For the record, I utterly despise John Woo's American films. Not once has he impressed me, much to the contrary. His US films are stupid, unrealistic, and lack the brutally intense, realistic gun battles that he so masterfully conceived in his Hong Kong films. It's sad and hard to believe that this is the same director.
Rarely are such intensely brutal gun battles put on film in such a masterful way as they are here. Every bullet does damage to something or someone, which had to have made this an impossible film to choreograph. It is awe-inspiring to see all of the damage happen before your eyes leaving you wondering in amazement at how they even pulled it off. All of the blood squibs and debris are placed perfectly. I was amazed at the intricateness and caliber of the sequences. Very well thought out. And while it is true that foreign stuntmen are willing to take more chances than Americans which makes the films far more enjoyable to watch (American insurance companies also have something to do with this), the audacity of some of the stunts is downright insane. I wish the Americans would take note of the detail and insanity involved here. Some of this can be seen in some of Woo's American films, but it doesn't really matter since they suck anyway. The one and only bad thing I can say about the action sequences, is that no one ever reloads, EVER. Other than that minor gripe, they're flawless.
The basic story is fairly decent, although due to the cultural gap some things don't make a lot of sense or seem silly. This can't be blamed on the film itself though, but the aforementioned cultural difference. But overall, a great story that keeps you guessing. It makes for a rather long action film, but that's a good thing because we get treated to so much action. I can't say much for the acting considering I don't speak Chinese and can't interpret the way in which the lines are delivered...but it seemed satisfactory. Great story, invincibly awesome action, immense entertainment.
Hard Boiled kicks ass, period. If you really would like to see how to pull off some amazing action sequences, then give it a shot. You will not be disappointed. Fellow action directors should take note, including Woo himself.
Rarely are such intensely brutal gun battles put on film in such a masterful way as they are here. Every bullet does damage to something or someone, which had to have made this an impossible film to choreograph. It is awe-inspiring to see all of the damage happen before your eyes leaving you wondering in amazement at how they even pulled it off. All of the blood squibs and debris are placed perfectly. I was amazed at the intricateness and caliber of the sequences. Very well thought out. And while it is true that foreign stuntmen are willing to take more chances than Americans which makes the films far more enjoyable to watch (American insurance companies also have something to do with this), the audacity of some of the stunts is downright insane. I wish the Americans would take note of the detail and insanity involved here. Some of this can be seen in some of Woo's American films, but it doesn't really matter since they suck anyway. The one and only bad thing I can say about the action sequences, is that no one ever reloads, EVER. Other than that minor gripe, they're flawless.
The basic story is fairly decent, although due to the cultural gap some things don't make a lot of sense or seem silly. This can't be blamed on the film itself though, but the aforementioned cultural difference. But overall, a great story that keeps you guessing. It makes for a rather long action film, but that's a good thing because we get treated to so much action. I can't say much for the acting considering I don't speak Chinese and can't interpret the way in which the lines are delivered...but it seemed satisfactory. Great story, invincibly awesome action, immense entertainment.
Hard Boiled kicks ass, period. If you really would like to see how to pull off some amazing action sequences, then give it a shot. You will not be disappointed. Fellow action directors should take note, including Woo himself.