DOUBLE TEAM

DOUBLE TEAM offers what action fans expect: non-stop action, international locations, weaponry, explosions, chases and plenty of violence. It also has occasional taut or brilliant action sequences, and its hero is motivated by rescuing his wife rather than seeking revenge.

But those limited merits are buried beneath a cliché-ridden script and extensive graphic violence. The story’s moral element — a man trying to care for his family and clear his name — is lost in the sensory overload. Yaz’s dirty underworld, including several women in S&M wear, adds another reason for discernment.

The answer is straightforward: skip this one and choose a less violent, less sleazy adventure instead.

Jack Quinn, a retired operative, is called back for one last mission against the elusive terrorist Stavros. When the mission fails, Jack is sent to the Colony, a re-education camp for spies considered too dangerous to release and too valuable to kill.

After Stavros threatens Jack’s family, Jack escapes and turns to Yaz, a weapons specialist with an extensive arsenal. Together, they set out to rescue Jack’s wife and confront the terrorist.

Two stars means DOUBLE TEAM has a few effective ingredients but does not rise above its weak material. The action sequences can be taut and sometimes brilliant, while the international locations and varied accents offer mild intrigue.

The script is heavily dependent on familiar action-adventure formulas: the retired hero’s last mission, a secret government operation, an untouchable villain and a vulnerable wife. The movie is nearly constant action, leaving little room for meaningful development. Van Damme makes the most of shallow material, but the overall result remains a novelty action film rather than a satisfying drama.

DOUBLE TEAM presents justice through extreme violence, though it includes a moral element in Jack’s effort to rescue his family. Jack is not primarily seeking vengeance against Stavros. He wants to save his wife, capture Stavros, clear his own name and regain his position. A group of friars also helps Jack during a moment of crisis.

The film’s strongest moral idea is that family responsibility can motivate a man to endure danger. Yet the movie does not develop that idea deeply. Its constant gunfire, fistfights, explosions and other violence overwhelm the more constructive motive. Justice becomes tied to overpowering enemies rather than to a biblical pattern of righteousness, mercy and self-control.

The movie also makes Dennis Rodman a novelty presence, giving him limited screen time, basketball jokes and a role built more around his public persona than strong acting. Its sleazy underworld imagery further distances the story from a clean moral vision.

Scripture calls people to care for their families: “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith” (1 Timothy 5:8). DOUBLE TEAM gestures toward that responsibility, but buries it beneath violence and spectacle.

DOUBLE TEAM has occasional taut action and a worthwhile motive beneath its spectacle. But its poor script, extensive graphic violence and sleazy underworld imagery overwhelm those merits. For your family, the answer is SKIP IT. For better options, see.