Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 13 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 13
  2. Negative: 6 out of 13
  1. In essence, the whole Knock Off experience can be summed up neatly in four words: loud, stupid, blurry, frenetic.
  2. 70
    Though the jokey lines seem out of place, the somber tone of this 1998 action movie makes the political subtext -- nearly obscured by the expected double crosses, extravagant destruction, and incongruous-buddies shtick -- more sincere and less grandiose than usual.
  3. Van Damme and his cronies (including Lela Rochon, Paul Sorvino, and, for no immediately graspable reason, Rob Schneider as Van Damme's rabbity sidekick) race, speed, shoot, chop, and zip through scenes of such festive mayhem, plot is a clunky afterthought, like a lopsided fake Prada label on a cheap nylon knapsack.
  4. 10
    A stunningly lethargic, uninvolving piece of crap.
  5. It's fast, light and funny and not top-heavy with special effects and epic-scale destruction.
  6. 0
    It's amazing how boring an action movie can be when there's absolutely no point to all of the sound and fury.
  7. The ridiculous complications might have worked if there had been an awareness of how absurd they are.
  8. Reviewed by: Edvins Beitiks
    An amusement park special, screaming from start to finish with no brakes, no plot and no acting to speak of.
  9. 70
    Essentially just an above-average Hong Kong action movie, but as such, it's still far better than just about anything else Van Damme has done.
  10. Reviewed by: John Haslett Cuff
    The plot is as incomprehensible as the dubbing and many of the special effects are neither special nor effective.
  11. Knock Off runs breathlessly over land and water in familiar comic book fashion, offering more action than sense and next to nothing in the way of suspense, humor or romance.
  12. 30
    Hong Kong action pioneer Tsui Hark is in high form here, tricking out the bare-bones story with disorienting camera angles, trick photography and virtuoso action sequences.
  13. Reviewed by: Joe Leydon
    Working from a formulaic script by Steven E. De Souza, Hark employs a variety of visual stratagems to keep the action fast and flashy.
User Score

Mixed or average reviews- based on 9 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 2 out of 2
  1. Mar 10, 2014
    I seriously can not remember much about the film apart from there are lots of explosions and Rob Schneider's in there some were. (at least 150 characters) Full Review »
  2. JohnW.
    Dec 15, 2005
    SPOILER ALERT!!! I have only two words to say about this movie: Exploding Pants.