Review of Double Team (1997) by Shem B — 11 Feb 2011

Having now seen both of Tsui Hark's Hollywood efforts (the other being KNOCK OFF, also starring Van Damme), it's safe to say that though neither are as good as his greatest work in Hong Kong, Hark certainly retained more of that go-for-broke Hong Kong action insanity in his Hollywood films than his former collaborator, John Woo. Woo and Hark both came to Hollywood after Hong Kong was handed back over to China, and after making two Van Damme vehicles, Hark left, Woo stayed. Woo's work in Hollywood has always left something to be desired, movies like BROKEN ARROW and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2 seemed like films made by someone trying to imitate his best work, the closest Woo came to recapturing that old energy was in FACE/OFF. Hark, on the other hand, seemed to do quite well with the flimsiest material.

DOUBLE TEAM has an utterly idiotic story, Mickey Rourke's bad guy being the generic white terrorist who blows shit up because, well, he's Mickey Rourke dammit. Van Damme, who has proven he can act, sleepwalks through his dialogue, his delivery brings Tommy Wiseau to mind. Mentally insane basketball player Dennis Rodman's presence in this movie is utterly baffling, unable to out-act Van Damme on his worst day, yet Rodman has a freakshow appeal that makes him fun to watch, mainly because his very appearance is beyond absurd. What makes DOUBLE TEAM such fun is Hark's action style, which has that HK flavor of crazy. The script feels as though it was written by a five year old, but the movie's most idiotic elements seem like good fun. For instance, there is a bit where Van Damme is imprisoned on an island fortress for supposedly "dead" secret agents. He wants to escape and get back to his family, but uh oh, the water is filled with...(wait for it)...lasers. That's right, there's lasers in the ocean. Van Damme has to outwit the lasers. I was hoping that they would use sharks with laser beams attached to their heads, but whatever. For all its stupidity, DOUBLE TEAM is as colorful as Dennis Rodman's ever-changing hair, and more entertaining than one would imagine from a foreign director relegated to a B-movie.