Review of Double Impact (1991) by Rob C — 01 Mar 2011

The film opens up as Paul Wagner and his wife are brutally murdered by Raymond Zhang (Philip Chan) leaving behind two twin baby boys, Chad and Alex. They are rescued by the family bodyguard Frank Avery (Geoffrey Lewis) and are seperated to keep them safe, with baby Chad going with Frank to Los Angeles and Alex staying in a Hong Kong orphanage. Years later, both brothers are re-united when Frank mentions to Chad (Jean-Claude Van Damme) that they have business in Hong Kong and must fly there immediately. While waiting in a nightclub, Chad spots Danielle Wilde (Alonna Shaw), who happens to be the girlfriend of Alex, and follows her to the back. Danielle mistakes Chad for Alex while she's feeling his "black silk underwear"; Alex then appears and knocks Chad out. When he awakes, Frank is explaining everything to Alex about them being brothers, in which case, they now have to team up to take down crime lord Raymond Zhang who has now got a grip on Hong Kong.

Double Impact features Jean-Claude Van Damme in a dual role as playing both Alex and Chad; it sort of comes off as mediocre in style. But, Van Damme was in excellent condition, executing some classic techniques he's become famous for. Many villians get tossed around by Van Damme and he even comes face-to-face with one of his old opponent's in Bolo Yeung, playing Moon who is enforcer to Raymond Zhang. While the production is slick, whenever the two brothers are in the same frame, you see the mistakes of the filming of the early nineties. Van Damme is all over this set, posing and glistening for the camera like he's setting up for a porno video. Which sort of has that feeling, considering the first time we see Chad doing the splits for a few females in his aerobics gym.

Drama is completely wasted on this film because we're torn between Alex's jealousy of his girlfriend Danielle with Chad and the brothers vendetta with Zhang for killing their parents. However, we are treated to a nice fight sequence between the two brothers over the girl and a steamy scene between Danielle and muscled Kara (Corinna Everson), plus the imagination of Alex while he's drunk, of Danielle and Chad. Double Impact is a must-see if you're wanting to view films featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme in his prime or shining in the moonlight.