Film Review
Hard Boiled
By: Brad Crain bcrain@iocc.com
Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Leung (CW), Anthony Wong, Teresa Mo,
Philip Chan, Philip Kwok, and John Woo
Director: John Woo
Hong Kong's greatest actor, Chow Yun-Fat, directed by Hong Kong's premier
action director, John Woo. Throw in the versatile Tony Leung as a conflicted
undercover cop, and Anthony Wong as a power crazy, psychotic gangster. These
sound like the ingredients for a great action movie. While
Hard-Boiled may not
be a great action movie when compared with prior Woo / Chow collaborations
The Killer or A Better Tomorrow, it sure is one fun ride.
The movie starts off with a great action scene, a massive shootout between cops
and gun-smugglers in a Hong Kong teahouse. This scene contains most of Woo’s
trademark images: slow-motion gunplay, Chow clinching a toothpick between
his teeth, with 2 guns blazing, cops and robbers absorbing more lead than a
Number 2 pencil, etc. I enjoy action-oriented films because I can watch the great
action scenes over and over again. This scene is one of the great
ones. Hard Boiled never really lets up in terms of action during the entire movie. There is
an extended action scene set in a warehouse. There is a stylish action scene set on
a boat. The final 30 minutes of the movie is nothing but action, with an entire
multi-story hospital building as the setting. When I think about
Hard-Boiled, I
picture Chow sliding down a banister while blowing the bad guys away. I picture
Chow repelling from the roof of a warehouse to single-handedly eliminate dozens
of gun-smuggling baddies. I picture Chow and Tony Leung moving from floor to
floor of a crowded Hong Kong hospital, shooting it out with Wong's henchmen.
These scenes are so fun that I want to stop what I'm doing and watch the movie
again.
With that being said, as one might expect, the story serves mainly as a clothesline
for hanging the action scenes on. John Woo tries to add some level of depth to
the film. Leung's character is conflicted with his job responsibilities. I guess that
is just what happens to a cop who has to carry out the duties that go along with
being a triad assassin. Chow's character is appropriately obsessed with wiping
out the entire Hong Kong underworld. However, when you have seen Chow in
some of his previous work, you know he is capable of much more than just being
tough. Chow’s talents are underused in this film. Woo also seems to be making a
statement that sometimes innocent people have to sacrifice for the greater good.
The problem is that it appears that dozens of innocent people die during the
various action scenes prior to justice finally prevailing at the end. I don’t mind
seeing dozens of bad guys getting their just rewards, but a lot of dead
handicapped hospital patients were a little too much for me. I will cut Woo some
slack on the innocent casualties, though. There is a scene where dozens of
newborn babies are caught in the crossfire between the cops and bad guys, and
Woo allows every single one to be evacuated safely. And by the way, did I
mention how great the action scenes are?
I recommend Hard Boiled to anyone who derives pleasure from action movies.
This film contains more action than any movie I have ever seen. Park your brain
for a couple of hours, and just enjoy a fun action movie that was instrumental in
bringing Chow Yun-Fat and John Woo to America.
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