Double Team (1997)

Yes, the pairing of Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dennis Rodman is ridiculous... Yes, there's subtle basketball innuendo abound... And yes, Mickey Rourke is in it. But that's part of the joy of Double Team. If you think that this flick is going to be high-art, you're on the wrong bus. This is pure cheeseball action, though laced with a plot that's just a tad more meaty than we've seen in previous Van Damme films. Working like a less-surreal and more "budget" version of The Prisoner, the second third of the film casts our muscled hero in the Patrick McGoohan role, surrounded by mean Euro-actors and even Paul Freeman (Belloq to you Raiders of the Lost Ark fans!). It's here that we get the meat of the picture, complete with the essential Van Damme workout scenes to spice things up a bit. Opening and closing the film is where Rodman comes in, hamming it up with way too clever banter with Jean-Claude and actually doing a half-decent job in his high-kicking martial arts scenes. It probably helps that Hong Kong director Tsui Hark was on board, though anyone expecting the sheer outrageousness of his and Van Damme's later action epic Knock Off might be a little dissapointed. While certainly over-the-top, it might not come off as flamboyantly crazy as you would like it to. Still, with scenes like our heroes battling a tiger in a mine-ridden Colliseum, and the filmmakers constant fight to try and hide Jean-Claude's bump on his forehead, Double Team never ceases to be entertaining. Seek it out if you're looking for some high-octane brainless fun. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide