Knock Off - MVD Rewind

Knock Off has evolved with me over the years. When I first watched this frenetic piece of Hong Kong cinema, literally filmed during the transfer of power back to China, I was very disappointed. I wanted classic Kickboxer / Bloodsport Van Damme, and I ended up with a silly film with rickshaw races and exploding baby dolls. To make matters worse, this was one of the last theatrical releases for Van Damme. I wrote this off as a late career misstep. Even when I re-visited it years later for this site, I was more negative than positive. Now, with MVD Rewind’s awesome 4K / Blu-ray upgrade, I finally get it.

A large part of my enjoyment of this film is the practical action of it compared to modern action movies. The stunts in this film are great and clearly practical aside from some explosions here and there. And the fight scenes, though chaotic, are also a lot of fun. When coupled with director Tsui Hark’s “go anywhere” camerawork (an early moment has the camera follow Van Damme’s foot into a knock off running shoe), Knock Off looks more impressive with each passing year.

I’ve also watched more Hong Kong cinema over the years, and knowing a little more what to expect from a Hong Kong film makes this easier to enjoy. With Hong Kong in mind, I know this is going to move quickly, literally and figuratively, and I might not know what the hell is going on from scene to scene, but it’s going to be entertaining. 

So while the plot involving nano-bombs, knock off jeans, Rob Schneider as a CIA agent, etc. might make little sense, it really doesn’t matter. This is a wild ride from start to finish, and you’re better off shutting your brain off for it and enjoying the inventive camerawork and stuntwork. 

This is not to say Knock Off is a classic. This will always be lesser Van Damme, but it certainly deserves another look if, like me, you dismissed it originally. Of course, the MVD Rewind treatment makes it all go down much smoother.

The Transfer

If you catch this movie on a free streamer like Pluto, it’s a tough watch. The sound mix is abysmal, and it just looks okay. The new restoration makes this a no-brainer in terms of quality. If you like this movie at all, this will be the definitive release to own.

Special Features

MVD Rewind is a dream company for Van Damme fans. They’ve already made the best versions of Double Impact and Lionheart (and I’m assuming Black Eagle, though I haven’t checked out that release yet), and they treat Knock Off with equal reverence. 

The slip-covers are nice, with the Blu-ray release getting the vintage VHS look, and the 4K getting a more traditional cover-art release. 

Each version also includes a mini-poster, which I hope to someday convince my son to hang up in his room. 

Beyond the great physical media aesthetics, the regular special features are nice, as well.

The archival making of is decent since it features plenty of on-set interviews. It's oddly promotional while also giving away almost all of the plot. But it gives a nice glimpse of what filming was like during the historic transition.

The 2020 interview with de Souza claims they were originally going to be able to film the transfer of power in Hong Kong with Prince Charles, and it would have implied that the explosions at the end would have threatened that. But the budget changed and they couldn't, so now you just get the TV coverage, and it doesn’t seem like anything happening in the movie has much to do with the transfer ceremony aside from being on the same day. To be fair, there is the moment when the boat gets too close and the gunships go to intercept, but the boat turns away and they stand down.

The interview with producer Moshe Diamant also brings up the transfer of power missed opportunity.

The new de Souza interview is half a career retrospective and half about Knock Off. He praises the stunts, and rightfully so. As action movies get more and more digital, the insane practical stunts of a movie like this make it better with each passing year. And de Souza is simply an entertaining storyteller, so going through his career leading up to Knock Off is interesting, as well.

Diamant and de Souza both seem a little too proud that nano-bombs kind of came true (mainly with the Hezbollah pager bombing thing from a few years ago).

Random Thoughts 

This has to be the first JCVD foot cam moment.

Also the first time he's been whipped in the ass with an eel by Rob Schneider…on film, at least.

“Thankness, god.” Clearly Van Damme was meant to say, “Thank goodness,” or “Thank god,” and, “Thankness, god,” is what came out. The fact that they just kept that in instead of doing another take is a perfect example of the tone of this film.

Rob Schneider is much more convincing as a sleazy jeans counterfeiter than as a CIA agent.

Sure, the very first time I watched this and there was a prolonged rickshaw race ten minutes in that featured an exploding shoe and Rob Schneider whipping Van Damme with an eel, I thought, “What the fuck is this shit?” But after nearly thirty years and at least five re-watches, I dig it now.

It’s worth upgrading for the sound mix alone. It makes it almost unwatchable on Pluto. I haven’t checked the sound on other streamers.

The stunt with the car landing on the water bottles is nuts. It looks like one stunt dude on the ground misses getting hit by inches.

After watching this three times in as many days, I think I finally understand the plot.

I think the giant Buddha blowing up would be a bigger deal, especially with the handoff going on. But no one even makes a comment about it.

The final set piece on the boat is too frenetic. There’s some good shit in there that gets lost in the editing. 

Paul Sorvino inexplicably survives two nuclear-level explosions, but I think he’s really dead with the third one. 

Schneider is still talking about the jeans at the end, saying “our jeans.” Was his role in the jeans company not a CIA front? Did the movie forget he was an agent? Did he forget?

The film ends with what has to be drunken ad-libs from Schneider, talking about forming the lingerie football league. And the film closes with him saying, “No action movie would be complete without sweat.” This is fourth-wall breaking, and what is he even referencing? That’s why I think it was a candid moment that Tsui Hark just left in.