Knock Off (1998)

User Rating:

4.1/10   

Director:

Hark Tsui

Writer (WGA):

Steven E. de Souza (written by)

Release Date:

4 September 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Thriller

Tagline:

There is no substitute.

Plot:

Action star Jean Claude Van Damme plays a fashion designer who must join forces with a C.I.A. agent to combat terrorism.

Plot Keywords:

Hong Kong | CIA | Terrorism | Cell Phone | English Subtitles In Original

Cast

Jean-Claude Van Damme	...	Marcus Ray
Rob Schneider	...	Tommy Hendricks
Lela Rochon	...	Karen Lee
Paul Sorvino	...	Harry Johanson
Carman Lee	...	Detective Ling Ho (as Carmen Lee)
Wyman Wong	...	Eddie Wang
Glen Chin	...	Skinny
Michael Wong	...	Han (as Michael Fitzgerald Wong)
Moses Chan	...	Officer Fong
Lynne Langdon	...	V-Six Secretary (as Lynne Frances Wachendorfer)
Ray Nicholas	...	Karl (as Raymond Leslie Nicholas)
Jeff Wolfe	...	Skaar (as Jeff Joseph Wolfe)
Michael Miller	...	Tickler
Steve Brettingham	...	Hawkeye
Mark Houghton	...	Bear (as Mark Haughton)

MPAA:

Rated R for continuous violence and brief language.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

Aruba | Hong Kong | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 | Brazil:14 (original rating) | Brazil:16 (TV rating) | USA:R (certificate #35768) | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Netherlands:12 (TV version) | Netherlands:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Australia:MA | France:U | Germany:18 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:18 | UK:18 | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Knock Films A.V.V.

Trivia:

Jet Li was supposed to play the role of "Inspector Han" but he turned it down last minute to do Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) instead.

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the end when Lela Rochon & Rob Schneider are tied up on the cargo ship, when their characters are being rolled around on the ship and slam into a container and fall over, Lela's stunt double's ropes become untied and he waves his arms around as he falls, yet in later shots, she is shown as tied up again.

Quotes:

Marcus Ray: It still doesn't prove his a knock off artist.
Karen Lee: Why are you defending the gangster? Looks like he's screwing us.
Tommy Hendricks: Oh no, with Eddie it's more like date rape.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dans la peau de Jean-Claude Van Damme (2003) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Dandy

Avant-garde Hong Kong Action

American audiences failed to appreciate one of the first serious attempts to bring pioneering Hong Kong cinematic techniques to Hollywood standards. John Woo's complete selling-out of originality to the lowest common denominator of American action films has emphatically NOT been followed by Taiwanese genius Tsui Hark. Twenty years from now, critics will look back and wonder in dismay how they could have ignored the MOST cutting edge film to be released in the 90's. "Knock Off" is this decade's "Blade Runner."

Jean-Claude Van Damme shows amazing acting range and comedic talent-at times he is reminiscent of Stoney Face Buster Keaton himself. Hark clearly learned from his weaknesses in "Double Team," this time willingly emphasizing them to get a laugh and then showing Van Damme's strengths as we've never seen them before. Rob Schneider manages to get some real acting in, a much superior sidekick role to the similar one he played in "Judge Dredd." Paul Sorvino literally chews the scenery as the mastermind Johanssen.

The camera-work is incredible. Arthur Wong takes us inside of a doll's eye, allows us to see from two angles at once, shows us x-ray shots of a sneaker's soles and utilizes freeze-frames to maximize suspense. At one point a tiny doll on a desk seems to be holding the two principles by their necks. Later their boss seems to grow to a superhuman stature as she chews them out for wasting company money.

It may take a while for this movie to be appreciated in the States, but word has it it was better appreciated in Asia. It's little surprise, this is one of the most Asian films ever to star Western actors.