The movie had a budget of approximately $15 million and was filmed on location in both Los Angeles and Hong Kong.
Episode #5
Double Impact
Double Impact (1991) • Directed by Sheldon Lettich
Published 16 July 2025
3/10
Four Takes Score
Listen to this episode
About the Movie
Double Impact
1991Directed by Sheldon Lettich110 mins
ThrillerActionCrimeDrama
Jean Claude Van Damme plays a dual role as Alex and Chad, twins separated at the death of their parents. Chad is raised by a family retainer in Paris, Alex becomes a petty crook in Hong Kong. Seeing a picture of Alex, Chad rejoins him and convinces him that his rival in Hong Kong is also the man who killed their parents. Alex is suspicious of Chad, especially when it comes to his girlfriend.
Explore this film
Jump into the full movie page for streaming availability, the trailer, cast and the rest of our movie coverage.
Episode Notes
From the Episode
Get ready for a double dose of laughs and head-scratching as the Four Takes Movie Podcast dives into the 1991 Jean-Claude Van Damme classic, Double Impact! Join Martin, David, Luke, and Adam as they discuss a film that Martin might even debate was a movie.
In this episode, you'll discover the truly wild plot about twins orphaned when triads kill their family over a hole in the ground (aka a tunnel). Raised separately, they reunite with matching French accents and embark on a vengeance-fueled killing rampage to reclaim their birthright, despite having no legal right to it.
The team show continuous amusement over the film's poor writing, editing, and continuity, noting instances where blood packs go off before characters are shot, stage sets are visible through doors, and characters mysteriously switching guns mid-gunfire. Keep an eye out for that Acme tunnel painting at the beginning!.
Appreciation for Jean-Claude Van Damme's dual role as Pretty Boy Chad and Bad Boy Alex, which they agree is the best part of the film.
A bewildered discussion about an imaginary sex scene that went on for a long time and was totally unnecessary but led to an extremely well edited fight between the two Van Dammes. Plus, witness Alex's superhuman ability to drink three-quarters of a whiskey bottle and blow it out his nose, only to be fine the next day!
The overall sentiment that despite being a poor film and daft, it's fun and enjoyable if you've got an hour and 50 minutes to spare. Though David might suggest cleaning the oven instead!
Tune in for insights on practical effects (including a real live frog being chopped... and sliced on screen), the film's modest $15 million budget compared to Terminator 2's $100 million, and the amusing sight of real people in Hong Kong watching the filming rather than acting as extras.
Prefer to listen?
Hear the full conversation.
The article gives you the highlights. The podcast gives you the arguments, reactions and all the bits that did not make it onto the page.
Did You Know?
Movie Trivia
Due to gorilla-style street filming in Hong Kong, real bystanders and locals can be seen standing on the pavement watching and clapping as JCVD runs down the street, rather than behaving like paid extras.
The main enforcer is played by martial arts legend Bolo Yeung, who previously fought Van Damme in Bloodsport. After being shot in the cheek during the opening flashback, his character sports a milky eye for the rest of the film.
A brief 2-to-3 second scene in a Hong Kong market shows a vendor pulling a live frog out of a bucket, chopping its head off, and slicing it in two right on camera.
Keep Listening
