Double Team (1997)

An international spy teams up with an arms dealer to escape from a penal colony and rescue his family from a terrorist.

Director:

Hark Tsui

Writers:

Don Jakoby (story), Don Jakoby (screenplay)

Stars:

Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dennis Rodman, Mickey Rourke

4 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jean-Claude Van Damme	...	Jack Quinn
Dennis Rodman	...	Yaz
Mickey Rourke	...	Stavros
Paul Freeman	...	Goldsmythe
Natacha Lindinger	...	Kathryn Quinn
Valéria Cavalli	...	Dr. Maria Trifioli
Jay Benedict	...	Brandon
Joëlle Devaux-Vullion	...	Stavros' Girlfriend
Bruno Bilotta	...	Kofi
Mario Opinato	...	James
Grant Russell	...	Carney
William Dunn	...	Roger
Asher Tzarfati	...	Moishe
Rob Diem	...	Dieter Staal
Ken Samuels	...	Stevenson

Storyline

Counter-terrorist Jack Quinn misses his target, Stavros, on the eve of his final mission. From there, he is sent to "The Colony", a rebirth for presumed-dead assassins. He breaks free from there, and seeks the aid of Yaz, a weapons dealer, for his final battle with Stavros.

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Plot Keywords:

opens with a car chase | car explosion | two word title | time bomb | man murders a woman | 

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Taglines:

They Don't Play by the Rules.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some nudity and brief strong language

Details

Country:

USA Hong Kong

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

4 April 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Colony

Filming Locations:

Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,034,914, 6 April 1997, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$11,438,337, 6 July 1997

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$36,700,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandalay Entertainment, One Story Pictures, Columbia Pictures Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Next movie in which Jean-Claude Van Damme was going to star in after Double Team (1997) was an action horror Abominable, which was described as "Predator (1987) in a snow", in which his character would have to save group of people lost in snowy mountains from abominable snowman. Between 1995 and 2000, directors Peter Hyams and Renny Harlin were involved in the project, but due to poor box office results of Van Damme's films, Universal studio cancelled Abominable project. Despite many rumors, 2006 Bigfoot horror Abominable was not based on that cancelled Van Damme movie.

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Goofs

It's impossible to cut something in water with a laser.

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Quotes

Yaz: What's wrong with my clothes?
Jack Quinn: You look like a carrot with earrings.

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Connections

Referenced in Remo, Rambo, Reagan and Reds: The Eighties Action Movie Explosion (2014)

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Soundtracks

Double Delight
Written by Joey Schwartz
Performed by Joey Schwartz and Eric Swerdloff

User Reviews

A Dennis Rodman film with oblique basketball references!?

Watching this film was similar to having toothpicks shoved under my fingernails. While i am a fan of the BIG, DUMB action film this fell far short of providing the requisite entertainment value. When i saw this badboy staring back at me with the "let's get busy" eyes of Rodman and Van Damme I thought i had found a winner for a boring Saturday night. As it turns out i was more entertained by the low-budget Hasselhoff flick i rented as well.

This movie had all the elements i look for in a BIG, DUMB action film (i.e government agents who play by there own rules, sociopathic madmen, sports figures masquerading as actors) but i was completely let down. A boring plot combined with mush-mouthed dialogue is all i got for my rental fee. The best parts of the film are Rodman's pointless references to basketball even though it is never actually pointed out that he has anything to do with basketball. As far as we know he is simply a renegade gun runner with a soft spot for down on their luck agents.

Even though i am not giving a favorable review of this film i do recommend it to anyone who likes good fights. There are many and they appear to be well directed. Also especially good is Mickey Rourke as he hams it up as the killer out to get revenge on Van Damme character.

This is what we have come to expect from Van Damme so i shouldn't complain. I'm just glad he isn't trying comedy yet.