"Actor: Wyman Wong"

• Knock Off | DVD | (10/05/2004) from £10.89   |  Saving you £-1.91 (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Having based so much of his career on the films from the region, Jean Claude Van Damme heads to Hong Kong itself for his film Knock Off. Set in the 72 hours running up to the British handover to China (and released a mere year after the actual event), the film's action centres around the colony's thriving bootleg business, tied in with a rather convoluted plot concerning the CIA, Russian Mafia and an attempt to hold the United States to ransom through covert attacks. The opening section unwisely tries Van Damme's hand at knockabout humour with partner Rob Schneider but merely proves that the star is severely lacking the sort of humorous touch that Arnold Schwarzenegger has so successfully utilised. Once Knock Off descends into more familiar Van Damme territory, the film--and its leading man--are on surer ground. There are a good deal of spectacular fight sequences, some amazing stunts and a feisty female sparring partner in the form of Lela Rochen. Even the always-reliable Paul Sorvino pops up. Director Tsui Hark hits upon some interesting and initially invigorating visual effects but soon overdoes them, actually highlighting the lack of decent story rather than enhancing it. There is an incredible film to be made about this period in history but this isn't it. Knock Off is merely another undemanding, high-kicking, high-octane vehicle for Van Damme. --Phil Udell

• Hard Target / Knock Off / Nowhere To Run | DVD | (04/07/2005) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £14.99

  Hard Target (1993): The thrill of the hunt. It's the ultimate drug and the more intense the rush the higher the price. International superstar Jean-Claude Van Damme teams up with world-famous action director John Woo for this electrifying thriller that WGN Radio hails as 'Easily one of the year's best films!' Van Damme is the target of an evil mercenary (Lance Henriksen) who recruits homeless combat veterans for the 'amusement' of his clients - bored tycoons who will pay a half a million dollars to stalk and kill the most challenging prey of them all: Man. Laced with dark humour and slam-packed with electrifying action Hard Target is a must see for action fans. Nowhere To Run (1993): Action superstar Jean Claude Van Damme has nowhere to run and nothing to lose! An escaped prisoner hiding from the authorities Sam Gillen (Van Damme) always manages to be in the wrong place at the right time. Risking his hard-fought freedom he aids a beautiful young widow Clydie (Rosanna Arquette) and her children against a ruthless developer who's trying to drive them off their land. Hunted by both the police and the developer's hired killers Sam pulls no punches in his furious fight for survival - he'll do anything to protect the family who are protecting him. The result is more hard-hitting high kicking Van Damme action than you've ever seen! Knock Off (1998): Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in an explosive thriller set in Hong Kong's shady manufacturing scene during the 1997 handover to China. When a shipment of jeans to the US proves counterfeit Marcus Ray the ""King of the Knock-Offs"" (Van Damme) finds himself at the centre of a Russian Mafia plot to hold the United States' security for ransom. Thousands of tiny micro-bombs disguised within other manufactured goods are schedules for departure from Hong Kong to America. When Ray's company's jeans are found to be the housing for the explosives he's the one man the CIA can count on to prevent certain disaster! In a territory where loyalty can change hands overnight Marcus Ray's survival will depend on him knowing the fakes from the real thing!