Product Details

• Actors: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Geoffrey Lewis, Alonna Shaw, Corinna Everson, Philip Chan
• Directors: Sheldon Lettich
• Writers: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Sheldon Lettich, Peter Krikes, Steve Meerson
• Producers: Ashok Amritraj, Charles Layton, Charles Wang
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Columbia Pictures
• VHS Release Date: December 30, 1997
• Run Time: 110 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0792837266
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #207,683 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Cheese for the action junkie!, November 20, 2003

By 

Greekfreak (Pusan Korea (South)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Double Impact (DVD)

I remember this one like it was yesterday; one of the earliest Van Damme vehicles that actually involved something approaching a modest budget (well, they total two Mercedes in one scene) and a script!

What this film did right was the inclusion of multiple villains, necessary not only because there are two Van Dammes, but because all of the classic martial arts films involved many enemies as well. Recurring VD villains include Peter Malota (the Spanish fighter in later film "The Quest"), whose blue-lit kickboxing scene with Jean-Claude is one of the best in recent memory, and famed "Enter The Dragon" baddie (and longtime martial arts staple) Bolo Yeung.

It helps that Van Damme also has veteran character actor Geoffrey Lewis on board; that kind of gruff, Sam Elliott presence makes up for a lot of acting acumen that is lacking in the rest of the cast. Peter Scarfe stars as the embodiment of evil, and Alonna Shaw as the embodiment.

The pacing is good; the script has some howlers, and the shooting locations are to die for. Look for a very early cameo by Julie Strain!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some Damme good action and fighting!, August 31, 2001

By 

jasenao (Dothan, Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Double Impact (DVD)

"Double Impact" was one of the first Van Damme movies I saw, and it was the one that made me a major fan of fighting movies in general. Jean-Claude Van Damme plays two roles in this action packed fighter. Two identical twins were separated when they were only a few months old after their parents were killed. Frank (Geoffrey Lewis) brings them together after 25 years of separation. The charismatic Chad (Van Damme) and the troubled Alex (Van Damme) collide at first, especially when Alex suspects that Chad might be trying to take something real valuable away from him. But they do have a couple of things in common other than their looks. They both have the same enemies, and they're both GREAT fighters.

Yeah yeah, critics, non-fans, and even fans alike, all say that Jean-Claude Van Damme is a terrible actor. I don't know about everybody else, but I thought Van Damme did a good job portraying Alex (the evil twin) in this movie. But then again, when it comes to fighting movies, I don't care about great acting, I want to see some great fighting and action sequences, and "Double Impact" has tons of them!

All in all, "Double Impact" might not feature the greatest effects, acting, or plot, but it does have some of the best fighting! If you like fighting movies at all, get "Double Impact." It's damme good!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Two Van Damme's make a great movie, September 24, 2005

By 

Ronnie Clay "R.C." (Winnsboro, Louisiana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Double Impact (DVD)

Double Impact is one of Van Damme's finest moments on the action film-arena. It delivers what it must to succeed, namely tons of great fighting scenes, which is what Van-Damme-movies are all about (well, almost). If you want to rent an old action flick, this is one of them you should get.