Formula plot, terrific set-pieces
Added 10/8/2009
DOUBLE TEAM
(USA - 1997)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Super 35)
Theatrical soundtracks: SDDS / Dolby Stereo SR
A counter-terrorist officer (Jean-Claude Van Damme) pursues the criminal mastermind (Mickey Rourke) who has kidnapped Van Damme's pregnant wife (Natacha Lindinger).
An American action movie, directed by noted Chinese filmmaker Tsui Hark on European locations, featuring an unlikely combination of Belgian beefcake (Van Damme) and US basketball icon (Dennis Rodman) as the good guys pitted against Rourke's pumped-up terrorist, seeking revenge for the death of his infant son! A curious mixture, designed to introduce Tsui to international audiences following the director's long - and successful - career in SE Asia (where he produced and/or directed a number of iconic entries, including the "Once Upon a Time in China" and "A Better Tomorrow" series).
Narrative and characterization are minimal at best, and the visual effects are surprisingly poor for a late 1990's action pic, but die-hard fans will doubtless embrace the film's outrageous set-pieces, including a final showdown between Van Damme and Rourke in a crumbling Roman arena which recalls the Colosseum battle between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in THE WAY OF THE DRAGON (1972). Voyeurs will also appreciate the attention lavished on Van Damme's physical splendor: Watch out for a brief - but memorable - sequence in which the almost-naked actor uses a weighted bathtub as training apparatus, which is played and edited like a hot 'n' heavy sex scene, complete with orgasmic sound effects! Pristine, eye-popping camera-work by Peter Pau Tak-hei (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON).
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Personal Foul - Dennis Rodman
Added 3/4/2009
The Jean Claude Van Damme Review Matrix (JCVD-RM)
1. Who is he? Jack Quinn, anti-terrorism expert
2. Which family member/friend must be avenged? His kidnapped wife, his unborn son
3. Does he take his shirt off? His opening scene is straight out of the shower, and into the swimming pool
4. Does he have sex with a C-List actress? How do you think his wife got pregnant?
5. Is there a tournament? No, but Dennis Rodman thinks there is
6. Is training needed for this tournament? No, but Dennis Rodman should have taken some acting classes beforehand
7. Does he do the splits in training or in the tournament? Constantly. This might be the most splitastic of all his movies.
8. Does he punch someone in the balls? As if JCVD was attempting to sabotage this movie, he leaves out one of his classic moves.
9. Does he do a series of flying or 360 kicks? So much so that in a deleted scene he gets dizzy and pukes
10. Is his enemy unbeatable? For the role, Mickey Rourke looks buff, not tough
11. Does he overcome an injury or other hindrance? Just Rodman's acting
12. Does he win? As lamely as possible
Coaxed out of retirement to capture his arch-nemesis Stavros (Rourke), it's up to Quinn to ensure he is prepared with the latest weaponry. Quinn makes his way to the local source of all sexual and social deviation in Antwerp. Bikers, hippies, extreme tattoo artists and piercing specialists, trannies, hookers, body modification oddities, freaks and geeks. Naturally, he'd run into Yaz (Dennis Rodman) in a place like this. And, of course, Rodman is an exotic arms dealer, an extraterrestrial version of James Bond's trusty Q.
Now supplied with a weapon that can, "shoot the d*@k off a hummingbird", Quinn sets up Stavros in the first ever carnival sting. When the plan goes awry - not to mention the best fight ever in a hospital nursery - Quinn is sent to The Colony, a top secret, pseudo-retirement home for special agents who still monitor world events.
Ironically directed by Tsui Hard, the reason this film fails is that it tries too hard. Some nice slow-motion, Matrix-esque bullet dodging scenes, and the JCVD kicks are always classic, but there's just too much to truly enjoy. From an ATV in southern France to plutonium stolen in Croatia, from a plane shot down by the North Koreans, and on to Rome, Antwerp, etc...it's pointless for the film's progression, as if the director simply wanted to collect frequent flyer mileage. The dialogue between JCVD and Rodman is atrocious. Delivered in a completely unpleasant hiccup staccato style, it's difficult to ascertain who speaks worse English. Made worse by the insistence of inserting basketball jargon into every possible sentence, it's simply painful. And I'll only briefly mention the pathetic attempts to insert the burgeoning internet into the mix, the fact that JCVD kicks a tiger, and the insulting Coca Cola product placement at the end.
I recommend this for only the JCVD zealot.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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No no no!
Added 8/21/2008
Why? Van Damme has soooooo many good movies and this is the third one they decide to put in HD? Uhh..Universal Soldier, Cyborg, Death Warrant, Kickboxer, Hard Target, The Quest, Double Impact, In Hell, Wake of Death and of course BLOODSPORT! Come on now! I mean, sure, I'll buy this one only because I have every one of his movies on DVD and hope they release them all again in HD, but damn. I was really hoping for a better release :(
I give this 1 star..
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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This movie is proof there is no God.
Added 2/22/2008
A group of drunken, coke-obsessed urangutangs would have made a better cast then these phelonious hams. My unborn child has felt the pain that this movie inflicted on humanity as a whole. I would rather see my family brutally tortured then hit by 2 oncoming trains simulataneously whilst being molested by Moroccan circus freaks then watch this film. Special not to the creators: I hope you lose your eye-sight in a freak mountain climbing accident involving a billy-goat and a snail...you would think this is the end of the review...but oh no...we've only just begun. You will pay dearly for this crime against humanity. You and only you are to blame for all that is wrong and evil in this world. I wanted to beat Jean Claud Van Damme with a stale baguette and throw Dennis Rodman's limp,lifeless body against a wall then through a flaming basketball hoop when I saw this movie. The meteor in Armageddon made me feel better then watching these two proverbial "actors" walk aimlessly through this maniacal tyrade of a film...OK...I'm done.
2 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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Not Topnotch, but still Fun
Added 12/29/2007
Double Team is one of those films that had more bashing than there are actual viewers of the film.
The film, starring actionstar Jean-Claude van Damme and basketbal pro Dennis Rodman, is directed by Hong Kong FilmLegend Tsui Hark. Even though the film has had so many negative words, it is stil a pretty fun ride to experience. I myself also had mixed feelings when seeying it for the first time, but that changed with a second viewing.
The first things that comes to mind when watching the film is that it stars two men who aren't known for topnotch acting. Van Damme is good on action but is most of the time considered average with his acting skills. In Double Team this is no difference: his acting is ok but not great. But when it comes to action, he is on the right spot.
Then there is Dennis Rodman, a probasketball player next to Van Damme. Now he is clearly not a born actor and this shows. Still, his attitide and one-liners are enjoyable and him teaming up with Van Damme is all part of the fun. Seeying them annoy each other and both (Yes, also Rodman) kicking around bad guys is, admit it, an ok way to kill some time. Rodman also plays around with his reallife basketball image, all good fun.
Then we have the story: Easy and pretty Cheesy.
But hey, there are hunderds of films with this kind of plot. But even though it is cliche sometimes, who cares, it works and entertains fine doesn't it? The same is with this film: just put your mind and zero and simply enjoy.
Tsui Hark is known for his actionpacked Hong Kong films and shows his talent with this American film. The way the action is filmed and edited is sometimes true Hong Kong action cinema style. The action is therefor well shot and on a good level. Some good fighting, big explosions and running around.
So, don't think to hard when watching this film, sit back and just let it entertain you. Cause even though the characters haven't got that much backround written for them, the story isn't difficult or highly original, it still has some fun aspects that actionfans can enjoy.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Formula plot, terrific set-pieces
Added 10/8/2009
DOUBLE TEAM
(USA - 1997)
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Super 35)
Theatrical soundtracks: SDDS / Dolby Stereo SR
A counter-terrorist officer (Jean-Claude Van Damme) pursues the criminal mastermind (Mickey Rourke) who has kidnapped Van Damme's pregnant wife (Natacha Lindinger).
An American action movie, directed by noted Chinese filmmaker Tsui Hark on European locations, featuring an unlikely combination of Belgian beefcake (Van Damme) and US basketball icon (Dennis Rodman) as the good guys pitted against Rourke's pumped-up terrorist, seeking revenge for the death of his infant son! A curious mixture, designed to introduce Tsui to international audiences following the director's long - and successful - career in SE Asia (where he produced and/or directed a number of iconic entries, including the "Once Upon a Time in China" and "A Better Tomorrow" series).
Narrative and characterization are minimal at best, and the visual effects are surprisingly poor for a late 1990's action pic, but die-hard fans will doubtless embrace the film's outrageous set-pieces, including a final showdown between Van Damme and Rourke in a crumbling Roman arena which recalls the Colosseum battle between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in THE WAY OF THE DRAGON (1972). Voyeurs will also appreciate the attention lavished on Van Damme's physical splendor: Watch out for a brief - but memorable - sequence in which the almost-naked actor uses a weighted bathtub as training apparatus, which is played and edited like a hot 'n' heavy sex scene, complete with orgasmic sound effects! Pristine, eye-popping camera-work by Peter Pau Tak-hei (CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON).
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Personal Foul - Dennis Rodman
Added 3/4/2009
The Jean Claude Van Damme Review Matrix (JCVD-RM)
1. Who is he? Jack Quinn, anti-terrorism expert
2. Which family member/friend must be avenged? His kidnapped wife, his unborn son
3. Does he take his shirt off? His opening scene is straight out of the shower, and into the swimming pool
4. Does he have sex with a C-List actress? How do you think his wife got pregnant?
5. Is there a tournament? No, but Dennis Rodman thinks there is
6. Is training needed for this tournament? No, but Dennis Rodman should have taken some acting classes beforehand
7. Does he do the splits in training or in the tournament? Constantly. This might be the most splitastic of all his movies.
8. Does he punch someone in the balls? As if JCVD was attempting to sabotage this movie, he leaves out one of his classic moves.
9. Does he do a series of flying or 360 kicks? So much so that in a deleted scene he gets dizzy and pukes
10. Is his enemy unbeatable? For the role, Mickey Rourke looks buff, not tough
11. Does he overcome an injury or other hindrance? Just Rodman's acting
12. Does he win? As lamely as possible
Coaxed out of retirement to capture his arch-nemesis Stavros (Rourke), it's up to Quinn to ensure he is prepared with the latest weaponry. Quinn makes his way to the local source of all sexual and social deviation in Antwerp. Bikers, hippies, extreme tattoo artists and piercing specialists, trannies, hookers, body modification oddities, freaks and geeks. Naturally, he'd run into Yaz (Dennis Rodman) in a place like this. And, of course, Rodman is an exotic arms dealer, an extraterrestrial version of James Bond's trusty Q.
Now supplied with a weapon that can, "shoot the d*@k off a hummingbird", Quinn sets up Stavros in the first ever carnival sting. When the plan goes awry - not to mention the best fight ever in a hospital nursery - Quinn is sent to The Colony, a top secret, pseudo-retirement home for special agents who still monitor world events.
Ironically directed by Tsui Hard, the reason this film fails is that it tries too hard. Some nice slow-motion, Matrix-esque bullet dodging scenes, and the JCVD kicks are always classic, but there's just too much to truly enjoy. From an ATV in southern France to plutonium stolen in Croatia, from a plane shot down by the North Koreans, and on to Rome, Antwerp, etc...it's pointless for the film's progression, as if the director simply wanted to collect frequent flyer mileage. The dialogue between JCVD and Rodman is atrocious. Delivered in a completely unpleasant hiccup staccato style, it's difficult to ascertain who speaks worse English. Made worse by the insistence of inserting basketball jargon into every possible sentence, it's simply painful. And I'll only briefly mention the pathetic attempts to insert the burgeoning internet into the mix, the fact that JCVD kicks a tiger, and the insulting Coca Cola product placement at the end.
I recommend this for only the JCVD zealot.
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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No no no!
Added 8/21/2008
Why? Van Damme has soooooo many good movies and this is the third one they decide to put in HD? Uhh..Universal Soldier, Cyborg, Death Warrant, Kickboxer, Hard Target, The Quest, Double Impact, In Hell, Wake of Death and of course BLOODSPORT! Come on now! I mean, sure, I'll buy this one only because I have every one of his movies on DVD and hope they release them all again in HD, but damn. I was really hoping for a better release :(
I give this 1 star..
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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