Knock Off (film)

Knock Off
Theatrical release poster
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese迎頭痛擊
Simplified Chinese迎头痛击
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYíng Tóu Tòng Jī
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingJing4 Tau4 Tung3 Gik1
Directed byTsui Hark
Written bySteven E. de Souza
Produced byNansun Shi
Moshe Diamant
Starring
CinematographyArthur Wong
Edited byMarco Mak
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byTriStar Pictures
Release dates
  • May 27, 1998 (1998-05-27) (Philippines)
  • September 4, 1998 (1998-09-04) (U.S.)
  • September 10, 1998 (1998-09-10) (H.K.)
Running time
88 minutes
Countries
  • United States
  • Hong Kong
LanguageEnglish
Budget$35 million
Box office$44 million

Knock Off (Chinese: 迎頭痛擊) is a 1998 action comedy film directed by Tsui Hark and starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, their second collaboration following Double Team (1997). The American and Hong Kong co-production co-stars Rob Schneider, Lela Rochon, Michael Wong, Carman Lee and Paul Sorvino. Set against the backdrop of the 1997 handover of Hong Kong, the film is about a fashion executive (Van Damme) who uncovers a conspiracy involving counterfeit goods.

The film is also the second collaboration between Van Damme and Steven E. de Souza, the first film being Street Fighter, released in 1994. The title is a double entendre, as the term colloquially refers to both counterfeit goods as well as targeted killing.

Knock Off released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on September 4, 1998. It received mostly negative reviews, though some critics praised the action sequences and Hark's visuals.