Hong Kong Action: Hard Boiled (1992)

Hard Boiled (1992)

Director: John Woo

Writers: John Woo (Story), 

Barry Wong (Screenplay)

Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, 

Tony Leung Chiu Wai and 

Teresa Mo

My friend, If you're a fan of Hong Kong's film collections and haven't watched this movie then WHY THE HELL DO YOU CALL YOURSELF A FAN? 

*ehem* 

Hard Boiled jump-started Chow Yun-Fat and John Woo career to Hollywood. It has one of the most creative yet violent films I have ever seen. For a 90's Asian film, it's definitely not that bad. It's very different to what I used to watch during that era. Besides the Unlimited bullets, the every-time-you-reach-your-back-there's-a-pistol-clip method, and the very 90's hairstyles, you wouldn't really think of it as a 90's film. It's ahead of its time. 

The film's story revolves around a cop whose partner got killed during an gun bust operation and now has vowed to finish the job and look for the people responsible for his partner's death. You might think it's one of those same old revenge story but it's really not. It has more content in it but to avoid being a spoiler I would not tell you what it is. Correction: what THEY are. Oohhh. Interesting, I know.

And have you met Chow Yun-Fat? Yeah, he looks pretty B.A. in this film. He's like the Asian Bruce Willis, if you asked me, and Hard Boiled is his Die Hard. His acting is very natural and believable and his delivery of lines are in Chinese. The character development though are decent but not impressive. There weren't enough room for Woo to develop Chow Yun-Fat's character, Tequila. We did not see enough of who Tequila is; only that he is capable of handling a gun. The other characters, specially some of the bad guys, aren't that bad.

They might have not enough time to develop them but it's the action sequences that made this amazing action film. Holy mothballs, the slow motion sequences from this film is the reason why a lot of films have slow motion action scenes. John Woo even inspired the slo-mo scenes of The Matrix, a film famous for slo-mos. The way they use the slow motion are very natural and not forced unlike other films in Hollywood today.

I urge you film buffs to watch this movie and you would definitely have a fun time.

Here's a trailer for Hard Boiled: