Hard Boiled ( * * * * * )
"You're so full of crap--there's the John--all RIGHT?" Okay, Mametian dialogue it isn't, but it is "an action lover's dream come true" as it said on the rental box and I declare it to be the best action movie ever made.
The Acting: Chow Yun-Fat is a world-renowned movie star, but it's a truism that until you get used to seeing members of a different ethnic group, they do all kind of look alike. I was bewildered when I first saw this movie, because I hadn't ever seen an all-Asian cast before that I could remember. I didn't know who was killing who, but the body count was high enough where that became the focus anyway. Not that I'm complaining. I loved it. And by the end of the movie, I was a fan of Alan (Tony Leung) and Tequila (Chow Yun-Fat) and their intense performances (even if I didn't recall their names right away). Philip Kwok as Mad Dog was the most exciting villain to behold since Boba Fett in 1980. All of this was aided by the absolutely necessary English dub, the British-sounding vocal delivery of which is often deleriously funny.
The Story: See, that's where Hard Boiled shines. They don't fuck around with drugs or any boring crimes in this movie. The bad guy is a gunrunner. Therefore, there are always guns around in every scene. You think about that. It's brilliant! When I rented this I had no idea who anyone in it was, or who John Woo was, or any of that shit. I rented it cold because the box said it was an action lover's dream come true, and I was a little curious to see how it could compare to the comic book "Hard Boiled"--which is my favorite "action comic" if that makes any sense (and if you know who Geof Darrow is, then it probably does). I watched it with my two roomates, and we joked after the tea house battle that they'd just blown their budget. It was a funny joke, but we kept watching. Then we joked after the factory battle (which has some amazing stunts, and the kick-ass image of Mad Dog lighting a cigarette on a burning car) that NOW surely they've blown their budget. But then...the movie inexplicably kept kicking ass...and by the time they get to the hospital...we're thinking, shit, anything could happen. And then the babies. They never put babies in danger in American movies. It's just not done. And the scene with Tequila making the baby smile is one of the cutest things ever, yet it's mercilessly inserted into the most brutal action set piece ever filmed. Because of our race-goggles we weren't sure if Alan had survived at the end, and I'm still not sure which ending I ultimately prefer--the real ending, or the one I THOUGHT I saw. All I know is, Tequila's a damn good shot. What a mind-blowing movie.
The Direction: This was John Woo's last Hong Kong movie, and it may well be about Hong Kong returning to China. I wonder if he would compare that situation to a hospital being run by crime lords today.
Overall: I've seen a bunch of other Woo movies, but I was spoiled by seeing this one first. Of his others I would recommend Bullet In The Head, The Killer, and A Better Tomorrow II, but avoid A Better Tomorrow and any of his U.S. work except Face/Off. But you don't need me to tell you to avoid a Jean Claude Van Damme movie.
Tredekka Rules:
The Acting: Chow Yun-Fat is a world-renowned movie star, but it's a truism that until you get used to seeing members of a different ethnic group, they do all kind of look alike. I was bewildered when I first saw this movie, because I hadn't ever seen an all-Asian cast before that I could remember. I didn't know who was killing who, but the body count was high enough where that became the focus anyway. Not that I'm complaining. I loved it. And by the end of the movie, I was a fan of Alan (Tony Leung) and Tequila (Chow Yun-Fat) and their intense performances (even if I didn't recall their names right away). Philip Kwok as Mad Dog was the most exciting villain to behold since Boba Fett in 1980. All of this was aided by the absolutely necessary English dub, the British-sounding vocal delivery of which is often deleriously funny.
The Story: See, that's where Hard Boiled shines. They don't fuck around with drugs or any boring crimes in this movie. The bad guy is a gunrunner. Therefore, there are always guns around in every scene. You think about that. It's brilliant! When I rented this I had no idea who anyone in it was, or who John Woo was, or any of that shit. I rented it cold because the box said it was an action lover's dream come true, and I was a little curious to see how it could compare to the comic book "Hard Boiled"--which is my favorite "action comic" if that makes any sense (and if you know who Geof Darrow is, then it probably does). I watched it with my two roomates, and we joked after the tea house battle that they'd just blown their budget. It was a funny joke, but we kept watching. Then we joked after the factory battle (which has some amazing stunts, and the kick-ass image of Mad Dog lighting a cigarette on a burning car) that NOW surely they've blown their budget. But then...the movie inexplicably kept kicking ass...and by the time they get to the hospital...we're thinking, shit, anything could happen. And then the babies. They never put babies in danger in American movies. It's just not done. And the scene with Tequila making the baby smile is one of the cutest things ever, yet it's mercilessly inserted into the most brutal action set piece ever filmed. Because of our race-goggles we weren't sure if Alan had survived at the end, and I'm still not sure which ending I ultimately prefer--the real ending, or the one I THOUGHT I saw. All I know is, Tequila's a damn good shot. What a mind-blowing movie.
The Direction: This was John Woo's last Hong Kong movie, and it may well be about Hong Kong returning to China. I wonder if he would compare that situation to a hospital being run by crime lords today.
Overall: I've seen a bunch of other Woo movies, but I was spoiled by seeing this one first. Of his others I would recommend Bullet In The Head, The Killer, and A Better Tomorrow II, but avoid A Better Tomorrow and any of his U.S. work except Face/Off. But you don't need me to tell you to avoid a Jean Claude Van Damme movie.
Tredekka Rules:
- Rule 4: Sweet Actor Bonus--Chow Yun-Fat, +1 star.
- Rule 6: Over The Top Acting Award--Tony Leung and Chow Yun-Fat, +1 star each.
- Rule 22: The Great Entrance Award--Mad Dog on his bike. Nuff Said. +1 star.
- Rule 24: Exploding Buildings Are Good, +1 star.
Tredekka Score: ( * * * * * )
posted by Tredekka at 10:19 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home