Jean-Claude Van Damme’s illustrious Hollywood movie career didn’t last long, but it was a fun ride while he remained in top form. After a string of action movie successes, Van Damme took on a project that would go on to be one of his most memorable films - Double Impact.

Double Impact is the perfect action movie, for a number of reasons. 10 reasons, to be precise. For those who have never seen Double Impact, do yourself a favor and pick it up! And now, without further ado.

VAN DAMME + VAN DAMME

Van Damme’s charisma was not in question back in the day. Women loved him, and men wanted to hit the gym in order to become him. Not satisfied with his previous line of hits, Van Damme decided to tackle not one, but two roles in the same film.

Van Damme’s dual portrayal of identical twins Chad and Alex is one of the best parts of Double Impact, as both characters are night and day from one another. Alex is a badass raised on the tough streets of Hong Kong, while Chad is a city-dwelling suburbanite who spends his days seducing beautiful women. Van Damme portrays both characters as so different from one another that he deserves an award.

THE HONG KONG SETTING

Hong Kong martial arts movies helped influence an entire generation of action filmmakers, and it remains one of the best backdrops for a kung fu flick. Director Sheldon Lettich did a masterful job of utilizing the gritty Hong Kong slums and streets to create an altogether plausible action narrative.

The city has a charm all its own, which helps sell the idea of two brothers uniting to take down their parents’ killers. The fact that it plays into Hong Kong’s previous history with the British government and the latter’s subsequent hand-off to China was a smart play by the writers.

ONE SNAKE, TWO HEADS

Usually, a martial arts action movie tends to fixate on one bad guy for the hero to take down. Double Impact features two. First, the aristocratic Griffith who set up the brother’s parents so many years before, and Zhang, a Triad boss.

It’s nice to have two villains pushing the story along, to give Chad and Alex more than one target to deal with. Not only does it spice up the formula, but it provides double the challenge for the brothers to overcome.

LOTS OF COMEDY

Yes, Double Impact is a hot-headed, hyper-masculine action extravaganza, but it never passes up an opportunity to get a good laugh in. Most of the comedy comes in the form of Chad and Alex, and how they get on each other’s nerves. If it isn’t Alex scoffing at Chad’s black silk underwear, it’s Chad cracking a joke that scores with Alex’s girlfriend Danielle, and nobody else.

It’s the funniest in sibling rivalry, and the fact that both brothers are only just getting to know each other while killing lots of bad guys helps invigorate the action movie formula a bit more.

THE MIGHTY BOLO

Bolo Yeung is a nice guy who you would probably cross the street to avoid. He looks tough, mean and deadly, and he plays it to great effect in Double Impact as Moon, a Triad enforcer with some serious fighting skills.

With his deep facial scar and milky eye, Yeung looks even more terrifying than before, and he backs it up with brutality. His pitched battle against Chad in the final act of the film is intimidating even to the audience!

SLOW-MO

You’ve got to love high framerate recording! Double Impact spares no expense when it comes to ultra-stylistic slow-motion action sequences! Whether it’s run n’ gun shootouts, dodges and flips, or Van Damme’s signature leaping reverse kick, slow motion really brings out the finesse of each move.

This isn’t bullet time, either. This is simply good old fashioned slow-motion with excellent fight choreography to capture the moments in all their bone-crushing glory!

IMAGINATIVE ACTION SCENES

Double Impact has more going for its action sequences than one might think. These are some of the most unique and varied scenes ever put to film, which is great for those who’ve never seen the movie before.

A battle on board a cargo boat carrying stolen vehicles soon leads into a shootout in a restaurant, a foot chase through the Hong Kong vegetable market, and a vertical battle inside a factory. What sells each sequence is the level of authenticity, thanks to on-the-ground shooting and excellent scene setup.

SPECIALTY HENCHMEN

Bolo Yeung’s Moon is a great henchman unto himself, but there’s a few more of note to round out the fighting scenes.

Kara is a muscled, leather pants-wearing female assassin with more than enough strength to give the guys a run for their money, and Peter Malota plays a boot-wearing killer with razor-tipped spurs that give his kicks an extra level of danger! Double Impact could have featured nothing but stock henchmen gun fodder, but it went the extra mile.

MUCHO BRAVADO

Action movies have changed over the years, and they don’t quite feel like Double Impact anymore. This was the height of the early 1990s action fare, with Hollywood still straddling the line between American and Asian martial arts flicks.

Double Impact is loaded with tough guy motifs from start to finish. That’s part of the fun. It feels like a classic devoid of fancy CGI and fake sets. There’s a level of authenticity here that pays homage to the action movie greats like Rambo II, Predator, and Bloodsport, and it’s a blast to watch!

UNAPOLOGETIC LOW-BROW ACTION

Double Impact makes no apologies for its straight-up mixture of muscles, bullets, and blood. The script, while unique, isn’t going to win any awards, nor does it have anything poignant to say. It’s one part revenge story and one part about the bonding between two brothers.

Everything in between is just a sandwich filler to prep for the next cool action sequence, and that’s fine. There aren’t any political or social statements in Double Impact. It’s all about big kicks, bigger explosions, and larger-than-life characters.