It’s a new year and 2019 has come to a close. I always like to reflect on my favorite physical releases of year. Consumers seem to be moving more and more to streaming services with the launch this holiday season of Disney Plus being the latest. However, 2019 was also a banner year for physical media as well. Several companies really stepped up their game with incredible packaging, extras and in some cases sparkling new transfers of classic films. I will always make the case of physically owning a copy of a movie because it is permanently in your collection, it won’t be dropped or eventually removed from your shelf.
Being that it is 2019, I decided to list my favorite 19 releases of the year. So sit back relax and let’s watch some movies!
8. Double Impact
Twice the Jean-Claude Van Damme as the martial arts super star plays two roles in the early 90’s actioner Double Impact!
Chad and Alex are twin brothers who, after the murder of their parents are separated. Chad is raised in Paris. Alex is a crook in Hong Kong. The brothers eventually learn of each other and join forces in Hong Kong when the people responsible for their parent’s deaths is also Alex’s rival!
I love the late 80’s and early 90’s action films. They are usually way over the top, with gratuitous violence and gratuitous nudity. Double Impact delivers on both of those fronts. I mean there is literally a scene where Van Damme is pissed, getting drink thinking about his “twin” brother having sex with his girlfriend. This doesn’t actually happen literally, but Van Damme dreams it, so we watch about 3 minutes of simulated sex for no reason.
Van Damme is pretty great in the dual roles here. He actually does give each of the brothers different fighting styles and different attitudes. It’s not my favorite Van Damme movie but it is pretty damn entertaining.
Double Impact kicks its way onto MVD Rewind’s Collector’s Edition with a great transfer. The film retains its natural film quality while enhancing colors and textures. I haven’t seen Double Impact in a long time, but I don’t remember it looking this sharp.
You’ll feel the thumps on Double Impact thanks to a solid 2.0 track. Explosions and punches hit the right marks and the dialogue is clear. Solid all the way around.
MVD Rewind delivers some amazing bonus content on Double Impact. The best is two hours making off Double Impact. Divided into two parts, the behind the scenes look is great. The interviews are informative and also at times hilarious. Van Damme is also included on the bonus features which is a huge plus because he doesn’t always participate in them. Also included is an amazing amount of deleted scenes, almost an hour of them. There is also a vintage making of, and a handful of other older features. Van Damme also makes an appearance in the MVD promo, it’s short but great. The film also comes with a slip cover and a mini poster.
MVD Rewind delivers a knockout blow with this amazing release of a popcorn action fest. If you love Van Damme or silly 90’s action films, Double Impact is a can’t miss.
Film: B-
Video: A
Audio: A
Extras: A+
Overall: A