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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: Columbia Pictures
Salesrank: 10036
Released: February 6, 2001 |
| Our Price: $4.74 |
| Used Price: $4.43 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
No Description Available.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 6-FEB-2001
Media Type: DVD
Description of Double Impact:
Jean-Claude Van Damme gets a kick out of himself in this clever if barely competent action thriller, in which the likable Muscles from Brussels plays twin brothers separated at birth by a murderous Hong Kong crime syndicate. While the genial Chad lives the posh life as a California aerobics instructor, his sibling Alex chews fat cigars back in China, running a mahjong parlor and making some extra bucks as a smuggler. A quarter-century after being sent to different corners of the globe, they reunite and decide to seek vengeance against the cartel that killed their parents. From there the story and action set pieces are fairly predictable, but that hardly matters since the film's real appeal is in the amusing way the two Van Dammes deal with sibling rivalry, especially where women are concerned. Van Damme, seeking his box-office breakthrough at the time, might have received more of a commercial boost had this movie simply been directed with greater professionalism. The lighting, editing, and shot selection are often ridiculously below the standard of low-budget features. But Double Impact does have its compensations, especially in the casting of leather-clad Cory Everson and exemplary villain Bolo Yeung as a pair of killers who cross the twins' path. --Tom Keogh
Double Impact Reviews:
Doublemint Van Damme 
2008-08-31 - The Jean Claude Van Damme Review Matrix (JCVD-RM)
1.Who is he? He's two guys! Identical twins separated at birth by the Chinese mafia, one, Chad, is a silk underwear-wearing pretty boy from Los Angeles, and the other, Alex, is a criminal from Hong Kong. Amazingly, they both grew up to be martial arts experts.
2.Which family member/friend must be avenged? Their parents are murdered by the same Chinese mafia
3.Does he take his shirt off? Bolo Yeung rips Chad's shirt off during a fight sequence
4.Does he have sex with a C-List actress? Yes. Actually, his sex scene with the beautiful Alonna Shaw is worthy of late-night skinemax fame.
5.Is there a tournament? Sadly, no.
6.Is training needed for this tournament? Perhaps some firearms training should have taken place, but aside from that, no.
7.Does he do the splits in training or in the tournament? When teaching/training a class for aerobics, or something, he dons some spandex and displays the goods for the ladies. He tells them that the splits are easy because of his big legs and karate.
8.Does he punch someone in the balls? Yes, Chad jab-kicked Bolo Yeung in the jewels during the final fight - which was clearly revenge for the nut-chop Bolo delivered to Chad's family jewels earlier in the movie.
9.Does he do a series of flying or 360 kicks? Let's just say that he can use the marks on Bolo Yeung's jawline for his next boot fitting
10.Is his enemy unbeatable? It's Peter Malota and Bolo Yeung. Plus, Bolo has a glass eye, and a career record of 0-1 previous to this movie. So, challenging? Yes. Unbeatable? Probably not.
11.Does he overcome an injury or other hindrance? Not only does he have to battle Peter Malota, Bolo Yeung, Cory Everson, and poor night-vision, but during one fight scene Donkey Kong apparently begins to throw barrels at Chad.
12.Does he win? Without the help of electricity, I have no doubt Bolo Yeung would have won. However, JCVDx2 manages to avenge their parents and claim their stole inheritance by taking down the entire Chinese syndicate.
So, this one goes slightly outside the typical JCVD flick, but the overall impression is positive. In spite of himself, he actually portrays a bad guy or a hardened criminal fairly well. I especially appreciated perhaps the best snot-rocket scene in cinema history - the lighting is stupendous. Ignoring the whole JCVD angle, this one is actually a decent movie with some rather funny dialogue with several gratuitous F-bombs.
I really like this movie 
2008-07-14 - To me, one of Van Damme's best movies....check it out you won't be dissapointed, and keep in mind I only like a few of his movies so I'm not one of those guys that like all the crappy movies he made.
Great Buy!
2008-01-24 - Thank you so much for the speedy delivery as it did arrive in time for the holidays. Would do business with again anytime. Thank you!
Seeying Double 
2007-10-08 - Double Impact stars actionstar Jean-Claude Van Damme in his prime. The movie follows two brothers who are united after being separated as baby's by a tragedy. Together they will have to team up to get the guy who is responsible for that event.
The fun part about Double Impact, is that it stars Jean-Claude Van Damme in a double role. With some nice computereffects he is able to interact with himself in the same room. This is a joy to see.
Being an actionfilm, Double Impact sure has alot of action, but in my opinion it was a bit underwhelming. It is all a bit lame and could have been way better. Van Damme is known for being a karatestar and does some kicks in this film, but it just isn't worked out well. A fight against one of the badguys, where both opponents get the change to take off their shirts, was a real letdown and is finished way too quickly and easily.
As for the rest of the action, which features alot of shooting and explosions, the same thing: Alot of it, but not that spectaculair filmed.
Still, if you are a Jean-Claude van Damme fan, add two stars to this review immediatly, cause you won't be dissapointed. That is certainly the main fun of the film: Jean-Claude van Damme times two. Van Damme manages to create two totally different characters, which is a nice job and once again, fun to see. He does it with alot of humour mixed into it. At the beginning of the film I really had the feeling that I was watching Jean-Claude van Damme times two. But after a while I saw them as totally different characters, meaning that Van Damme did a good job.
So a bit of a letdown in action for me, but it has some nice humouristic moments of the two brothers interacting and annoying each other. And if you are a Van Damme fan and you haven't seen this one yet: shame on you and buy this one right now!
For other action fans: rent it sometime, and see if you find it worth buying.
Double Dynamite!
2007-07-07 - This is not necessarily my favorite genre of film, but I must say that it is a VERY impressive entertaining film. Jean-Claude Van Damme is SO believable as twin brothers that it is so easy to think that Van Damme has a twin in real life starring in a movie with him.
The martial arts and action is great, as well as a very unique storyline.
I especially enjoyed the (always) great Geoffery Lewis in this. He is a perfect casting choice as the body guard of the twins' late parents, then years later as a friend/partner/protector of the adult twins.
I've never even been a big fan of Van Damme's, but he is great in this. And, as two completely different people! It's very well scripted and very well directed, and the acting is very well done by everyone in the film.
The story is that, as imfants, the baby brothers are orphaned when their parents are murdered by a Chinese businessman and his American associate. Years later, the boys are now grown men, living completely seperate lives, unaware that the other exists until Geoffery Lewis' character brings them together to exact revenge on the people who murdered their parents, and to take back what is rightfully theirs.
This is a film I would highly recommend to anyone who is a fan of this genre of film, and/or anyone who just wants to sit back, eat some popcorn and enjoy some great kick a** action and some awesome martial arts. This is definetly in the same league as any Bruce Lee flick, or any Jackie Chan film, if not better. It has all of the ingredients that this genre of film calls for: Action, adventure, martial arts fighting, murder, betrayal, double crossing, double dealing, revenge, and double Van Damme.
Not a movie that I would own, but one I would highly recommend. My only complaint was there were way too many head-butting scenes. Other than that, well, let's just say that this is a rare gem for the fans of martial arts/action films. Thank you.
