Both a nefarious plot and counterfeit jeans unravel thanks to the unlikely pair of Jean-Claude Van Damme and Rob Schneider in Knock Off, Hark Tsui’s 1998 comic-action film, out now in 4K & Blu-Ray via MVD Rewind Collection.
The Film
A fashion designer and a CIA agent, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Rob Schneider, respectively, and yes, that’s the correct order, try to stop a terrorist plot at the Britain-to-China handover in Hong Kong. There’s a lot more going on, with knock-off merchandise, villain twists, rickshaw races, a giant Buddha statue, and more, written by seasoned blockbuster writer Steven E. de Souza. It’s a JCVD movie of the 90s, so you know what you’re getting into. Not a great movie, maybe a little more annoying than most, thanks to Schneider, though Dennis Rodman was far worse as a sidekick in Double Team, also directed by Hark Tsui. But no matter what issues, it’s a JCVD 90s movie, so it’s a ton of fun with plenty of martial arts and stunt action, a sense of fun from de Souza’s script, and just a nice popcorn flick in the end.
Knock Off is a rather aggressive flick. Tsui, best known for the Once Upon a Time in China quintet, directs in an incredibly showy manner. Frankly, it’s a lot. Weird zooms. Slow ramps. Moving the camera in and around.Freezes. Cut-ins. It’s so odd. But it certainly gives Knock Off a special flavor. I always like JCVD, and he always seems like he’s having fun, which goes a long way. It’s weird to have Rob Schneider not be the most aggressively noticeable thing in a film. I’ll be honest, as much fun as it is to dig on him, he’s actually pretty decent here since this was before the SNL/Sandler-cameo hook-up. He and JCVD have solid chemistry and play off one another well. He can’t completely sell the CIA agent bit of his character, but that’s fine and a little bit of the point.
Steven E. de Souza’s script is supposed to be both familiar and a reversal of tropes (thus the CIA guy NOT being JCVD). Like John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China, he was trying to write a film that goes against convention but also just as obvious as anyone knocking off (title on purpose) of his blockbuster films like Die Hard, 48 Hours, and the Running Man (I stand by I really like Hudson Hawk. Taste be damned. While we’re at it, I also unironically like his Street Fighter, also with JCVD). While it doesn’t fully work in this regard, whether by shifts in script while filming, how Tsui handles it, or just not getting there on the script to start with, I appreciate the spirit.
Hark Tsui’s Knock Off, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Rob Schneider, and (as yet mentioned until now) Paul Sorvino, is an odd duck of an action film with an interesting shooting style and an almost-there script from de Souza. But it’s surely entertaining, with solid action and laughs. So for that, it succeeds at being just what it is.
PS A favorite aspect of Knock Off: the music is by Sparks, aka brothers Ron and Russell Mael. A band I really love (and my father-in-law’s far and away favorite; he’s the one who introduced me) with their oddball song stylings.
The Package
Knock off is presented via MVD’s “Rewind Collection” & its “4k LaserVision collection”. The release includes a 4k UHD & a Blu-ray. The film is on both discs, which are located on either side of the black 4k case. Nestled between the discs, with the Rewind VHS style (continued when the discs start with the sound and visuals of loading a tape into a VCR), is a small poster of the slipcover art. The sleeve is reversible: one side with the original poster art and the reverse with the original’s close-up without the other aspects. The O-ring cardboard slip has the new art. The spine is numbered 69 for MVD Rewind and 6 for the 4k.
The Presentation
The 4k looks great, detailed in the way one says “that is a sweaty film” and one sees all that sweat! But really, jokes aside, the colors pop, and it has both the good detail grain and some moments of not-so-good-but-way-filmed sort. The sound is 5.1 and 2.0. Sounds nice. English subtitles.
The Features
MVD puts together a good collection of extras that highlight the careers of those involved and the creative process. Some are new, some are imported from previous releases. The commentary is on the 4k and Blu-ray, with the remaining features on only the Blu-Ray.
Commentary (ported from the 2020 88 Films release)
Action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema give an honest, but appreciative, assessment. They discuss de Souza and his career and this film as a twist on his formula, Hsui’s direction choices, and the kinda mess of the film. My favorite is pointing out the teleporting as needed around Hong Kong (as anyone will do when a movie is filmed in their town: 88 Minutes and Scorchy do this for Seattle).
Interview with Steven E. deSouza (new)
A wonderful exploration of the man’s career. He’s frank about the luck he had but also how he works and thinks about his films, developing the other scripts and this one. A great look for those wanting to know how the sausage gets made for the writer’s career. (40m)
Interview with producer Moishe Diamant
Like deSouza, Diamant is honest and humorous in discussing this film and his career with this sort of movie in the 90s. Stories galore, told with joy. (19m)
Interview with de Souza (2020)
Playing over clips from the film, de Souza speaks about the film, the culture in Hong Kong, and on set. Just as interesting as the full 40-minute interview (10m)
Making Knock Off (1998)
An EPK/TV special (I miss watching HBO first look about this time). I always dig these, especially after watching and hearing “looking back 30 years later” as everyone spins whatever issues to make an overly positive selling of the film. Definitely a product of its time, as they let Schnieder make several racially insensitive comments and impersonations. There’s a certain cheese in these that I love.
Trailer
Final Thoughts
Knock Off is an interesting film of ideas and methods that doesn’t completely work, but it’s entertaining for what it is. You watch 90s JCVD for some butt-kicking and dumb action, and that’s exactly what it is, and purposely so for better or worse. MVD’s features deepen the hows and whys, along with the great interview with de Souza over writing action films and their cycles.