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''Knock Off'' is a 1998
action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...
directed by Tsui Hark and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and
Rob Schneider Robert Michael Schneider (; born October 31, 1963) is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'', he went on to a career in feature films, including starri ...
. The film was released in the United States on September 4, 1998. The title is a
double entendre A double entendre (plural double entendres) is a figure of speech or a particular way of wording that is devised to have a double meaning, of which one is typically obvious, whereas the other often conveys a message that would be too socially ...
, as the term colloquially refers to both counterfeit goods as well as targeted killing. The film is one of the last in the world to feature
Kai Tak Airport Kai Tak Airport was the international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. Officially known as Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998, it is often referred to as Hong Kong International Airport, Kai Tak, or simply Ka ...
still in use; the airport closed in 1998. It was Hark's second and last American film; he returned to Hong Kong after ''Knock Off'', feeling unsatisfied with his work in the United States. The film is also the second collaboration between Van Damme and de Souza, the first film being ''
Street Fighter , commonly abbreviated as ''SF'' or スト (''Suto''), is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting Combat ( French for ''fight'') is a purposeful violent conflict meant to physically harm or kill the opposition. Combat may ...
'', released in 1994.


Plot

Russian agents searching for something underwater find a crate as Hong Kong police close in. They accidentally open the crate and baby dolls float to the surface before being detonated. Some Russian agents and a Hong Kong detective pursuing them survive. Downtown, Tommy Hendricks is arranging a fashion show for "V-Six" Jeans. His partner, Marcus Ray shows up late after inspecting a warehouse of their goods where he sees several knock-offs, including the exploding dolls, peddled by a Hong Kong gangster, Skinny. Marcus and Tommy then participate in a rickshaw race during which Marcus' adopted brother and friend Eddie cheats to win by switching with a body double. The body double gets kidnapped by Russian agents (looking for Eddie) and Marcus gives chase. Ultimately, they kill the fake Eddie and Hong Kong police arrest Marcus and Tommy, but release them without charges. Back at their office, an executive from V-Six, Karen Lee claims a shipment of jeans was counterfeit and Marcus and Tommy are responsible for over $5 million of losses. She agrees to let it go if they go to the warehouse that switched the fake jeans and identify who did it. Meanwhile, the Russian bosses kill the agents who failed to reclaim the dolls and get tipped off by Skinny that V-Six is onto them and is going to their warehouse. When Tommy gets kidnapped at a restaurant, Marcus follows him and finds him talking to his CIA handlers. He is a CIA agent sent to discover the counterfeiters who used Marcus, "the king of knock offs," as his cover. That night, before they arrive at the warehouse, a truck bursts out. Marcus gets on top of it and when it ultimately crashes they find it full of tiny discs. Tommy's boss, Harry Johansson determines they are powerful "nanobombs" at their base inside a Buddha statue. Believing Eddie to be in on it, they go to see him. Eddie fingers Skinny as the counterfeiter; he found out they had bombs in the merchandise and tried to have it dumped in the ocean before the Russians found them. He opens a safe to give them proof, but it explodes, killing him. Tommy and Marcus have to fight their way out of the building. Tommy obtains security footage on the way out. Marcus kidnaps Skinny and takes him back to the CIA base in the Buddha. There, the security footage reveals Karen was in the warehouse just before they were. At the office, she handcuffs Tommy and prepares to question him. After Marcus leaves, the Buddha explodes, and Marcus races to the office to save Tommy. After a fight, she reveals she's CIA as well, and the three team up. While Marcus changes, the Russians kidnap Karen and Tommy, and Marcus finds a bomb detector in Karen's things. He realizes the jean studs are the nanobombs and checks the computer for the shipping manifest. He and the Hong Kong detective from the opening scene race to the cargo ship where Karen and Tommy are being held. Tommy is relieved to see Harry on board, but Harry reveals he is a double agent intending to ransom companies for not detonating the nanobombs they have been secretly planting in manufactured goods all over the world. Marcus and the detective board the barge and fight through all of the Russians, eventually escaping just before Harry detonates it. Karen plants a handful of the nanobombs on Harry's boat as well, which explodes. They find the detonator in the water and take it. Two hours later, Tommy and Marcus talk in a bar. Tommy still has the detonator. In a distant room, Harry, still alive, is planting nanobombs on a toy. Tommy carelessly activates the detonator, destroying the building Harry is in, in the distance.


Cast

* Jean-Claude Van Damme as Marcus Ray *
Rob Schneider Robert Michael Schneider (; born October 31, 1963) is an American actor, comedian, and screenwriter. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'', he went on to a career in feature films, including starri ...
as Tommy Hendricks *
Lela Rochon Lela Rochon Staples (born April 17, 1964) is an American actress, best known for her starring role as Robin Stokes in the 1995 romantic drama film ''Waiting to Exhale''. She also had notable roles in the films '' Harlem Nights'' (1989), ''Boomeran ...
as Karen Lee * Michael Fitzgerald Wong as Detective Han *
Carman Lee Carman Lee Yeuk-tung (born 16 August 1966) is a Hong Kong actress who has appeared in films such as '' The Wicked City'' (1992), ''Loving You'' (1995), ''The Odd One Lives'' (1997), and the North American ''Knock Off'' (1998) with Jean-Claude V ...
as Ling Ho *
Paul Sorvino Paul Anthony Sorvino (, ; April 13, 1939 – July 25, 2022) was an American actor. He often portrayed authority figures on both the criminal and the law enforcement sides of the law. Sorvino was particularly known for his roles as Lucchese cri ...
as Harry Johansson *
Wyman Wong Wyman Wong (born 21 May 1969) is a Cantopop lyricist from Hong Kong.The Style Issue
''Tim ...
as Eddie Wang *
Glen Chin Glen Chin (January 27, 1948 – August 16, 2018) was an American actor of Chinese descent who starred in film and television. Background Chin was born in Stockton, California on January 27, 1948. He was the eldest of eight children. His father o ...
as Skinny Wang *Wes Wolff as Dinger *
Moses Chan Moses Chan Ho (born 16 April 1971) is an actor from Hong Kong. Career and personal life Chan lived and studied in Australia (Melbourne, Brisbane, and Sydney) for 10 years prior to returning to Hong Kong to embark on his acting career. On 17 No ...
as Officer Wong


Production

The film was announced at the 1997
American Film Market The American Film Market (AFM) is a film industry event held each year in early November. Historically, more than 7,000 people attend the eight-day annual event to network and to sell, finance and acquire films. Participants come from more than ...
. The film’s music was credited to Ron and Russell Mael of American new wave band Sparks. In an interview with historian and critic
Aaron Hillis Aaron Hillis is an American writer, film critic, director, film festival programmer, and curator. Career Hillis has been active in independent film, especially within the fields of indie festivals, exhibitions, indie film distribution and progra ...
, they noted that, although they maintained a positive friendship with Tsui Hark through their attempts to produce a film adaptation of ''
Mai, the Psychic Girl is a Japanese manga series written by Kazuya Kudō and illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami. It was serialized in Shogakukan's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' from March 1985 to April 1986, with its chapters collected in six '' ...
'', due to studio pressure the score ultimately ended up being more the work of additional music composer Varouje Hagopian than them.


Release

''Knock Off'' opened in the United States on September 4, 1998. It took the 4th spot and grossed in $5,516,2311 at 1800 theaters, at an average of $3,064 for the weekend. From there it grossed a total of $10.3 million in US ticket sales.


Reception

''Knock Off'' holds an 10% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 40 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Muddled plot; stiff acting." Audiences polled by
CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...
gave the film an average grade of "D+" on an A+ to F scale. Joe Leydon of '' Variety'' called it "an exuberantly cheesy action opus" that is made worth watching by Tsui Hark's directing despite its confusing and formulaic plot. Paul Tatara of
CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by t ...
wrote that it is "the most incomprehensible mess I've ever had to sit through", and Jeff Vice of the '' Deseret News'' called it "incompetent in almost every aspect of filmmaking". Kevin Thomas of the '' Los Angeles Times'', however, called it Van Damme's best film to date and said it has crossover appeal due to its humor.


References


External links

* * * * {{Tsui Hark 1998 films 1998 action comedy films American action comedy films Hong Kong action comedy films 1990s English-language films English-language Hong Kong films Films set in Hong Kong TriStar Pictures films Films directed by Tsui Hark Films shot in the Philippines Films with screenplays by Steven E. de Souza Films set in 1997 1990s American films 1990s Hong Kong films