I wasn't expecting (or asking) much when I originally saw "Knock Off". I had decided to take in a Sunday afternoon matinée purely as a way to kill a couple of hours, and "Knock Off" was on the marquee as I drove up to my local multiplex. Either I had already seen everything else or couldn't stomach the idea of watching what was left, and so I went in, not expecting to see anything more than Van Damme doing what Van Damme does.
When I saw on the credits that Tsui Hark was the director, I perked up considerably. I'm not a hardcore Hong Kong cinema fan, but I was marginally aware of Hark's reputation in Hong Kong. John Woo's first American effort a few years previous also starred Van Damme and "Hard Target" turned out to be the best Van Damme film to date (or "ever", depending who you ask).
Well, it wasn't as good as "Hard Target", but it still turned out to be the 4th best JCVD film I've ever seen - "Time Cop" and "Sudden Death" are better written, better acted, more accessible mainstream American movies - and a decent piece of action-oriented entertainment. I think in fact that "Knock Off" had the potential to be a minor classic, but the writing ( a typically over the top HK cinema plot about micro-explosives and terrorism ) doesn't really translate well to American tastes. Hark and his film crew have the gift of conjuring striking images and camera work and crafting astonishing action sequences, but story-wise, they can't really get beyond the surface froth to give us some characters we care about or actual emotion (chewing the scenery doesn't count as 'emotion'.)
Also weighing in against "Knock Off" is that it features far too much of Rob Schneider. He's actually much better here than in the cinematic tragedy that was "Judge Dredd", but dude, it's ROB SCHNEIDER. I actually like Schneider better in the stupid comedy movies where he plays the lead, for some reason...I think it's because his 'irritation' factor is actually a PLUS in a comedy movie, but he just is out of place and stupid in any kind of sidekick role in action or science fiction vehicles.
Van Damme's problems with drugs and partying at this point in his career are common knowledge, but he still looks good in tight fitting clothes, even if he is a little rough around the edges. In some ways it makes him somewhat more believable for the role - his character is a semi-legitimate, slightly seedy hustler and party animal, and he looks the part (instead of the super hero he played in porn-fu fare like "Blood Sport" and "Kick Boxer".) He's still no actor and Hark can't make him one, but he goes through the motions, and there's enough frenetic action all around him to make him look really good. He holds up his end just fine. For better or worse, he does what he does, and it's framed differently enough that it makes for a nice change of pace from his usual macho kick-boxing antics. I could swear in a few spots that they were going for a kind of "Jackie Chan" vibe, especially in the rickshaw race and in the scene in the knock-off factory where JCVD has a running fight with dozens of employees who are trying to kill him (because they think he murdered their boss).
So yes, I like "Knock Off" as enjoyable eye candy and acceptable action oriented entertainment. I even picked it up (used) on DVD at my local "Sun Coast" a few weeks back for $7 to add it to my collection. I imagine that even some who didn't care about martial arts, HK cinema or Van Damme might get some enjoyment out of it. Call it a "weak" 7 stars (7.1) or a "strong" 6 stars (6.9) as long as you don't ask for much actual human emotion in your cinematic entertainment.
When I saw on the credits that Tsui Hark was the director, I perked up considerably. I'm not a hardcore Hong Kong cinema fan, but I was marginally aware of Hark's reputation in Hong Kong. John Woo's first American effort a few years previous also starred Van Damme and "Hard Target" turned out to be the best Van Damme film to date (or "ever", depending who you ask).
Well, it wasn't as good as "Hard Target", but it still turned out to be the 4th best JCVD film I've ever seen - "Time Cop" and "Sudden Death" are better written, better acted, more accessible mainstream American movies - and a decent piece of action-oriented entertainment. I think in fact that "Knock Off" had the potential to be a minor classic, but the writing ( a typically over the top HK cinema plot about micro-explosives and terrorism ) doesn't really translate well to American tastes. Hark and his film crew have the gift of conjuring striking images and camera work and crafting astonishing action sequences, but story-wise, they can't really get beyond the surface froth to give us some characters we care about or actual emotion (chewing the scenery doesn't count as 'emotion'.)
Also weighing in against "Knock Off" is that it features far too much of Rob Schneider. He's actually much better here than in the cinematic tragedy that was "Judge Dredd", but dude, it's ROB SCHNEIDER. I actually like Schneider better in the stupid comedy movies where he plays the lead, for some reason...I think it's because his 'irritation' factor is actually a PLUS in a comedy movie, but he just is out of place and stupid in any kind of sidekick role in action or science fiction vehicles.
Van Damme's problems with drugs and partying at this point in his career are common knowledge, but he still looks good in tight fitting clothes, even if he is a little rough around the edges. In some ways it makes him somewhat more believable for the role - his character is a semi-legitimate, slightly seedy hustler and party animal, and he looks the part (instead of the super hero he played in porn-fu fare like "Blood Sport" and "Kick Boxer".) He's still no actor and Hark can't make him one, but he goes through the motions, and there's enough frenetic action all around him to make him look really good. He holds up his end just fine. For better or worse, he does what he does, and it's framed differently enough that it makes for a nice change of pace from his usual macho kick-boxing antics. I could swear in a few spots that they were going for a kind of "Jackie Chan" vibe, especially in the rickshaw race and in the scene in the knock-off factory where JCVD has a running fight with dozens of employees who are trying to kill him (because they think he murdered their boss).
So yes, I like "Knock Off" as enjoyable eye candy and acceptable action oriented entertainment. I even picked it up (used) on DVD at my local "Sun Coast" a few weeks back for $7 to add it to my collection. I imagine that even some who didn't care about martial arts, HK cinema or Van Damme might get some enjoyment out of it. Call it a "weak" 7 stars (7.1) or a "strong" 6 stars (6.9) as long as you don't ask for much actual human emotion in your cinematic entertainment.