Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

I have seen Replicant quite a few times now, and I appreciate it more,each time I view it. For a direct to video film, your not gonna find many better than this one. Replicant is so sinister in its approach,taking us on a wild ride, we soon won't forget. It's got much more depth then the usual serial killer film . It's unrelentingly brutal nature only helped the film. It starts off with a disturbing sequence of Van Damme burning a mother to death,then putting on one hell of an exciting chase sequence, when Rooker shows up. Van Damme's double performance as Garrotte and The Replicant is truly astonishing. I have been a Van Dammefor many years. He's never been known for his acting, but lately he's been putting on some incredible performances, as far as him is concerned. He is absolutely chilling as Garrotte the serial killer,with no remorse, yet perfectly restrained as The Replicant, and vulnerable. I enjoyed him most as The Replicant, because he brought a lot of humor to the film's proceedings, with his mimicking of Michael Rooker.It also boasts some of the most impressive flashback scenes i've ever seen. Every flashback scene shown of Garrotte managed to send chills up and down my spine, especially the one's of him as a kid, with his mother scolding him. Though, I have to say, the non flashback one of him visiting his Mom in the hospital, out does it. The veteran presence,Michael Rooker has in this film, is all that more beneficial. UnlikeMr.Seagal|Who I like, but has become very lazy with his films} VanDamme always puts effort into his DTV films. Van Damme obviously cared a lot about the project, and because of it, the film turned out really good. It develops it's relationships perfectly. I do feel the need to warn you all though. This is not your typical Van Damme film. This one has plenty of action, plenty of roundhouse kicks, but it's more story oriented then anything else. Replicant's plot is a pretty simple one,but it all comes together extremely well, due to its well structured story, and it's relentlessness.Performances. Jean Claude Van Damme has played doubles before, but he's better this time around. He gives one of the finest performances of his career. He is a complete madman as The Serial Killer, yet managed to not go too over the top. If your used to seeing him as a good guy, your in for a shock, when you see his fantastically sickening performance, as The Serial Killer. As The Replicant, he is wonderfully vulnerable. His chemistry with Rooker is truly excellent. It's obvious Van Damme thought this role was special, because he put his heart and soul into the role. Michael Rooker is one intense guy. I always enjoy watching him on-screen. Nobody can match this guy's intensity, nobody!well very few, anyway. Catherine Dent is OK as the wife, she did what she had to do adequately.Bottom line. Replicant is one of Van Damme's best films. Don't be put off, because it's DTV, Replicant is a great film, in pretty much all aspects. If you want action, emotion, well-developed characters and good acting, you've come to the right place. Clone this!.8/10

A "genetic double", cloned from the DNA of a serial killer nicknamed Torch(..for how he burns the female corpses of mommies who resemble the horrible maternal figure who abused him as a child), will be used to track him down, partnered up with disgruntled ex-cop Jake(Michael Rooker). Jake has been after Garrotte for so long, it has developed into an obsession that wrecked his marriage with cop Angie(Catherine Dent). The chase is on but will Jake be able to babysit this clone, whose an infant to the world around him, and succeed in his mission to capture Torch once and for all? Can the replicant be trusted, since he is, after all, a "brother", in a sense, to Torch? 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. And, I'll be damned if he doesn't pull it off! Torch is easily one of JCVD's most sadistic characters, pummeling women and men alike, no conscience or humanity, just a nasty, cold-blooded killer who stares down anyone who in his path, superkicking them out of his way. JCVD, as the replicant, however, is a polar opposite to Torch, an innocent drug about, mostly by handcuffs, like a houndog by a monumentally angry Rooker. Rooker is on edge the entire film, a short fuse with one goal in mind and that's to find and kill Torch. JCVD's replicant is often victimized by Rooker because he's a direct image of the man he's pursued for a long period of time. As you'd expect, Rooker grows fond of the replicant and eventually the showdowns commence. JCVD uses a lot of stunt doubles in this movie because Ringo Lam stages several incredible set-pieces which demand dangerous stunts. While JCVD doesn't really emote when portraying Garrotte, he really doesn't have to because as this killer, he physically destroys innocent people in vast quantities(..particularly during the finale in the hospital)..you hate him for his violent conduct towards others alone. The scene certain to raise eyebrows will be when Rooker "strip searches" JCVD's replicant for a properly placed tracking device. When you compare Replicant to the host of direct-to-video actioners JCVD has put out recently, it isn't so bad. Does it cover new terrain? The science-fiction angle regarding cloning aside, no, not really. But, it moves relatively well and there's enough thrilling set-pieces to maintain interest, I think, and seeing JCVD in a different kind of film besides those aping Kickboxer and Lionheart is refreshing. Set in Seattle, this is a location I enjoyed quite a bit. I think JCVD fans will enjoy this one along with non-discriminating action fans. Torch's handiwork is rather shocking.

I think we can never wait an A+ movie from the Belgian martial arts star. But between all those weak movies he made after his only one chance period, this is a big-good-surprise. Maybe it's Ringo Lam the answer or maybe Van Damme realized, that he must turn his character in a better way. I don't know but Replicant works for me. Okay I was a big fan of JCVD in the '90s. And I always hoped maybe Tarantino will bring him back to the top 10. The Replicant is not a typical Van Damme movie. He plays a double role like in Double Team but the story is much better than in 1990. It's not perfect there are typical B-movie parts and we can clearly see here is nothing to do with Hollywood. In his way with the good(!!!) acting of JCVD and Michael Rooker Replicant goes higher than we can imagine. Van Damme's double character is good enough. Action comes with the evil side and feelings and a lot of things more with the "clone". Some parts of the movie are really good. Especially when Rooker punishes Van Damme in the basement. A really good scene!!! So, maybe You like him, maybe not give him a chance! It's worth to see and wonder how can a B-movie star climbing near to the top of the Hollywood mountains.

OK, I can see a few slight redeeming glimmers in this mess but only a few. Co-star Michael Rooker puts in his usual grim-faced hard-nosed performance and Van Damme makes a convincingly creepy bad guy. OK. So? Well, Van Damme's other role as the semi-psychic "replicant" might as well be played by a Orangutan. In fact you would have hardly noticed any difference in the acting. I am not kidding because that is essentially who the replicant is personality-wise. It only goes to show how obviously flawed the concept was. I am not saying it is bad acting -- it isn't bad acting when you are playing the part of a "blank slate." The whole idea here is that clones could have "psychic connections" with their "twin" and this might allow Homeland Security to use them to "sniff out" an evil-doer. Duh, wait a minute. A clone is just a twin. It makes me ill to see effort wasted on a really stupid movie idea like this one and to see it labeled "Science Fiction." These Hollywood producers should stop doing so many hard drugs. There is a ton of written Science Fiction that has never made it to the large or small screen, and certainly some large quantity of that is better material than the rubbish of this movie. This is pretty lame garbage for 2001. Maybe it was a kneejerk 911 idea?