Knock Off (1998)
10/10
Really fun action movie gets no respect!
25 June 2001
I can understand why people would like to knock Knock-Off but as an action film it is brilliant. There are some really well planned out shots and the fight scenes were top notch as well. The movie starts at a fast pace and keeps it up for the whole picture. The supporting cast is wonderful here the movie actually has some good character development. I like the fact that Van Damme isn't the only hero here. Rob Schneider is very funny plays the part well as does Lela Rochon, Paul Sorvino, and Michael Wong. That's a good cast right there! The movie is also a good take on the ever-present knock-off artists that flood Hong Kong, as well as most big cities with cheap brand name crap.

"Lets put bombs in the knock-offs so we can threaten the entire world!" Not a bad idea for an action movie. I thought that the Russian bad guys were aptly stereotypical and I especially liked the "Coughing Guy" character.

Visually, the movie is crazy. There are some innovative shots here, like the inside the shoe shot, the inside the gun shot, and my favorite, the what's inside of the box shot. It makes me love this movie even more! So don't knock down Knock Off until you give it a chance. See it for the humor and the wacky plot, appreciate it for the cinematography and fight scenes, and enjoy it for all it's worth. There's a lot going on in this movie. Tsui Hark's direction is always fresh and fast paced, so if you liked any of his other movies, you'll appreciate this offering. One of my all time favorites.
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