From Amazon.com
Having based so much of his career on the films from the region, Jean Claude Van Damme heads to Hong Kong itself for
Knock Off. Set in the 72 hours running up to the British handover to China (and released a mere year after the actual event), the film's action centers around the colony's thriving bootleg business, tied in with a rather convoluted plot concerning the CIA, Russian Mafia, and an attempt to hold the United States ransom through covert attacks. The opening section unwisely tries Van Damme's hand at knockabout humor with partner Rob Schneider but merely proves that the star is severely lacking the sort of humorous touch that Arnold Schwarzenegger has so successfully utilized. Once
Knock Off descends into more familiar Van Damme territory, the film--and its leading man--are on surer ground. There are a good deal of spectacular fight sequences, some amazing stunts, and a feisty female sparring partner in the form of Lela Rochen. Even the always-reliable Paul Sorvino pops up. Director Tsui Hark hits upon some interesting and initially invigorating visual effects but soon overdoes them, actually highlighting the lack of decent story rather than enhancing it. There is an incredible film to be made about this period in history but this isn't it.
Knock Off is merely another undemanding, high-kicking, high-octane vehicle for Van Damme.
--Phil Udell
Review
It seems that well-respected Hong Kong director Tsui Hark and star Jean-Claude Van Damme were made to make completely surreal, cheesy, over-the-top actioners like this one. Abandoning such "needless" things as plot, characterization, humor, and everything that makes good movies what they are -- Hark and company decided instead to create a runaway train-wreck of an action flick, starring one of the biggest goofs in Hollywood history! Therein lies the charm of Knock Off...Each scene is brimming full of outrageousness, all the while never stopping to let the audience catch up. If you take your eyes off the screen for one minute, who knows what kind of crazy stuff you might miss? Interesting, too, is just how great the action scenes are. Just as he did in John Woo's widely under-appreciated 1993 actioner Hard Target, Van Damme sincerely shines in Hark's patented crazy visuals and dynamic fight choreography. The audience might have to endure a couple of really terrible Rob Schneider one-liners, but once our boy Jean-Claude starts kicking, there's no stop to the explosive stuff that they've got in store for you: mysterious green fireballs, exploding blue jeans, and even Paul Sorvino! Whether he's being spanked in the butt with cold fish or fighting a guy with razor sharp lenses in his eyeglasses, our international action hero proves his title time and time again, only stopping once in a while to hilariously butcher the English language. Yes, Knock Off is a one-of-a-kind. It's a non-stop joyride that breaks all conventions and plain old doesn't care about it. If you like crazy action, terrible Euro-accents, and a whole lot of Van Damme, this one's for you! ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
