Replicant (film)

Last updated

Replicant
Replicant.Movieposter.png
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Ringo Lam
Written by
  • Lawrence David Riggins
  • Les Weldon
Produced by
  • David Dadon
  • Danny Lerner
  • John Thompson
Starring
Cinematography Mike Southon
Edited byDavid M. Richardson
Music by Alex Khaskin
Guy Zerafa
Production
companies
  • 777 Films Corporation
  • Replicant Pictures
Distributed by Artisan Entertainment
Eagle Films
Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Release date
  • September 18, 2001 (2001-09-18)
Running time
101 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$17 million [1]
Box office$71,263 (Italy) [2]

Replicant is a 2001 American science fiction action film directed by Ringo Lam and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Michael Rooker. It is the second collaboration between Van Damme and Hong Kong film director Ringo Lam, and the third time that Van Damme has starred in a dual role. The film had a limited theatrical release in many European countries and was released on direct-to-DVD in the United States on September 18, 2001. [3]

Contents

Plot

Edward "the Torch" Garrotte (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is a serial killer who has a penchant for killing women and setting them on fire. All of his victims are also mothers. Detective Jake Riley (Michael Rooker) is a Seattle police detective who has spent three years chasing Garrotte. Just days before Jake's retirement Garrotte strikes again, but Jake is off the case. During his retirement party, Jake receives a call from Garrotte, who threatens to go after his friends and family. Realizing Garrotte needs to be stopped no matter what, Riley sets out to stop him.

A secret government agency hires Jake as a consultant on a special project. They have cloned Garrotte from DNA evidence found at a crime scene. They need Jake's help to train this Replicant, who has genetic memories from Garrotte and a telepathic link to him. The Replicant has the body of a 40-year-old but the mind of a child. Jake's job is to help the Replicant track Garrotte down by using the memories stored in Garrotte's DNA.

The Replicant and Jake begin to hunt Garrotte. Jake believes the Replicant could turn on him at any time, as Garrotte's killer instinct may take over. The Replicant tries to understand the world, and his connection with Garrotte. The Replicant does not understand why Jake treats him so roughly, since he views Jake as family. Though Jake is abusive, the Replicant looks to him for protection and guidance as they close in on Garrotte. Garrotte and the Replicant confront each other in a bar after Garrotte fails to kill Jake with a bomb. Garrotte kills a bartender, but lets the Replicant live. An origin story shows that Garrotte was abused by his mother, who then killed her unfaithful husband, and tried to burn their house down, which reveals why Garrotte hates women.

They confront each other later in a parking garage. Garrotte tries to convince his "brother" that Jake cannot be trusted. Frustrated that Garrotte got away, Jake asks why the Replicant let him go. The Replicant replies, "We are the same." Jake tries to tell the Replicant that Garrotte is a sociopath, but he refuses to listen. They find out Garrotte's real name, Luc Savard, and go to the hospital to talk with Savard's mother (Margaret Ryan), but she had already died of a heart attack. Garrotte arrives and beats Jake and also wants his "brother" to join him by killing Jake, but he refuses, forcing Garrotte to try and execute both of them. Jake and the killer fight, leading to an ambulance chase in the parking garage. The van crashes into a toll booth, but the killer escapes. He hits Jake with a shovel and plans to burn him alive.

The Replicant and the killer fight again in the hospital's furnace room. The Replicant wants to kill Garrotte, but realizes that he (the Replicant) is not a killer like him. Garrotte hits the Replicant with a shovel, which causes Jake to shoot him. The Replicant suddenly understands that Jake is his real family. An air conditioner, damaged in the fight, explodes, supposedly killing the Replicant after he gets Jake to safety. Upset by the death of his new "partner", Jake decides to retire from his new job as a consultant.

Weeks later, Jake is with his wife Anne (Catherine Dent) and stepson Danny (Brandon James Olson). Jake spots a man in a raincoat putting a package in their mailbox. However, Jake realizes the Replicant is alive when he finds the package contains a music box as a gift for Jake's help. The Replicant is dating Hooker[ verification needed ] (Marnie Alton) as the film ends.

Cast

Production

Shooting took place in Bulgaria [4] and Vancouver. [5]

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 27% of eleven surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating was 4.3/10. [6] Mike Jackson of DVD Verdict said, "It's far from a great film, but Replicant is quite possibly the best film Van Damme has starred in since his debut in Bloodsport . Fans of the genre should at least give it a rental." [7] Maitland McDonagh of TV Guide stated, "The action sequences are well-staged ... the 40-year-old martial artist still has the physical goods, executing 180[°] splits and gymnastic stunts with the grace and apparent ease of someone much younger." [8] Earl Cressey of DVD Talk agreed, calling Replicant "a decent sci-fi" film that is "always engaging and has some great action scenes that fans of Van Damme will certainly enjoy." [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-Claude Van Damme</span> Belgian actor and martial artist (born 1960)

Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg, known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme, is a Belgian martial artist and actor. Born and raised in Brussels, his father enrolled him in a Shotokan karate school at the age of ten, which led Van Damme to hold the rank of 2nd-dan black belt in karate, and compete in several karate and kickboxing competitions. With the desire of becoming an actor, he moved to the United States in 1982, where he did odd jobs and worked on several films, until he got his break as the lead in the martial arts film Bloodsport (1988).

<i>No Retreat, No Surrender</i> 1986 martial arts film by Corey Yuen

No Retreat, No Surrender is a 1985 martial arts film directed by Corey Yuen in his American film directorial debut. It is the first title in the No Retreat, No Surrender franchise, whose plot lines and characters are mostly unrelated. It stars Kurt McKinney, with a supporting cast of Jean-Claude Van Damme, J.W. Fails, Kathie Sileno, and Tai-chung Kim. The film was released in Italy on October 20, 1985, and in the United States on May 2, 1986. McKinney performs as Jason Stillwell, an American teenager who learns martial arts from the spirit of Bruce Lee. Stillwell uses these lessons to defend his martial arts dojo against Soviet martial artist Ivan Kraschinsky.

Peter Malota is an Albanian film actor, he is best known for his appearances in films starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. He has over 40 years Tae Kwon Do/Hapkido experience.

<i>Hard Target</i> 1993 film by John Woo

Hard Target is a 1993 action film directed by Hong Kong film director John Woo in his U.S. debut. The film stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Chance Boudreaux, an out-of-work homeless Cajun merchant seaman and former United States Force Recon Marine who saves a young woman named Natasha Binder from a gang of thugs in New Orleans. Chance learns that Binder is searching for her missing father, and agrees to aid Binder in her search. They soon learn that Binder's father has died at the hands of hunt organisers Emil Fouchon and Pik van Cleef, a ruthless businessman and his right-hand mercenary, who arrange the hunting of homeless men as a form of recreational sport. The screenplay was written by Pfarrer and is based on the 1932 film adaptation of Richard Connell's 1924 short story "The Most Dangerous Game".

<i>Double Impact</i> 1991 American action film by Sheldon Lettich

Double Impact is a 1991 American action film written and directed by Sheldon Lettich, and written, produced by and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as Chad and Alex Wagner. The film marks Van Damme's third collaboration with director Sheldon Lettich and second collaboration with Bolo Yeung. Double Impact was released in the United States on August 9, 1991.

<i>Toolbox Murders</i> 2004 American film

Toolbox Murders is a 2004 American slasher film directed by Tobe Hooper, and written by Jace Anderson and Adam Gierasch. It is a remake of the 1978 film The Toolbox Murders and was produced by the same people behind the original. The film is centered on the occupants of an apartment who are stalked and murdered by a masked killer.

<i>Wake of Death</i> 2004 film directed by Philippe Martinez

Wake of Death is a 2004 American action film directed by Philippe Martínez and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Ringo Lam was the original director, but he left the project after a few weeks of filming in Canada. After that, Lam was replaced by Cess Silvera who was fired after two weeks of filming in Cape Town, South Africa. The film was released to some countries' cinemas but direct to DVD in most places.

<i>Derailed</i> (2002 film) 2002 American film

Derailed is a 2002 American-Bulgarian action film directed by Bob Misiorowski, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Tomas Arana and Laura Harring. Van Damme's son Kristopher van Varenberg also appears as his fictional son. In the story, a secret agent must escort a thief (Harring)—and the bioweapon she has stolen—from Slovakia to Germany, but the agent's unsuspecting family and a dangerous criminal (Arana) end up on the same train as them.

<i>Maximum Risk</i> 1996 American film

Maximum Risk is a 1996 American action thriller film directed by Hong Kong director Ringo Lam in his American directorial debut, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Natasha Henstridge.

<i>In Hell</i> 2003 American film by Ringo Lam

In Hell is a 2003 American action film directed by Ringo Lam. The film stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, with a supporting cast of Lawrence Taylor, Marnie Alton, Malakai Davidson and Billy Rieck. An adaptation of the 1978 film Midnight Express, it is the third and final collaboration between Jean-Claude Van Damme and Hong Kong film director Ringo Lam. The film was released on direct-to-DVD in the United States on November 25, 2003.

<i>Until Death</i> 2007 film by Simon Fellows

Until Death is a 2007 American vigilante action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and directed by Simon Fellows. It was released direct-to-DVD on April 24, 2007. Van Damme plays Anthony Stowe, a corrupt police detective addicted to heroin whom everybody hates. After being shot in a gunfight, he falls into a coma. Months later, he recovers and decides to use his second chance at life.

<i>Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming</i> 2007 television film directed by Ernie Barbarash

Stir of Echoes: The Homecoming is a 2007 American made-for-television supernatural horror film produced by Lions Gate Entertainment. The film premiered on the Sci Fi Channel. Originally titled The Dead Speak, it was written and directed by Ernie Barbarash and is a sequel to the 1999 feature film Stir of Echoes, although its only connection to the previous work is a similar premise and the inclusion of Jake Witzky, who had a key role in the original film but is only a secondary character here.

<i>Bloodfist</i> 1989 film

Bloodfist is a 1989 American martial arts film directed by Terence H. Winkless, starring Don "The Dragon" Wilson, Rob Kaman, Billy Blanks and Cris Aguilar. The plot sees an American former kickboxer travel to Manila, where he re-enters competition to avenge the murder of his brother and fellow fighter.

<i>The Killer Shrews</i> 1959 film by Ray Kellogg

The Killer Shrews is a 1959 American independent science fiction film directed by Ray Kellogg, and produced by Ken Curtis and Gordon McLendon. The story follows a group of researchers who are trapped in their remote island compound overnight by a hurricane and find themselves under siege by their abnormally large and venomous mutant test subjects. The film stars James Best, Ingrid Goude, Ken Curtis, McLendon, Baruch Lumet and "Judge" Henry Dupree.

<i>The Hard Corps</i> 2006 American film

The Hard Corps is a 2006 American action film directed by Sheldon Lettich. It stars Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raz Adoti, Vivica A. Fox, and Peter James Bryant. It is the fourth collaboration between Jean-Claude Van Damme and film director Sheldon Lettich. The film was released direct-to-DVD in the United States on August 15, 2006.

<i>Inferno</i> (1999 film) 1999 American action film

Inferno is a 1999 American action film directed by John G. Avildsen, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Danny Trejo, Pat Morita, Gabrielle Fitzpatrick, and David "Shark" Fralick. This was the last film directed by Avildsen before his death in 2017.

<i>Assassination Games</i> 2011 American film

Assassination Games is a 2011 American action thriller film directed by Ernie Barbarash and starring Jean-Claude van Damme and Scott Adkins with Ivan Kaye as their main antagonist. The film was released in the United States on July 29, 2011.

<i>Six Bullets</i> 2012 American film

Six Bullets is a 2012 American action film directed by Ernie Barbarash, produced by Brad Krevoy and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Joe Flanigan, Anna-Louise Plowman, and Charlotte Beaumont. The film was released on direct-to-video in the United States on September 11, 2012.

<i>Kill Em All</i> (film) 2017 American film

Kill 'Em All is a 2017 American direct-to-video action film directed by Peter Malota, and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Autumn Reeser and Peter Stormare. A sequel titled "Kill Em' All 2" is currently in development.

<i>Black Water</i> (2018 film) 2018 American action thriller film directed by Pasha Patriki

Black Water is an American action thriller film directed by Pasha Patriki. It stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren in their fifth collaboration, specifically the second time they appear as on-screen allies. The film was released direct-to-video in the US on May 25, 2018.

References

  1. ↑ "JCVD: The making of 'Replicant' (Interviews/footage from behind the scenes)", 777 Film Corporation/Replicant Pictures, published 2001. Retrieved 11-10-2015.
  2. ↑ "Repilicant". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Replicant - Clona ucigașă (2001)". CineMagia.ro. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  4. ↑ Nacheva, Velina (February 14, 2002). "Bulgaria's home-grown Hollywood". The Sofia Echo . Archived from the original on March 6, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
  5. ↑ Loggia, Cynthia (March 28, 2000). "Players". Variety . Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  6. ↑ "Replicant (2001)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 31, 2014.
  7. ↑ Jackson, Mike (November 15, 2001). "Replicant". DVD Verdict . Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  8. ↑ McDonagh, Maitland. "Replicant". TV Guide . Archived from the original on August 14, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  9. ↑ Cressey, Earl (January 26, 2002). "Repicant". DVD Talk . Retrieved February 20, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.