and it does feel a little clumsy, what with Michael Rooker playing the clichéd role of the cop on the edge ("Stupid chief") chasing the bad guy who he seemingly misses just by a few minutes or who is always one step ahead of him. There are also a number of plot holes. Although the viewer can assume why the clone was created, it is never fully explained. One of the other main plot-holes (and it's a big one) is why Michael Rooker's character is so obsessed with catching Van Damme's 'serial killer character'. Usually in these types of films, we are given an explanation of why the cop is after the bad guy, there is always some personal agenda behind the chase that separates the two from being the same thing. Of course, this is a Van Damme film, but at the same time, if you're not going to opt for the all out fist-to-fist, balls to the wall, violent action film then you need a good story to make it worthwhile. While a film like 'In Hell' gives a familiar storyline, it's unique in the sense that it goes about telling it in a different way, and this is why 'The Replicant' is a little off the mark.Van Damme's performance as the relatively mute and mentally retarded replicant is much better than his role as the psychopathic pyromaniac serial killer though. Mainly because the best thing about the replicant is that he says very little. It harks back to the days of A.W.O.L (or Lionheart as it's known outside of the UK) when Van Damme's character said very little and relied more on performance, and it was quite successful in portraying the sadness and confusion of the replicant who was basically nothing more than a small child, or perhaps a naive animal. The pyromaniac gets very little screen time and, in all honesty, we don't really get to find out more about him. This a both a good thing and a bad thing. It's a good thing because it doesn't take the clichéd step of glorifying the serial killer like a lot of films have done post-Silence of the Lambs, but at the same time I'm sure we would like to get to know him a bit better so that we can see where he is coming from.Overall, this film isn't bad but it's not as good as it could have been, and in some respects it's a faux pas for Ringo Lam as his first film with Van Damme was actually quite good.
Liked the premise, but not the action 5/10
posted on 02 Oct 2007I'll say this right up front: for an action film Replicant fails. It has your typical/dull kick-punch-kick action. Nothing new here. The film has a great premise however, and surprisingly good acting. The scenes between Jean and Michael Rooker work the best in the film. This movie is a lot better then I thought it would be, and if it would have had better action, I would be recommending it.
Doesn't do anything with the characters, plot or action potential and is mostly a waste of space and time
posted on 10 Sep 2007Edward "The Torch" Garrotte is a serial killer with a taste for young mothers – killing them before burning them. Cop Jake Riley is after him but has spent years missing him and it looks like retirement will mean that he never gets his man. However an agency of the government offer him a chance to get Garrotte on the quiet using a replicant of him they have grown from a strand of his hair found at a crime scene. Despite being a fairly useless and inarticulate piece of meat, Riley finds that the replicant helps him make some progress by way of some form of engrained memory.Whenever an action movie goes for a high concept, whether or not it works is a matter of how good the film is at covering it up. For example Face/Off works because, no matter how silly and unlikely the plot, the fact that it fun and exciting means that you forgive it. With Replicant, the fun and excitement isn't there and it leaves the senseless and empty plot hanging out in the wind for all to see. If you're looking for a debate about cloning then forget this film, because it never even pauses for thought on the subject far less make sense of it. The key to the story is the replicant has some of the memories from the real person but apparently not enough to be of use early on in the film – helpfully for the plot, it takes about 80 minutes for it all to become clear. This is unconvincing and didn't work for me at all. The lack of tangible tension, excitement or even stylish action means that the plot is more obvious and the problems become bigger problems.Van Damme deserves credit for his performance as the clone, because he plays it so simply and lacking glamour that it can't have been easy. Sadly though, this also means that his character is hard to care for and is a poor lead; meanwhile his bad guy is as average as you can get – stubble and dark hair. Rooker is more interesting and should have been developed more than he was. Both men do well together but the character side of their performances is ignored by the film where really it would have done well to do more with it. Dent will be familiar from her similar role on The Shield and she is so-so here and certainly the only one of the support cast that stick in the mind.Overall this has some interesting aspects in the characters but they are all ignored. Instead this wants to be a straight, high-concept action movie but sadly totally forgets to deliver on the action side. The performances are OK but the film doesn't help them at all. The end result is a disappointing film that doesn't do much of value and will probably even be disliked by Van Damme fans.
18/M/UK MAJOR Van Dammage!
posted on 08 Jul 2007hi every1, well, im a major Van Damme fan, and i can honestly say that this is one of the best Jean-Claude Van Damme films that I have ever seen! I reckon that its got a great story line, a good cast of characters, and the fight sequences where Van Damme fights Van Damme are excellent, they look totally real!It's good to see Van Damme gettin back on his feet and doin this wicked movie, lets just hope that his up-coming movies 'The Monk' and 'The Order' are as good, if not better! I rate this movie 10/10!! 100%!!!
Give me a Break, PLEASE.
posted on 18 Jun 2007Give me a break, please. The beginning of this movie was so ridiculous, that it almost ruined the movie. The way he was born/hatched/evolved, was just very low budget. It almost made you want to rewind it right away. However, once the movie got rolling, well, what can you say.....twice Van Damme...whoaaaaaaaaaaaaa The idea of the plot deserves merit, but lets face it, even for the movies this was hard to swallow.
How create boring movie...
posted on 04 Jun 2007I give this movie 2/10 and I feel generous. I find Jean-Claude Van Damme have potential but unfortunately the majority of his movies are boring and story have no sense.In Replicant the music is so boring and "ugly" to hear. Story have no sense and we know when a stuntman take the place of Van Damme (maybe he need try some gymnastic too...)It's pity cause the story have potential. But unfortunately nothing is developed. What is more pity it is that last movies of Van Damme are more boring.Maybe Van Damme need to have less Big Head and choose his movies more.
Van Damme's Best (2001) Kick!
posted on 23 May 2007It's my turn to say that I saw it! Well, it's on a VCD and although I feel good that I saw this masterpiece, I'm also hating the fact that many people here (Egypt) would see it on VCDs before a theatrical release date :( Well, let's all pretend that we're not upset for it didn't take its fully theatrical release, but let's also consider that this artwork of Jean-Claude Van Damme is a rarely high performance 'n valuable movie that NOT anybody could get!This film is awesome!! It just makes you enjoy watching every second & damn anxious for the next one! Jean-Claude van Damme is going to get the Oscar for that WONDERFUL movie, which contains sentimental touches, Dammage action and intelligent idea for the century! You'll just love this sweet Replicant creature and love/fear that brutal 'Bad Boy' killer...Physically, he was amazing in that movie! They just should've selected anyone else to play Angie's role (Catherine Dent); rather than that ...it's a wonderful movie that will takes all your feelings & mind with it! -thanks to Van Damme who played the doubled role with the BEST performance you could ever get by an actor!!!!!!Right now, I'm gonna play that movie again 'n again till I lose my sight. LOL! I even got Seagal's "Exit Wounds" and Schwarzengger's "The 6th Day" VCDs intending to make a comparison, but after I saw Replicant.. I say it's 'Number One'!*YOU MUST SEE THAT MOVIE* - Waleed
J-C is back!
posted on 01 Jul 2009First of all I want to say I'm very glad Van Damme is back. I've been a fan for quite some time now but to my disappointment his last movies were not that good. As I went to 'Replicant' I was really excited. What if the movie would be bad? Fortunately it was great! 'Replicant is a really good action packed-thriller and you can see van Damme is back. So if you like action movies this one you have to see! J-C rules big time!