Double Team (1997)

[Neville]

It's been a while since I saw this for the last time, but a few days ago I picked the DVD again and, to my own amazement, I realised I still love this film.

Yes, I'm admiting it. I know Van Damme is no actor (although he definitely seems to be trying in his last movies, I'll give credit where credit is due), and that this limits a lot the appeal of his movies, but he really had a good idea when he joined Hong Kong director Tsui Hark in the late 90s. That man really knows his stuff. Take this film, for instance. It has every thing against it, a plot "inpired" by James Bond and "The Prisoner", a small budget and one of the most improbable casts ever: Van Damme, Denis Rodman and Mickey Rourke.

And still, it is a lot of fun. Hark seems to take his inspiration more than in the James Bond franchise, in Mario Bava's "Diabolik". Not that Van Damme goes around roundhouse kicking people in a mask, but his adventures are shot in a light and colourful fashion that resembles Bava's attempt to capture the comicbook feel.

And it makes quite an original film, despite the obvious theft of the entire premise of "The Prisoner". But I mean, it's quite a good homage to the series, and I was happy to see Van Damme resorting to intelligence for once, as his escape from the Colony involves both kicking ass and quick thinking.

As for the other parts of the movie (the "Colony" bit takes place around the middle section), you can always rely on Tsui Hark's hyperkinetic style and lunacy. I mean, sure Dennis Rodman is annoying, but watching him jump from an airplane using a giant basketball as a parachute or "scoring" bad guys through open windows is lots of fun. And what about the big ending, involving the Rome Coliseum, several henchmen, landmines and a tiger? Pure genious, specially when some unexpected product placement steals the show.

Ahhh... I can't wait to re-watch "Knock Off" someday. You have to love any film that has Van Damme whipped with raw fish and Roy Scheider wounded by tropical fruit. Not to mention rickshaw races, exploding jeans and jaw-dropping humour scenes.   

[Ash]

I always remember this film because of the girl I was on a date with when I saw it.
She seemed nice at first, but before and after the movie she was acting really weird...kinda loopy.
Like she wasn't all there.

I didn't say anything at the time but I found out from a friend of hers the next day that she had a history of psychatric problems.
She was good lookin' and all...just not playing with a full deck.

I never called her again.

Decent movie by the way!  

[Joe]

whats that vandamn flick where he cuts of the skin off his thumb and puts it on an eraser and rigs it to press against a thumb print reader using one of those weighted birds that dip their beaks in a glass of water( not a real bird, i have no clue whats it called). i belive he was imprisoned on an island (alkatraz?) and in each prisioners room had one of these thumb readers and if they didnt put their thumb on the reader at a certain time i think an alarm would go off or they would die or something, he ultimatley manages to get off the island and swim to where ever he going.

[Neville]

Yes, that's the one.