You can instantly recognize the same spirit as the _John Wick_ movies in this, some very cool use of dramatic lighting and inventive set pieces. I just wish John Woo had a better sense of taste when it comes to acting, dialogue and particularly editing. I'm glad he toned the kitsch factor down just a little bit for _Hard Boiled_, because I couldn't take much of this movie seriously. Just take a look at the extreme cross cutting, sentimental score, excessive slow motion, clumsy drum machines and sound effects; I like some cheesy action movies from around this time (e.g. films by John McTiernan or James Cameron) but this is way too tacky for my liking. The earnest direction doesn't help either; the story is so dumb that it probably would've benefitted from more ironic direction. I honestly don't see what's supposed to separate this from the overly cheesy Hollywood movies people love to shit on, unless we're merely judging this by the set pieces. Let's be honest with ourselves: what's the difference between Michael Bay and John Woo besides the latter being better at staging a shoot out? I understand that it's cool to like relatively obscure Hong Kong cinema, but maybe it's time to reassess some of this stuff. 4/10

Not the best John Woo film but I will say the shoot outs in this film put most Hollywood films to shame and honestly, you can see how the John Woo / Chow Yun-Fat films from this era inspired films like John Wick and the Equalizer in how they film action. Chow Yun-Fat (Ah Jong) is still a super badass and he always will be, the story is pretty basic but you didn't come to this film for the story you came to see badass moments and cool shootouts and you will not be disappointed. Give it a watch if you want just a mindless action film and just remember......SUBS OVER DUBS!!!!!! Sidenote: If anyone has any Chow Yun-Fat recommendations then please reply, I know the John Woo films and Tiger on the Beat but want to see more of him.

Writer / director John Woo essentially invented a sub-genre with the string of hits he released in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Later dubbed “heroic bloodshed” films, their plots typically place a conscientious anti-hero in conflict with his superiors, pitting loyalty against a private code of honor. Essentially pure and simple action movies with an added dash of self-reflection and a jaw-dropping capacity for ammunition. This one, sandwiched in the middle of a six-year collaboration with star Chow Yun-Fat, would become the pair’s international breakthrough. In _The Killer_’s setup, Woo pays tribute to a personal influence. Calmly infiltrating a busy night club to fulfill a contract, Yun-Fat slays the manager and fatefully encounters a beautiful lounge singer, just like in Jean-Pierre Melville’s fashion-conscious 1967 gangster film, _Le Samouraï_. The similarities end there. In the ensuing firefight, the girl is inadvertently blinded and the killer has an epiphany, casting aside his career to atone for the collateral damage. At first, he’s tracked by a persistent undercover officer, but the two soon develop a sense of mutual respect and unite against a common enemy. Though the intention may have been for an even split between fierce, kinetic violence and soul-searching contemplation, only the former aspects are worth mentioning. Bad dialogue, ham-fisted delivery and a clunky, low-rate production may spoil the film’s deeper aspirations, but hey, at least the fight scenes are lights out. Easy to see how the title character, and this film, has influenced action cinema for decades to come: he’s John Wick, twenty-five years ahead of the curve. Yun-Fat is perfect in that role, always the coolest guy in the room and a fluid natural with pistols and rifles of all sizes. That said, the constant gunplay can grow tiresome, especially during the jumbo-sized final shootout, and the main characters’ plot armor is outrageously thick. A fun ride, if perhaps a bit shallow. Remember to wear ear protection.

"I always leave one bullet, either for myself or for my enemy." Chow Yun-fat is a badass right? The Killer is one of John Woo's best films. It is overly dramatic, the ending is Shakespearean, the final shoot-out is balls to the wall, the scene were Ah Jong (Chow Yun-fat) and Li Ying (Danny Lee) meet for the first time is brilliant and the airport scene is the bomb. The Killer is 110 of car chases, bullets flying around, slow motion shots, doves flying around, a song being sung a couple of times, bout chases and a killer final 15 minutes. The Killer isn't as perfect as Hard-Boiled but it was a great step towards that magical film.

The Killer ended up in front of me in the early nineties along with a bunch of other Hong Kong action flicks. At the time, I gobbled up just about anything that looked like it had action scenes in it, and the HK movies were a welcome addition. The Killer was the first of them I saw and from then on I was a die hard John Woo fan... The killer is a hardcore action flick, but there is still time for love, grief, friendship, and tragedy. All wrapped in a beautifully shot movie, with music that only enhances every scene. Chow Yun-fat makes one of his greatest performances ever, and both Danny Lee and Kenneth Tsang do their part to make this one of THE greatest action movies of all time. Woo almost make every gunfight look and sound like a symphony. The camera puts you right in the center of the action, and even though I think there are a few too many bullets in every clip, you don't seem to notice. Everything fits together seamlessly. Even the white suits, blouses, and shirts...which probably are there only to make the blood more "visible". Highly recommended!!! Get it, See it, Love it...