Replicant

Plot synopsis:
Edward "The Torch" Garrotte (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a serial killer who has a penchant for killing women and setting them on fire. All of his victims are also mothers. Detective Jake Riley (Michael Rooker) is a Seattle police detective who has spent three years chasing Garrotte. Just days before Jake's retirement Garrotte strikes again, but Jake is off the case. During his retirement party, Jake receives a call from Garrotte, who threatens to go after his friends and family. Realizing Garrotte needs to be stopped no matter what, Riley sets out to stop him.
A secret government agency hires Jake as a consultant on a special project. They have cloned Garrotte from DNA evidence found at a crime scene. They need Jake's help to train this replicant, who has genetic memories from Garrotte and a telepathic link to him. The replicant has the body of a 40-year-old but the mind of a child. Jake's job is to help the Replicant track Garrotte down by using the memories stored in Garrotte's DNA.
The Replicant and Jake begin to hunt Garrotte. Jake believes the Replicant could turn on him at any time, as Garrotte's killer instinct may take over. The Replicant tries to understand the world, and his connection with Garrotte. The replicant does not understand why Jake treats him so roughly, since the Replicant views Jake as family. Though Jake is abusive, the Replicant looks to him for protection and guidance as they close on Garrotte. Garrotte and the Replicant confront each other in a bar after Garrotte fails to kill Jake with a bomb. Garrotte kills a bartender, but lets the Replicant live. An origin story shows that Garrotte was abused by his mother, who then killed her unfaithful husband, and tried to burn their house down, which reveals why Garrotte hates women.
They confront each other later in a parking garage. Garrotte tries to convince his "brother" that Jake cannot be trusted. Frustrated that Garrotte got away, Jake asks why the Replicant let him go. The Replicant replies, "We are the same." Jake tries to tell the Replicant that Garrote is a sociopath, but he refuses to listen. They find out Garrotte's real name-Luc Sevard-and go to the hospital to talk with Sevard's mother (Margaret Ryan), but she had already died of a heart attack. Garrotte arrives and beats Jake and also wants his "brother" to join him by killing Jake, but he refuses, forcing Garrote to try and execute both of them. Jake and the killer fight, leading to an ambulance chase in the parking garage. The van crashes into a toll booth, but the killer escapes. He hits Jake with a shovel and plans to burn him alive.
The Replicant and killer fight again in the hospital's furnace room. The Replicant wants to kill Garrotte, but realizes that he is not the killer Garrotte is. The killer hits the Replicant with a shovel, which causes Jake to shoot him. The Replicant suddenly understands that Jake is his real family. An air conditioner, damaged in the fight, explodes, supposedly killing the Replicant after he gets Jake to safety. Upset by the death of his new "partner", Jake decides to retire from his new job as a consultant.
Weeks later, Jake is with his wife Anne (Catherine Dent) and stepson Danny (Brandon James Olson). Jake spots a man in a raincoat put a package in their mailbox. However, Jake realizes the Replicant is alive when he finds the package contains a music box as a gift for Jake's help. The Replicant is dating Hooker (Marnie Alton) as the film ends.

Tags: comedy, neo noir, murder, violence, flashback, good versus evil, suspenseful, sadist

Review:
I used to be Jean-Claude Van Damme's biggest fan back when I was 13 or so, having seen HARD TARGET on video and then watching every subsequent Van Damme movie up to MAXIMUM RISK (which for some reason I just didn't feel like watching).
The problem was that his acting has usually been so stiff that it's hard to root for him as the good guy (watching SUDDEN DEATH I actually was hoping the bad guys would win) - not the case with this movie.No, believe it or not, Van Damme actually displays an amazing, intriguing, and very believable performance (or is it one?) playing the moronic and childish clone.
Michael Rooker, the other reason I broke down and rented this movie, has some really great scenes like when he gets so angered by a call from the psycho-killer that he throws the phone on the ground and smashes it into a million pieces.
The best scenes in the movie though have to be Van Damme as the evil twin cutting a swarth of destruction around the city - like kicking old ladies, shooting corpses, or (my favorite) when he shoots the driver of a stopped car he's running past in an intersection FOR NO REASON!
Replicant stars Van Damme as a killer who is cloned by scientists so that the clone helps capture him.Van Damme scores his best since Sudden Death in this better than average DTV movie.
Ringo Lam delivers some great action scenes and explots Van Damme's physical ability to great affect making Replicant a good movie.Overall Replicant would have been better if it wasn't so long but in anycase Replicant is a nice change of pace for the muscles from brussels.
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.
When "Torch" leaves one of his strands of hair at the crime scene, the idea is to clone him and stop him.Van Damme plays the clone like a baby.
"Replicant" walks on a thin line between those extremes.Well, it is the third movie in which van Damme appears in two roles at the same time and it is a strange record for an action star.
Neither do Rooker's relatives and partners who very very rarely wonder why he has a new pet and why it looks like the serial killer everyone's looking for?It may seem strange to go into such deep plot discussions but the movie plays so seriously that it's hard not to do.
And there is a scene in the killer's apartment that questions his motivation, the logic of computers and plot and the the abilities of the clone."Replicant" is a B-movie, that is for sure, but in an unexpected way it is a good one, entertaining, not too much over the top and somehow still convincing.
Replicant is one of the best films by Van damme, Ringo Lam has done a great job with this picture.
this film was amazing ,i have always been a van damme fan.but to be honest his last few films have been really bad,however i did think he delivered a good performance in desert heat (you could see he was trying his hand at acting) well anyway,this film was incredible,i had no idea jean claude could give a performance like this,he portrays the clone effectively and  plays the serial killer (torch)brilliantly,good stuff.i think jcvd called on his own life experience with drugs and alcohol to show his two sides,the innocent simple side to vandamme which the public see,i think he used this to show the emotion of the replicant,and his dark side with the drugs and alcohol which the public dont see,i think he used this to portray the serial killers rage and anger.its just good how jcvd came off the drugs and got himself back into fantastic shape!
Jake(Rooker, enjoyable to watch as usual) is a cop, obsessed with a serial killer(Van Damme, who, like we see in The Expendables 2, is a much better villain than hero), Torch(so named because of his MO...
Van Damme is surprisingly convincing in both of his roles (if you thought you could never take him seriously as a serial killer, this may prove you wrong), and the film is efficiently directed by Ringo Lam, who choreographs some high-powered action sequences and one or two outstanding set pieces.
STAR RATING:*****Unmissable****Very Good***Okay**You Could Go Out For A Meal Instead*Avoid At All CostsTo start with,don't be put off by the initial fact that this re-teams the Muscles from Brussells with HK director Ringo Lam,with whom he also made the rather poor Maximum Risk,Replicant is in an altogether different ball game.An original,inventive and intriguing flick,which works on nearly all the levels it sets out to.The two Van Dammes thing is admittently getting a little tiresome,but it really does give the Belgian one ample opportunity to show off his neurtured acting skills here,playing dual roles as both the good guy and the bad guy,and really getting into the emotions of each.The dialogue's a little tacky and the build-up's somewhat sprewed,but you get all you expected and even a little more.On the basis of this,Lam/Van Damme's upcoming feature The Monk should be fine viewing.****.
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.
I don't usually rent direct-to-video movies, but I like Van Damme and I almost always enjoy his work.
Van Damme is a genetic clone on a hunt for a serial killer - his first and best direct-to-video flicks.
Jean-Claude Van Damme plays double roles as Edward "The Torch" Garrotte the serial killer who kills young mom's and genetic clone version of "The Torch" on a hunt for a serial killer his original version in this sci-fi action-thriller.
I rented Replicant on VHS tape in 2002 in my high school years I love it than and I love it now.Michael Rooker plays Det. Jake Riley on hunt for "The Torch" with the use of a genetic double (also played by Van Damme), a cop has to not only find the killer...but to also make sure that the clone doesn't follow in his original's footsteps.
Det. Jake Riley is a likable hero, he saves a baby and I also support him in his decision not to trust the clone, because it is also the version of the killer and "The Torch" manipulated with the clone.It is the second collaboration between Jean-Claude Van Damme and Hong Kong film director Ringo Lam the first time they worked on Maximum Risk I reviewed that film.
This was the third time seining Van Damme playing dual roles the first time was in Double Impact and second time in Maximum Risk.What I mean was Jean-Claude Van Damme's best performance direct-to-video flicks.
I love in which the clone (Van Damme) protects that call girl from her pimp and his bodyguards, I love the final and the happy ending.Replicant is a solid good action thriller from 2001 was the first direct-to-video flick Van Damme did in 2001.
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.
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 is committed by the first of star Jean-Claude Van Damme's dual roles in this film – he is Edward Garrotte, known as "The Torch" for setting his victims on fire.
You'll have to watch to see if Good Van Damme stays good and helps Rooker capture Bad Van Damme...The violent interaction between the three muscular men is directed by Ringo Lam. He does a fine job moving the story and keeping the level of excitement high – but the emphasis is on violent action and thinly-reasoned martial arts cloning.
Rooker is not only wrong, but also does nothing that would have helped the kid or brought back his Popsicle.***** Replicant (5/11/01) Ringo Lam ~ Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michael Rooker, Catherine Dent, Ian Robison.
Talented director Ringo Lam, who gave us the gritty crime film "City on Fire" and the spectacular tour de force known as "Full Contact" entered the 00's decade with a thoughtful and entertaining sci-fi action film that fared considerably better than the last Van Damme/Lam collaboration "Maximum Risk", a film that succeeded in mood, but little else."Replicant" poses some interesting questions: Who are we and where do we really come from?
Ringo Lam and his team of writers managed to make a film that offers something for pretty much everybody; serious sci-fi fans and those who simply want a gritty, violent (but also polished) action flick that blurs the fine line between the old-school and the new-school.Van Damme helps hold it all together, and in terms of acting, he's never been more engaging.
As the Replicant, he has a couple of campy moments, but is generally believable in such a vulnerable role, where he's essentially playing a child in a man's body, albeit one who is capable of kicking some major ass.Van Damme made two singular films in his career that stand head and shoulders above the rest.
With "Replicant", Van Damme teams up with Hong Kong director Ringo Lam, who had previously done "Maximum Risk" with Van Damme starring.The film takes the serial killer genre & adds cloning to the mix, using the silly notion that a clone can develop a telepathic link with the original.
All the Replicant character ever does is get thrashed, usually by Michael Rooker with his 'Beaker from The Muppet Show' face, occasionally by his evil alter ego and sometimes by any old random passer-by with some aggression to vent.Obviously this is fun to watch, but when it starts leading into scenes that become humiliating for other reasons (the, er, 'abrupt' encounter with the prostitute springs to mind), you can't help but think it's all going too far.
My brother rented "Replicant" from the video store in the vein attempt to see a good movie with Jean Claude Van Damme in it.
So I knew I was in for some below level film.The story to the movie is rather simple Jake (Rooker) is trying to catch the torch (Van damme with one of the lammest hairdos ever) a serial killer who after killer his victims (always mothers) lights the on fire.They have a very cliche'd cat and mouse game where they talk on the phone.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Replicant is a 2001 American science fiction action film directed by Ringo Lam, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Michael Rooker.
The fight scenes are smoothly choreographed and exciting, with director Ringo Lam clearly aware of what makes a Van Damme movie work.
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 !
The movie looked cheap and Van Damme's clone character was embarrasing to watch, especially the dog biscuit eating scene.
The film had the standard Van Damme action and violence sequences but there was actually a plot and I found myself caring about the characters of The Replicant and Jake.
I am usually no big fan of Van Damme's movies, but I really liked this one...Good story, good action and good characters...I specially liked the ending.Go watch it !.
Well I thought, not much to count with until I saw that Replicant is directed by Ringo Lam. Interesting, the only GOOD movie by Van Damme happens to be Hard Target (yeah, flame me, but it's one of the best US-made pure action movies) made by another Hong Kong action virtuoso; John Woo. Perhaps this could be something, but sadly not.
Ringo Lam seems to be a good director for Van Damme - he already made him look like an actor once before in the underrated "Maximum Risk".
This movie is not a Funmovie!!!!It is very dark and not the kind of Beat em up-Movies you would expect Van Damme to do.The Replicant character gets abused a lot after he is put in the World.It is also more thougt provoking than Arnies 6th Day.The Action is maybe a little disappointing to Van Damme-Fans, who surely want more good Fight-sequences.
In this way of thinking, Lam uses the public image of Van Damme and plays with it in the scenes where the clone learns life.
Of course Replicant isn't as good as Lam's Full alert or The suspect but it's for sure the best work of Van Damme and gets above the average of B movies..
He's basically a very lonely man, who has been the victim of a lot of abuse and is now pretty keen to show the world what if feels like to be a victim, which is so cool because it 180% reflects an actual serial killer's mind!There are so many interesting elements to this film, like why does Garrotte get so angered by Riley (played by the legend that is Michael Rooker) talking so bad about him on TV near the start, considering nobody knows his true identity?
Van Damme can still do the moves like a master blaster at 40 years old and he is in tremendous physical condition, car chases and explosions to keep you going all the way.I must also thank Jean-Claude for proving that he doesn't always ruin or damage the career of Chinese directors making American movies for the first time, like people think he did with Ringo, John Woo and Tsui Hark, because he has now done 4 films with Ringo Lam, all of which are great.
Replicant (2001) is the movie that proves Jean-Claude Van Damme has the potential to become an actor.
This by far Van Damme's best acting, and Michael Rooker puts in a great supporting role, as always.
Has hardcore action scenes and some sentimental moments which makes this film the best van damme film and his acting is actually good!
Jean-Claude Van Damme is actually pretty good in both roles and Michael Rooker lends some solid support as the cop on serial killer's trail making Replicant an okay little thriller..
This movie is by no means an achievement in movie making - but it certainly Jean Claude-Van Damme's best effort in quite some time, since Timecop.The premise for the plot of the movie is a good, one, but the movie itself is so full of holes it would take me too long to sit here and talk about all of them - but then again a lot of movies are full of holes.If you have some time to kill and you feel like watching a fairly decent action movie, go ahead and give this a gander.
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.
"The Replicant" is an average action film where Van Damme plays two roles; a brutal serial killer and his replicant, who was created in a government laboratory for military purposes.
Collaberating with director Ringo Lam once again, Jean-Claude Van Damme actually has here one of his better Post-Time Cop movies, starring in dual roles, as both a vicious psycho and essentially a child responding to a brand new world alien to him.
This movie features great acting from Jean-Claude Van Damme and Michael Rooker.
It is then he is given an assignment: to watch over the Torch's clone, the Replicant(also played by Van Damme).
The movie stars Jean-Claude Van Dammewho 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.