Bullet Points: Double Tap
Do you know how I know I am watching a ʼ90s action movie? Heather Locklear is playing a convincing action star. Do you know how I know I am watching a ʼ90s action movie? A hit man is ordered through a newspaper ad. Do you know how I know I am watching a ʼ90s action movie? Communication is done through pagers and pay phones. Do you know how I know I am watching a ʼ90s action movie? The music is composed and performed by Moby. Double Tap is a 1997 action film that checks yes for all of the above boxes and wouldn’t you know it I just so happen to have some Bullet Points for the ʼ90s action movie Double Tap.
- Unlikely Agent – I never would have guessed that Heather Locklear (The Return of Swamp Thing) would have been a good choice to play a hardened undercover FBI agent until I saw Double Tap. Locklear stars as Katherine Hanson, an agent trying to stop money launderers which puts her in some dicey situations. The film opens Katherine meeting some Asian drug dealers at their porn theater base of operations looking to launder their ill gotten gains. The top dog is Fung Suk and he is also a nominee for top name in Double Tap. Fung Suk was played by Michael Paul Chan and it was hard to get the picture of Data’s father from The Goonies hanging out a pornographic theater out of my mind.
- Unlikely Assassin – I never would have guessed that Stephen Rea (The Crying Game) would have been a good choice to play a hardened assassin until I saw Double Tap. Rea stars as an assassin named Cypher which screams ʼ90s sci-fi. Don’t believe me, just scope Joe Pantoliano’s character in The Matrix. Double Tap is not a sci-fi but I still enjoyed Cypher. What I didn’t believe, and still don’t, is the eventually romantic attraction between Locklear and Rea’s characters.
- I Get It – Cypher busts up Hanson’s meeting with Fung Suk and takes out his crew and shoots Fung Suk twice in the head… a double tap! We see Cypher spare Hanson for unknown reasons, but it probably has something to do with her looking like Heather Locklear, and leave a lucky rabbit’s foot as his calling card. The FBI, lead by Agent Hamilton (Mykelti Williamson, Number One with a Bullet) is under the assumption that another gang is trying to gain power by taking out other gangs. When the FBI finds their top suspect Escobar (A Martinez, Powwow Highway) double tapped they realize a new player is in town. Hanson and the FBI stakeout gang leader Ulysses (Terrence Howard, Four Brothers) only for them to witness Ulysses get… you guessed it double tapped.
- Born to Be Bad – On a list of all time under appreciated bad guys in film, every spot could be filled by a character played by Peter Greene. From award winning movies like Pulp Fiction (Zed) to comedies like The Mask (Dorian) to No Surrender Cinema films like Judgment Night (Sykes) Peter Greene excels as someone that is easy to hate. When I saw Peter Greene show up as Nash in Double Tap I knew he was up to no good. Nash is the man behind the hiring of Cypher to take out his competition, but if you think that is going to end up working out for Nash, you haven’t seen enough Peter Greene movies.
- Double Team – Hanson has the brains to go along with her beauty and eventually figures out the identity of Cypher and his true motive. Double Tap goes the safe route and has Cypher as some sort of revenge filled vigilante taking out scum all over the world all while having a backstory that tugs at the audience’s heartstrings. Hanson uses an incarcerated creep that managed to survive a double tapping, Fischer (Richard Edson, Columbus Day) to lure Cypher into a trap. Cypher is too smart for any trap and he ends up trapping the FBI. Nash is also too smart for the FBI and kidnaps Hanson to lure Cypher into a trap. All this subterfuge leads to a final shootout, but will Cypher save the girl? Will Hanson become a double tappee or double tapper?
I will not spoil the ending for Double Tap, but I will let you know it features one of the most unique deaths I have ever seen and one of the few that includes an inground lawn sprinkling system. Double Tap is a ʼ90s movie through and through and while it is not one of the top ʼ90s movies there are plenty of things to enjoy. The action is consistent, there is enough mystery to keep your mind thinking, plenty of quality actors and performances, and is really hard not to like anything with Heather Locklear. I have been told is hard not to like Bullet Points that end with Bonus Bullet Points so I am going to end this with a rare treat.
- Familiar Faces – Double Tap is chock full of notable action faces already mentioned above plus familiar faces like Robert LaSardo (Last Man Standing) and Kevin Gage as FBI Agents, to stuntmen-cum-actors like Gene LeBell and James Lew (18 Fingers of Death!)
- Quadruple Tap – Double Tap (1997) is not to be confused with the 2000 Hong Kong actioner Double Tap or the 2011 actioner Double Tap (although this also has Robert LaSardo) or the 2019 actioner Zombieland: Double Tap.
- Best Quote… and Worst Use of Your Money – “The only thing you’ll be able to do with your million a week is wipe your butt.”
- More Than Just a Face – You may be expecting to see a scantily clad Heather Locklear but the most skin shown is from Gene LeBell in his tighty whities.