Knock Off (1998) (4K Ultra HD Review)
DIRECTED BY: Tsui Hark
STARRING: Jean-Claude Van Damme, Rob Schneider
RATED: R/Region: O/2:35/2160P/NUMBER OF DISCS 1
AVAILABLE FROM MVD Visual
Knock Off (1998) – Explosions, Counterfeit Jeans, and Peak Van Damme Chaos
There are action movies. There are ’90s action movies. And then there’s Knock Off, which feels like someone fed a stack of bootleg VHS tapes into a blender and yelled, “More slow motion!”
Starring the perpetually flexible Jean-Claude Van Damme and directed by Hong Kong legend Tsui Hark, this film is what happens when Eastern action maximalism collides headfirst with Western “what even is this plot?” energy. The result? Beautiful, loud nonsense.
Van Damme plays a fashion executive tangled up in counterfeit goods, terrorism, and denim-based international intrigue. Yes, denim. This might be the only action movie where the fate of the world hinges on knockoff jeans. Somewhere, a mall kiosk is trembling.
The plot is gloriously incomprehensible. Characters double-cross each other at such a rapid pace that you’ll need a flowchart and possibly a therapist. Rob Schneider shows up and operates at a volume that suggests he was paid by the decibel. And yet… it’s kind of mesmerizing.
Because when Tsui Hark goes full chaos mode, it’s incredible. The action sequences are edited like they’re trying to outrun the concept of time itself. There are slow-motion doves. There are exploding mannequins. There is at least one scene that feels like it was choreographed during a caffeine overdose. It’s absurd. It’s excessive. It’s art.
Now let’s talk about the real glow-up here: the 4K release from MVD Entertainment Group under their MVD Rewind line.
This movie has absolutely no business looking this good.
The 4K transfer is shockingly crisp. Colors pop like a rack of freshly counterfeit designer jackets. The Hong Kong locations are vibrant, the explosions are sharp, and you can now see every bead of sweat flying off Van Damme in pristine detail. It’s the kind of upgrade that makes you wonder if the film accidentally wandered into prestige territory.
Does Knock Off deserve a boutique-level 4K restoration? Emotionally? Debatable. Visually? Apparently yes.
And the special features? Surprisingly solid. The disc packs in some genuinely cool interviews that dive into the film’s chaotic production and cross-cultural madness. It’s always refreshing when a release embraces a movie’s weird legacy instead of pretending it’s a forgotten masterpiece. The extras give this denim-fueled fever dream some thoughtful context — which only makes the on-screen insanity more delightful.
Is Knock Off a good movie? Define “good.” Is it entertaining, unhinged, and 100% committed to its own madness? Absolutely. It’s peak late-’90s action excess, powered by splits, explosions, and plot twists that feel legally questionable.
Thanks to MVD Rewind’s stellar 4K release and stacked interviews, this cult oddity has never looked better — even if the story still feels like it was smuggled in a knockoff suitcase.
And honestly? I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Extras
DISC ONE – 4K BLU-RAY
- NEW 4K 16-BIT RESTORATION FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE
- HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
- Audio: English DTS 5.1 Surround LPCM 2.0 Stereo Audio
- Optional English Subtitles
- Archival Audio Commentary by Action Cinema Experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
- Collectible Knock Off “4K LaserVision” Mini-Poster
- Reversible Cover Art
DISC TWO – BLU-RAY
- NEW 4K 16-BIT RESTORATION FROM THE CAMERA NEGATIVE
- NEW Interview with Steven E. de Souza (HD, 40:51)
- NEW Interview with Moshe Diamant (HD, 18;24)
- Archival Audio Commentary by Action Cinema Experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
- Archival 2020 interview with writer Steven E. de Souza (HD, 9:49)
- Archival “Making Of: Knock Off” featurette (SD, 23.15)
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Audio: DTS 5.1 Surround & LPCM 2.0 Stereo Audio
- Optional English Subtitles
