Reviews (59)

Elegant and Powerful Communist Propaganda
This movie is a visual feast. The Chinese government spared no expense in creating it; all-star director Yimou Zhang apparently had everything at his disposal: a super star (Jet Li), an excellent supporting cast, unlimited costume expenses, and the full array of Hollywood digital imagery. More than just action and elegant Chinese cultural imagery, this film is a bold statement to the world: China is once again its cultural center.

Unfortunately, money does not always buy happiness. Despite the beautiful imagery, the story is brazenly unoriginal, taking its principle technique from Kurasawa's 1950 breakout film Rashomon, and much of its wuxia energy from Ang Lee's Taiwanese sensation of 2000, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. To the simple-minded, I think it fails as an action picture, and to the sophisticated, its moral push is far from certainly digestible. Neither do any of the actors succeed in endearing themselves to us. Its greatest strength is its beautiful imagery.

I recently watched Alexander Nevsky, the famous Soviet propaganda film. Viewed today, its intent is obvious and clumsily applied. I watched Ying Xiong, or "Hero", well into the second hour before I realized that I was watching a modern version of that same old communist template. What are the messages here?
A) Look Out: China is bigger than life and is ready to take its rightful place as the center of the world.
B) All under Heaven: union is not bad, it is in fact noble and unselfish, supporting the common good (Cantonese Hong Kong and Mandarin Taiwan take note).
C) The National Government is working for the common good: "They call me a tyrant", the emperor says scornfully, as he laments the fact they ignore the burdens he must bear for their own good.
The film tries to appeal to the values of common decency in order to support these latter two points: killing is wrong, selfish grudges are wrong, excessive resentment is wrong, etc. It seems to accept and mildly promote individualism, although not allowing it to trump collectivism.

I admit that even as an American, I cannot quickly digest these complex moral questions and make an immediate assessment as to their worthiness. For a Chinese person, I assume this film has been even more powerful. The pride evoked from its bold nationalist statement may further push them towards accord. Hence its value as propaganda has probably been quite strong. I think that ultimately the value of this film as a classic will be decided by the prevalent answer to these moral questions, and my suspicion is that history will not look favorably on the direction in which it pushes viewers to think.

An intimate epic
"Hero" is a very ambitious film, attempting to combine quiet introspective philosophy with visually stunning action and pageantry. It is like an intimate epic. The scope is grand to say the least, with full armies on the march as well as intense and magical personal duels, all of which serves as decoration to the Buddhist philosophy being put forward.

It is very beautiful, and this is probably the first thing to be noticed. The various elements, actors, scenery and colors all combine to create a visual splendor. It is a very painterly movie, a feast for the eyes. Specifically, color is used to create moods and to differentiate the various storylines. If the visuals are painterly, then the Martial Arts are dancerly, along the same line as "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," to which inevitable comparisons must be drawn. The actors are equally beautiful as well, and "Hero, truly a feast for the eyes, could probably be enjoyed in this manner, without any dialog.

Storywise, it is a variation on the familiar "Rashomon" theme of "what is the truth?" The same story is told and re-told, each time moving closer to the purity of truth, and with truth comes enlightenment. This is an intimate tale, a quiet verbal duel between an Emperor, so fearsome and lonely than no human can approach within one hundred paces of him, and a nameless subject, who might just be a true hero. Between them, a story is told of epic engagements, artists and warriors, and what is actually worth fighting and dying for.

I won't spoil too much of the story, as part of "Hero's" strength and insight lies in discovery. That is not to say that it is full of surprises and twist endings, but rather that, like all Buddhist insight, the answer of the movies riddle lies as much in the viewer as in the actors.

rebuttal to JUSTAREADER & Other Naysayers
Western movie studios like to spoonfeed the story to the audience and have an ending that provides closure. Asian movies tend to be more ambigious & leave the conclusion more open-ended to allow the audience to walk away "thinking" about the consequences of the actions of the movie characters.

The wire kung fu is meant to be an expression of the inner turmoils that play within the character's heart and mind. Suspending your belief in reality would have to take place to accept the incredibly artistic fight scenes in this movie or just about every other action movie ever made like Spiderman or ID4. At least enjoy the beautiful camera work and use of colors in this movie instead of thinking about "too many pretentious but self-indulgent thought-to-be poetically beautified scenes".

The "peking opera styled slow talking dialogue" is used effectively in my opinion. JUSTAREADER may not be a fan of this type of dialog but everybody has their own opinion.

Zhang Yimou used the story of the Qin Emperor only as an outlet much like Passions of the Christ. Many will not agree with the portrayal of the Qin Emperor in Hero or the portrayal of Christ in Passions but it made its point.

I agree that the Qin Emperor is not as "benevolent" as Hero suggests but this is a fictional story meant to convey the conflicts of the characters - the sacrifices made for self and country and the eternal question "does the ends justify the means"?

Boring movies don't move the audience and just passes 2 hours of their lives. It's the reaction I get after attempting to watch Dreamcatcher, Road Trip, or Day After Tommorrow.

Great movies provoke a reaction from the audience. This is a great movie with great visuals and cinematography. It got a reaction out of the "love it" and "hate it" camp! It wasn't a simple "love it" or "hate it" review.

Some of the best movies and music are derivatives of others. Example: Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith just borrowed from the blues and garage rock; Hero borrows from Rashomon; the list can go on and on forever. So to call Hero an unoriginal movie is an oxymoron because every movie copies from earlier movies.

Not all westerners are "simple-minded". People who just want simple Kung Fu movie or action movie with no plot will be bored to death and will find the movie "too complicated for westerners." For those of us who want something more than movies like Garfield or Starsky & Hutch will more than likely enjoy Hero.

Must see
This is a truly beautiful film. I own the import version and this film delivers on all scores. Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung give outstanding performances as the two lovers Flying Snow and Broken Sword. Jet Li is fantastic as Nameless.
If you love Hong Kong cinema this is a must see

too poetically unfocused, too complicated for the westerners
this is a very dark but also very pretentiously directed and performed swordsmanship movie. the chinese philosophy would put off mucho western viewers, 'cause the values in the orient and what we got in the west are totally different, i.e., the ends justify the means, or the means justify the ends. to not to assassin a tyrant and allow him a great opportunity to conquer all the other small feudal warlords and unify the whole china, in a larger vision, might save more peoples' lives than letting all the warlords killing each other and their subjects year after year....so what's the choice of the way-too-deep philosophic assassin in the last second and to face a doomed consequence? the director has tried too hard to express his own montage philosophy, his own interpretation of what should be done and only by himself in such genre to surpass the crappy oscar winning crouching tiger had achieved only one thing: a somehow and somewhat boring staged show instead of an exciting movie, with too many slow motion scenes, too many wired suspension, too many pretentious but self-indulgent thought-to-be poetically beautified scenes, with a too narrow minded and one-sided chinese philosophy delivered in a peking opera styled slow talking dialogue to grandize the butchering tyrant of all time in ancient china who later became the only role model of the modern time chairman mao, conquered all the warlords and took the advantage of generalismo chiang kai-shek's enduring war against the invading japanese of the world war II, and later the pathetic and horrible cultrual revolution in china, the rude-awakening of the chinese holocaust.
this is somewhat a mediocre and even a quite lousy film made and should not be made by the legendary chang yi-mou. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Hothouse Flowers
After the disappointing job Winstar did on "The Puppetmaster" DVD presentation (which I gather may have been due to the poor quality of the source print available to them), this comes as a very welcome relief - the presentation looks to be in the correct aspect ratio this time which is so important given the very careful framing and composition that is a trademark of this director.

There is very little in the way of extras - for Hou Hsiao-Hsien's films that would be invaluable since they do tend to benefit from some background knowledge on the part of the viewer.

As for the film, it's simply wonderful. Check out the opening scene and the amazing way the camera moves slowly and deliberately back and forth to take in different aspects of the action, picking up many nuances (who says Hou Hsiao-Hsien's films are boring to watch!) in behavior and body language. Sure you have to concentrate to get the most out of this film (just like you have to concentrate when watching e.g. Dreyer's "Gertrud") but the rewards are there for those that do.

If you have an interest in the very best of world cinema outside of the usual multiplex fare, you just have to see this film.

Now if Winstar or Criterion (or whoever) could pick up some of this director's earlier work (City Of Sadness, Summer at Grandpa's etc.) that would be great.

Outstanding film. Mediocre DVD
After seeing this in the theatre it instantly went to the top of favorites for the year in which it was released & remained there for the duration of the year. I enjoy films that pay attention to detail. And while I did read a few reviews before seeing, I found the film's ability to encapsulate the mores & behaviour to be very convincing. Don't know anything about how much research the director put into the project beforehand, nor do I have any knowledge of the time/location to assess the film's accuracy. But the sheer attention to detail had me convinced.

While the film is one of the 10 best of the 1990s, this DVD issue is a bit lacking. There are no extra features (except for an unexceptional trailer). More information on the director's research & reasons for portraying things in the way he did would have been very helpful (or a doc on the time to go along with the film). The reason why I knocked off another star was for the poor transfer........although the picture seems free of dirt & scratches, the color seems distorted from what I remember in the theater. Moreover, this version is framed/letterboxed, which shrinks the image down on widescreen tv's/dispays. As this film is very dependent on the cinematography, this really hinders the ability to enjoy it in its full glory.

Restrained? Muted? Boring!
This movie was tedious. Absolutely nothing happens. Blocking, which is supposed to reflect the tension between the actors, is nonexistent. In fact, the characters hardly move. The cinematographer's only trick is a slow pan; there are no cutaway shots or close ups. It's almost as if the director sought to evoke in the viewer the opium-induced stupor many of his characters reside in. I am no stranger to Chinese cinema; I own a few dozen titles. Nor am I unsympathetic to movies with serious themes; in fact, that is precisely what I find entrancing about Chinese cinema. But this movie will, quite simply, bore you to tears.

Hookers and hookahs.
Well, somebody may have finally beaten Carl Dreyer's record (e.g., *Gertrud*) for fewest cuts in a feature film. I'd be surprised if there's much more than 20 cuts in Hou Hsiao-Hsien's *Flowers of Shanghai*. I know this film is Chinese, but it's almost the cinematic equivalent of a Japanese tea ceremony: infinitely perfect, and not caring if it requires an infinity to attain perfection. Paucity of edits aside, the camera is still extremely busy in the movie: if a student of film wants to learn about CAMERA MOVEMENT, this is the place to come. The camera gently, slowly encircles any given scene, allowing us plenty to look at and consider, whether it's the objects in a room or the expression on a peripheral character's face. But the movement is never so dreamy as to neglect to include what's of dramatic interest. Or put it another way: each frame exists in its own universe, charged with its own meaning. Needless to say, the Occidental viewer had better come to grips with this Oriental perspective tout suite, or he'll find himself bored to death. It's nothing less than a different language of cinematic narrative. What the hell's it about, anyway? Incredibly beautiful prostitutes ("flowers") and their wealthy clients in 1880's Shanghai. All of the scenes occur in several high-end brothels, and only certain rooms therein. Much time is taken showing us a Chinese drinking game oddly similar to our rock-paper-scissors, and even more time is expended in the filling, lighting, and smoking of opium pipes and tobacco hookahs. The plot loosely follows the amorous career of a wealthy gentleman (Tony Leung, very expressive). We learn that the courtesans he's involved with are as tetchy as any Southern belle, and hold out hope for marriage. The girls' dreams of security are what create the prime tension in the movie: who will achieve success, who will fail? In the meantime, changes are nibbling in the corners of this insulated world of languid ease and lovemaking: that roving camera can't help but pick up the modern Victorian knick-knacks that decorate the rooms. The tall European clocks in the corners are counting down an end to the static quietism in *Flowers of Shanghai*: the viewer is dimly aware that the Shanghai brothels will soon be made obsolete by an encroaching Western modernism. The movie is a daguerreotype of a way of life on the brink of extinction. It's also a masterpiece of its kind. Recommended for adventurous viewers with a certain amount of stamina, however. [The DVD by Winstar doesn't look all that good. Lots of bleeding color and even LINES across the picture. A movie as formally beautiful as this deserves considerably better treatment. Criterion, I'm talking to you.]

BORING...
I love asian films but this is one of the most boring movie made. Throughout the whole movie, i couldnt even see anyones face and I felt like falling asleep. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

4 Stars for Killer, 2 for Hard Boiled
In terms of sheer number of bullets fired, Hard Boiled has far more action than the Killer. Some of the gunfights are really spectacular. If all you want is gunplay then it's a movie worth renting, but not something you should buy. The problem with Hard Boiled is that after the opening gunfight it starts to resemble Walker: Texas Ranger in both realism and plot. I actually found myself laughing at the sheer stupidity of it (particularly the save-the-babies part at the end). And while John Woo's movies have never been the most realistic, this one is just plain silly at points. (I could never understand how the main character's shotgun blasts have more power than most claymore mines) But it is cool to watch the gun duels. On the other hand, the Killer has less violence but wins out on story. You actually care about the two heros and want them to survive. There are some scenes that are quite tense. And while the gunfights are less spectacular, they are more meaningful because you care about the people involved. Another plus for the Killer is the gunfight in the church. While Hard Boiled's duels took place in a sterile hospital with fake flames, this one's setting looks real and has a much grittier feel to it. I return to my title: 4 stars for The Killer, 2 for Hard Boiled.

Classic...
These two films... in my opinion... are the pinncale of Woo and Fat's achievements. The two must collaborate on a Holywood production... Replacement Killers just lacked the intensity and story of these Classics. The Killer has more of a plot... and has better character development. Killer, Cop, love interest/victim... and the bad guys. The action choreography and cinematography have become their own genre... distinctly Woo. Action galore and sound acting performances. Hard Boiled is my personal favorite of any HK flick... because the first shoot-out scene is the best ever. Bird cage... stair rail and lots of guns. The story revolves around a cop and an ex-gangster taking down a crimelord. Not much in the story but has sound performances. The story drags between the action sequences. Woo ties in all his brilliant stunt choreography and cinematography in this film as well with better settings than the killer making this a more action orientated film. A must in any action library... something you will never tire of watching.

not very good
this movie is plain bad. yes good gun fight but where's the kung fu. Theirs plenty of american made film that are way better in terms of action sequence. Man even the gun fight in Face off was much better then the killer or hard boiled. Maybe im not into old fashion gun fight like in these two movie, i would rather watch a movie like ballistic kiss, great gun fight, some kungfu and a little special effect. I don't care if the killer or hard boil was made 10 or 20 years ago. It's just didn't live up to my potential. This is the 21st century, i need some special effect. I don't understand why some of you people keep living in the past. trust me their are way better mivie then these two and were made in the 70 and 80. Take for example the God Father 1 and 2, much better movie then these two, go and recomend this movie for the customer not some lame movie like killer and hard boil. As for chow yun fat check out my review for Hidden dragon crouching tiger.

Why Put Two Movies Together?!!!
I love both movies here, but why not release them individually,DVD 2-packs are a pet peeve of mine. Somtimes you just want each film treated with individual respect, and sometimes you may just want 1 movie and not both!

JOHN WOO'S HARDBOILED/THE KILLER
HARD BOILED IS A VERY GOOD MOVIE, THE LOVE STORY IS REALLY A NICE ONE, AND THE HOSPITAL SCENE IS REALLY RIVITING! THE KILLER IS MY VERY FAVORITE. I BOUGHT THESE TOGETHER AND WATCHED THEM OVER AND OVER. ANY CHOW YUN FAT FAN WILL LOVE THEM BOTH. ... Read more

Reviews (74)

Gorgeous!
This DVD looses a star for the incredibly bad dub job for Jackie on the English track. To hear the "real" Jackie, view the Cantonese track with English subtitles - so much better. Or, alternatively, get the Asian release, which even has extra scenes, deleted from the American release. Contrary to some of the "dah - action only" reviewers, this movie is terrific! Jackie is trying something new, and it works for those with enough sense to realise it isn't MEANT to be an action flick. Jackie has thrown in a few martial arts/fight sequences (I don't think he can help himself!) and these work very well. The last fight scene between him and Australian stuntman Brad Allan is something to be seen to be believed. Great choreography! The movie has a bit of everything - it is a romance, a drama, a comedy and a fairy-tale with a happy ending. Jackie plays a suave, playboy-type millionaire who meets Bu, a girl from a small island off Taiwan, who comes to Hong Kong in search of "true love" (a la a message in a bottle). What she finds is Tony Leung, in a great performance as the gay friend. She then meets Jackie, falls in love and the story revolves around her attempts to get him to reciprocate. Give this movie a go, just approach it as a romance/drama/comedy NOT an action film and you will enjoy it immensely!

A gorgeous story, but bad dubbing.
When I went to a discount store the other day, I was suprised to see that Gorgeous was priced to buy (finally!). I waited two years to check out this film, and it was worth the wait. Jackie plays a different kind of character from his other movies. And the plot is also focused around a romantic plot as well. Shu Qi, who plays Bu, is a charming distraction to Jackie's character of C.N. Chan. She's loveable, and believes that everything has a happy ending. How can you not like her? Even her opening monologue sounds like something out of a fairy tale. Don't expect any death-defying stunts in this one. But on the plus side, it has some dynamite fight scenes in which Jackie makes memorable use of a jacket and some baseball bats. The downside of Gorgeous is in the dubbing. Jackie and much of the original cast didn't provide their own voices. I think it's the fact that Jackie didn't have plans to release this in this U.S. because he thought it was too Asian for an American audience. But some American film distributors wanted it anyway, and used their own voice talent for the film (the guy that did Jackie's voice didn't even sound like Jackie). The dubbing, though, is only a minor distraction from the enjoyment of this film. There are plenty of one-liners to make up for that. Give this one a look. It might grow on you.

Very good story
It has been a while since I saw this but the store as well as the fight scenes are great. I don't remember that many fight scenes but the last one was cool.

Most annoying - but best Chan fight scene EVER!
Shu Qi is so annoying I cringed whenever she opened her mouth in this mediocre Chan film. I dunno, maybe Chan was dating her or something. A love story? Bleh. I hated it.

I can only recommend the movie for the absolutely stunning fight scenes pitting Chan with Brad Allen. Incredible martial arts action. No wires and camera stunts here - just pure, unadulterated, REAL fight moves performed by two of the best film martial artists you'll ever have the fortune to see.

A good compromise between action film and 'chick flick'
Gorgeous is a wonderful movie. I won't repeat what other reviewers have said, but this is arguably Chan's best all-appeal film ever. The movie has enough plot and drama to keep any romantic going, and enough humor and action that the guys won't fall asleep. And Bu is so cute ... (although the pun in her name gets lost in the dub). Get this! It's a great movie. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Chungking Express tells two stories loosely connected by a Hong Kong snack bar. In one story, a cop who's been recently dumped by his girlfriend becomes obsessed with the expiration dates on cans of pineapple; he's constantly distracted as he tries to track down a drug dealer in a blond wig (played by Brigitte Lin, best known from Swordsman II and The Bride with White Hair). Meanwhile, another cop who's recently been dumped by his girlfriend (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, from John Woo's Hard-Boiled and A Bullet in the Head) mopes around his apartment, talking to his sponge and other domestic objects. He catches the eye of a shop girl (Hong Kong pop star Faye Wang) who secretly breaks in and cleans his apartment. If you're beginning to suspect that neither of these stories has a conventional plot, you're correct. What Chungking Express does have is loads of energy and a gorgeous visual style that never gets in the way of engaging with the charming characters. The movie was shot on the fly by hip director Wong Kar-Wai (Happy Together, Ashes of Time), using only available lighting and found locations. The movie's loose, improvisational feel is closer to Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless than any recent film--and that's high praise. Quirky, funny, and extremely engaging, Chungking Express manages to be experimental and completely accessible at the same time. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (69)

Not your typical HK flick....
This movie (directed by Wong Kar-wai) tells two separate stories. In the first one, a lonely cop who has just been left out in the cold by his girl-friend May, buys and eats expired cans of pineapple and meets a woman who turns out to be a ruthless heroin dealer (Brigitte Lin) who wears a blonde wig. In the second story, a cop who has been dumped by his girlfriend is really unhappy, moping round his apartment all day. Then he meets the waitress at the local fast food joint (Faye Wong), who dreams of going to California.

I really liked watching this film. The imagery and camerawork is stunning, and it is amusing and sad in equal parts, telling the story of how lonely the people are. Another striking thing is the inventive use of music within the stories which is used to illustrate certain points - listen out for songs like "What A Difference A Day Makes" and the Mamas and the Papas classic hit "California Dreamin`". I didn`t expect to hear English songs in a Hong Kong movie.

I think it's a nice change to see another type of Asian movie, one which isn`t all shooting or kung-fu. It has an experimental style, lots of energy, and is not afraid to be different.

I highly recommend this tape to people who want to check out a different sort of HK film. If you pass it up, you`re missing out on a gem.

NOT A MARTIAL ARTS/ACTION MOVIE
Great date film.... Urban isolation, bad break ups, and quirky humor characterizes this film, with some great perfomances by Tony Leung, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and "the Madonna of Mandarin," pop star, Faye Wong. Bridgette Lin also has one of her best roles ever, although she's incognito in a blond whig and sunglasses. Told in the two seperate halves that comprise the film, Kaneshiro and Leung both play H.K. cops who have been dumped by their girlfriends, with both coping in different ways. Kaneshiro persistant in his hopes his ex will change her mind, Leung forlorn and down. Almost universally, most people prefer Leungs half of the movie. Leung is so down about his girlfriend's rejection of him, that he's totally unaware that the woman (F. Wong) working at the fast food stand where he eats has fallen for him and is sneaking into and redecorating his appartment. On a more personal note, Valerie Chow, my favorite H.K. Cinema uber-babe and the only one who could possibly eclipse Rosamund Kwan, has a minor role as Leung's airline stewardess ex-girlfriend (I never understood why she was never more prominant in H.K. Cinema-she could make it just on looks alone-she also appears in Tsui Harks The Blade). Very intelligent, thought out, and entertaining.

Wonderful inside view of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is often a study of the absurd, but it always has a way of captivating you. This movie manages to capture much of both sides of this. While those who know Hong Kong find some of the continuity a little jumpy (how do they get from Hong Kong to Kowloon and back so fast?), it is a gem of a visual introduction to living in the real Hong Kong. Filmed almost entirely within a few blocks around Wellington Street, the escalator and Lan Kwai Fong, you can almost smell the streets as they were 10 years ago. The 2 stories that make up the film are also contrasts - between the sheer pace and mayhem of one to the simple minded childishness of the other. Brilliant.

Love and obsession....
This movie brings together a great cast, including the legendary Brigitte Lin, and the indelible Faye Wong. Loosely speaking, Chungking Express is the unraveling of two not-so-separate stories about love and obsession. The connection between the two stories is like a subtle undercurrent. At more than one point we see the characters of the two stories cross path, much like anyone of us cross paths with hundreds of unknown faces everyday. They are unaware of each other...why should they?

The film explores the nuanced boudaries of love and obsession, of fantasy and reality. The characters are cops, a drug dealer, and a fast food clerk. Their lives occur against the backdrop of the urban jungle that is modern day Hong Kong, where escalators are built so close to apartment buildings that when you look out your second floor apartment, you see shadows of strangers riding up and down your neighborhood. In this postmodern and unreal landscape plays out the primal desires of love and obsession where hope, disappointment, rationality, irrationality, reality, and fantasy plays tricks on our minds. All this is well put together in a tantalizing and sexy film. (spoiler alert) It pits one conventional love story ending with one not so conventional. I've watched this film numerous times, and every time I come away with a reminder of how my desires is a delicate balance between sense and non-sense. Check this film out!

Different? Yes. Good? Well...
This overrated film by hip oriental director Wong Kar-Wai manages to be mildly intriguing and interesting at times but for the most part it just misses its target. Yes, there is some stylish and neat directing to find here, as well as some weird and offbeat scenes once in a while, yet the movie is ultimately too long and it seems to lack a point. What begins as an appealing story (or stories) about urban alienation and the isolation of some japanese youngsters soon turns into a repetitive, tiresome and, at parts, irritating cinematic experience ("California Dreaming", anyone??). The characters range from frustrated daydreamers to annoying and erratic losers who can`t seem to find a goal for their lives. "Chungking Express" is quircky and kind of amusing here and there, still overall it fails to convince.
Average. ... Read more

Reviews (125)

Superior action sequences; inferior structure.
Though one of director John Woo's cult favourites, Hard Boiled actually ranks on my list as his worst post-1986 Hong Kong film, even after the farcical Once a Thief.

Overlength is Hard Boiled's chief weakness. After spending over an hour in that hospital with flames all around and innumberable men in suits getting shot, it starts to get tiring. Chow Yun-fat is impeccable in the lead and Tony Leung Chiu-wai is excellent, though versatile actress Teresa Mo is wasted in a skin-deep supporting role.

The biggest thing to commend on this video release, however, is the dubbing. I speak both Cantonese and English, personally, and I can tell American viewers that the dubbed script is even better than the original, which sounded stilted (Philip Chan Yan-kin's lines were especially forced in the original). The dubbed voices were acting, not just translating (as in dubbed Jackie Chan movies such as the U.S. release Operation Condor, for example). This was one marvelous dubbing job, and a rare instance in which I would almost prefer the dubbed version to the subtitled. Kudos to Orion for doing the movie justice.

Woo's "other" classic
While not quite as tightly plotted or emotionally compelling as John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat's magnum opus "The Killer," "Hard Boiled" is still sure to please fans of that movie. Much of what made "The Killer" such a great film is to be found here: flawed heroes, murky allegiances, and ambiguous morals are once again the order of the day in this tale of cops and criminals living on the edge. At the same time, "Hard Boiled" manages to ratchet up the violence even further from its "sister" film, resulting in the most prolonged and intense action scenes I've ever witnessed, all filmed in Woo's signature frenetic style. A tea house, a warehouse, and ultimately a hospital all become battlegrounds in all-out war as the cops face an enemy that makes the Mafia look like a group of middle-school bullies.

Once again, Chow takes the lead in the protagonist's role, this time portraying relentless Hong Kong inspector "Tequila" Yuen. In true Woo-hero fashion, Tequila can shelter a baby with one arm while shooting up a small army of bad guys with the other. Joining him in his fight against the triads is Tony (Tony Leung) an undercover cop who's spent so much time working among gangsters that the line between the right side of the law and the wrong one is becoming blurred. However, Tony looks like a choirboy compared to the cartoonishly villanous Johnny Wong, an up-and-coming Triad boss who would probably kill his own mother if she got in his way. Johnny also has himself an extremely menacing sidekick in the form of a glowering, nameless enforcer who spends much of the film with a patch on one eye and still manages to give Tequila and Tony a few runs for their money.

It all comes to a head in the climactic showdown in the hospital-turned-arsenal, with the scene gradually evolving from tense standoff to full-scale shootout as the lives of hundreds of hostages hang in the balance. As most of Hong Kong's police force provides support, the two detectives lead the way against Johnny, his cycloptic colleague, and dozens of other gun-wielding menaces. And did I mention they have to make sure no harm comes to the adorable newborn babies in the nearby maternity ward? Yeah, Tony and Tequila sure have their work cut out for them as they fly through the air and unleash zillions of bullets, but it makes for some scintillating watching.

On the whole, "Hard Boiled" is definitely an engaging experience that's more than worth the money I shelled out for it. Much like "The Killer," this movie manages to pack much more psychological depth than the typical Hollywood shoot-'em-up with its portrayals of compromised heroes in harrowing circumstances. And of course, it goes without saying that Woo is nearly unparelelled when it comes to putting together action set pieces. Woo has made some moderately entertaining movies here in the States, but he hasn't managed to reach the level of his twin Hong Kong masterpieces. So check them out, if you dare.

FOX LORBER EDITION IS TERRIBLE!
You are looking at an edition by Fox Lorber Films. I love this movie but this particular transfer onto DVD is TERRIBLE. The picture looks horrible and the audio is the WORST I've EVER seen on a DVD. Will SOMEBODY please issue a decent edition of Hard-Boiled or The Killer on DVD (yes I know about the criterion collection but I don't have $250.00 to spend on it now that they are out of print!).

great film, horrible transfer
This is simply a great action-packed, incredibly violent film. Woo is a master of the shoot-out scene and there are plenty of them in this flick. The camera work is amazing. It's smooth, it's poetic. Its influence on The Matrix is very clear. However, this DVD is one of the worst film transfers I have ever seen. The quality image is almost unwatchable, at least for my taste. Dirt, scratches, burn marks are everywhere. The film looks like it was dragged across the floor, stepped on, dumped on, then left to sit a few days for the rats, cockroaches, racoons, and other wildlife to trample all over it before it was transfered onto the DVD. Do not buy this DVD. Rent it, or if you can afford it (and find it), buy the Criterion Collection edition instead.

One of the greatest action movies ever?
I think so. It's violent, over the top and you'll feel satisfied. John Woo won me over with this one. The gun fights are crazy and Chow-Yun Fat proves to be a badass. Not a no-budget movie, but by no means is it a big-production film. It's gritty and fast paced and well... violent. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Masterful Hong Kong action director John Woo (The Killer, Face/Off) turns in this exciting and pyrotechnic tale of warring gangsters and shifting loyalties. Chow Yun-fat (The Replacement Killers) plays a take-no-prisoners cop on the trail of the triad, the Hong Kong Mafia, when his partner is killed during a gun battle. His guilt propels him into an all-out war against the gang, including an up-and-coming soldier in the mob (Tony Leung) who turns out to be an undercover cop. The two men must come to terms with their allegiance to the force and their loyalty to each other as they try to take down the gangsters. A stunning feast of hyperbolic action sequences (including a climactic sequence in an entire hospital taken hostage), Hard-Boiled is a rare treat for fans of the action genre, with sequences as thrilling and intense as any ever committed to film. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Reviews (125)

Superior action sequences; inferior structure.
Though one of director John Woo's cult favourites, Hard Boiled actually ranks on my list as his worst post-1986 Hong Kong film, even after the farcical Once a Thief.

Overlength is Hard Boiled's chief weakness. After spending over an hour in that hospital with flames all around and innumberable men in suits getting shot, it starts to get tiring. Chow Yun-fat is impeccable in the lead and Tony Leung Chiu-wai is excellent, though versatile actress Teresa Mo is wasted in a skin-deep supporting role.

The biggest thing to commend on this video release, however, is the dubbing. I speak both Cantonese and English, personally, and I can tell American viewers that the dubbed script is even better than the original, which sounded stilted (Philip Chan Yan-kin's lines were especially forced in the original). The dubbed voices were acting, not just translating (as in dubbed Jackie Chan movies such as the U.S. release Operation Condor, for example). This was one marvelous dubbing job, and a rare instance in which I would almost prefer the dubbed version to the subtitled. Kudos to Orion for doing the movie justice.

Woo's "other" classic
While not quite as tightly plotted or emotionally compelling as John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat's magnum opus "The Killer," "Hard Boiled" is still sure to please fans of that movie. Much of what made "The Killer" such a great film is to be found here: flawed heroes, murky allegiances, and ambiguous morals are once again the order of the day in this tale of cops and criminals living on the edge. At the same time, "Hard Boiled" manages to ratchet up the violence even further from its "sister" film, resulting in the most prolonged and intense action scenes I've ever witnessed, all filmed in Woo's signature frenetic style. A tea house, a warehouse, and ultimately a hospital all become battlegrounds in all-out war as the cops face an enemy that makes the Mafia look like a group of middle-school bullies.

Once again, Chow takes the lead in the protagonist's role, this time portraying relentless Hong Kong inspector "Tequila" Yuen. In true Woo-hero fashion, Tequila can shelter a baby with one arm while shooting up a small army of bad guys with the other. Joining him in his fight against the triads is Tony (Tony Leung) an undercover cop who's spent so much time working among gangsters that the line between the right side of the law and the wrong one is becoming blurred. However, Tony looks like a choirboy compared to the cartoonishly villanous Johnny Wong, an up-and-coming Triad boss who would probably kill his own mother if she got in his way. Johnny also has himself an extremely menacing sidekick in the form of a glowering, nameless enforcer who spends much of the film with a patch on one eye and still manages to give Tequila and Tony a few runs for their money.

It all comes to a head in the climactic showdown in the hospital-turned-arsenal, with the scene gradually evolving from tense standoff to full-scale shootout as the lives of hundreds of hostages hang in the balance. As most of Hong Kong's police force provides support, the two detectives lead the way against Johnny, his cycloptic colleague, and dozens of other gun-wielding menaces. And did I mention they have to make sure no harm comes to the adorable newborn babies in the nearby maternity ward? Yeah, Tony and Tequila sure have their work cut out for them as they fly through the air and unleash zillions of bullets, but it makes for some scintillating watching.

On the whole, "Hard Boiled" is definitely an engaging experience that's more than worth the money I shelled out for it. Much like "The Killer," this movie manages to pack much more psychological depth than the typical Hollywood shoot-'em-up with its portrayals of compromised heroes in harrowing circumstances. And of course, it goes without saying that Woo is nearly unparelelled when it comes to putting together action set pieces. Woo has made some moderately entertaining movies here in the States, but he hasn't managed to reach the level of his twin Hong Kong masterpieces. So check them out, if you dare.

FOX LORBER EDITION IS TERRIBLE!
You are looking at an edition by Fox Lorber Films. I love this movie but this particular transfer onto DVD is TERRIBLE. The picture looks horrible and the audio is the WORST I've EVER seen on a DVD. Will SOMEBODY please issue a decent edition of Hard-Boiled or The Killer on DVD (yes I know about the criterion collection but I don't have $250.00 to spend on it now that they are out of print!).

great film, horrible transfer
This is simply a great action-packed, incredibly violent film. Woo is a master of the shoot-out scene and there are plenty of them in this flick. The camera work is amazing. It's smooth, it's poetic. Its influence on The Matrix is very clear. However, this DVD is one of the worst film transfers I have ever seen. The quality image is almost unwatchable, at least for my taste. Dirt, scratches, burn marks are everywhere. The film looks like it was dragged across the floor, stepped on, dumped on, then left to sit a few days for the rats, cockroaches, racoons, and other wildlife to trample all over it before it was transfered onto the DVD. Do not buy this DVD. Rent it, or if you can afford it (and find it), buy the Criterion Collection edition instead.

One of the greatest action movies ever?
I think so. It's violent, over the top and you'll feel satisfied. John Woo won me over with this one. The gun fights are crazy and Chow-Yun Fat proves to be a badass. Not a no-budget movie, but by no means is it a big-production film. It's gritty and fast paced and well... violent. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The city was once named Saigon; it is now called Ho Chi Minh City, and in this powerful second feature by Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung (The Scent of Green Papaya) it looks like a lost circle of hell.

Cyclo is a survey of a society in decay, in which conventional plotting gives way to a series of enigmatic episodes and haunting observations. There are two main characters: Cyclo (Le Van Loc) is a poor urban teenager who scratches out a living operating a bicycle taxi in the murderous city traffic; the Poet (Hong Kong star Tony Leung) is the son of an upper-class family who has depressively drifted into pimping and fencing--wartime rackets still thriving in the new Vietnam.

Images of appalling violence are played against backgrounds of banal, everyday bustle--a buzzing flow of meaningless, insectlike activity. Hung's vision may be dispiritingly bleak, but his filmmaking is vivid and inventive. Each shot is distinguished by a particular quality of lighting, framing, or texture that lifts it out of the ordinary and into the realm of the strange, ravishing, and insinuating. --Dave Kehr ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Take a ride on this dangerous Cyclo
Cyclo is a Vietnamese movie that features Tony Leung Chiu-wai one of my favourite Chinese actors. He appeared in Wong Kar-Wai's In the mood for love and Happy Together as well as Jackie Chan's popular film Gorgeous. In this movie Leung plans an angst-ridden gangster, and he seems to have that silent angst-ridden look down pat. Playing opposite him is Tran Nu Yen Khe, a beautiful actress who also starred in Tran Anh Hung's Scent of the Green Papaya.

Whereas Papaya was sensual and moody, Cyclo is gritty and more in your face. The main story is that of a Cyclo (a bicycle rickshaw taxi) that gets stolen and the cyclo driver must work for the gangsters to pay off the debt he has from when he borrowed money to get the cyclo. When you get past the violent scenes (there is one torture scene that rivals the cop torture scene in Taratino's Reservoir Dogs) it is a captivating story.

It is excellent on Video or on DVD - the zone-free DVD is available from Poker Industries which is an associated store of Amazon.com.

Cyclo ... The Viet Nam by the Vietnamese
Cyclo is not an usual movie : it's a movie about Viet Nam, Vietnamese people, about suffering, wondering, being lost and being saved, about desperation and hope, about love and frustration .. but all is perfectly mastered and controlled by Tran Anh Hung.

The film is about the ordinary life in Viet Nam, about hard times, struggle, the temptation of money and corruption ... violence and tenderness.

It is probably as of today the most accomplishd vision of modern Viet Nam, the most "insight journey" into the soul of Vietnamese, and as such, it's not an easy movie : for each scene, you need to wonder "what is the message", "what doe sthat mean" : behind the story, there are messages and analysis about the human being and their path.

Cyclo shall be a delightful movie for those who love Viet Nam and who want to feel and to understand its destiny, at a time where it stand at a crossroad.

On top of that, the movie keeps beautiful scene ful of peotry and beauty.

If You Liked "City of God," You'll Love Cyclo!
This movie should come with a warning cause it's simply dynamite! However, it's not for beginners. If you want to see some romanticized view of exotic beauty in foreign lands, grab some wine and your honey, and see Tran Ahn Hung's other movies, like "The Scent of Green Papaya". That movie, although dealing with serious issues, is like 'Reality Lite'. You can ignore aspects of the human experience that plague the mind of your inner insomniac. But "Cyclo" is no joke! This here is some powerful stuff. Not for beginners, this! And, what could be better than Cyclo on DVD?! I can see my favorite parts anytime and instantly transport myself to my own private VietNam. Cool.

If you are familiar with popular cinema from Asia, you know the system's are not like American movies. Often certain popular actors are routinely coupled. I find this habit refreshing, especially here. In some ways, the more films you see the more shades there are to an actors ability in the big picture. On a small scale, the film makers bank on the public seeing more films since certain famous pairings generate the feeling that the actors are like your old friends. If you don't feel manipulated by this tactic, it can be the cinematic equivalent of a fun time at an amusement park, when you're with your way-out-of-town friends, always taking different rides.

Furthermore, as far as East Asian Cinema goes, in my experience, as with all world cinema, you don't know what's it's all about until it's over. This film, like much of world cinema, is not trying to spoonfeed you. This movie gets 'heavy'. But if you stay with it, the whole of the film and the story within are very gratifying.

As far as my criteria for a good flick goes, this one meets my standard for world cinema, and far surpasses American commercial films. The editing is seemless. The actors are fluid and charismatic as always (Remember, old friends are we). The cinematography is stunning. The script has a definite feeling of realism. These characters say what they really would say (and maintain appropriate silences too), not that I know what a struggling Vietnamese escort or cabbie would say. But, dig this, a good story like this feels real, draws you in, shows you things you never saw woven into a story that holds you 'til the credits, and stays with you after, spinning in your mind in true 'twist-a plot' fashion, ya? If you let yourself into the world of these characters, alternate possibilities will come to mind when it's through.

Aside: Those of you who love Hong Kong film will enjoy seeing Tony Leung here - very believable and adorable! Secondly, and most important, DON'T EAT PORK BEFORE YOU SEE THIS MOVIE!!!! Nuff said.

I won't ruin the story by divulging any specific special parts or attributes of the film. My (somewhat pompous) point is, I saw the movie... The movie was good.

Visually and Poetically Powerful...
A young man has already lived a long life as he has lost his parents and must work as a bicycle taxi driver in Ho-Chi-Min-City where he lives with his sister and grandfather. He struggles as his bicycle is stolen by the company from which he is renting it, and now he must turn to crime in order to pay for it. The world of crime is inviting as it offers fast money, but it is a ruthless world. As he is away from home his sister turns to prostitution in order to advance in society and she is managed by the same character who is controlling his life in the criminal world. Cyclo is visually powerful with a deep socioeconomic and cinematic complexity as it depicts the tragedy of wanting.

Well done but dark and depressing
This 1995 Vietnamese import is scary. Filmed on the streets of Hanoi, it is the story of a 18-year old who drives a cyclo for a living, picking up passengers all day and pedaling them around the city. Life is very harsh and he and his family live in poverty. Then, his world spins out of control when his cyclo is stolen and he is coerced into a life of crime. Evil is all around him and he experiences nothing but unrelenting cruelty. To top it off, the leader of the gang is renting out his sister to men with rather peculiar fetishes.

The whole tone of the film is dark and depressing and I'm sorry I didn't turn it off but I kept waiting for something good to happen, some turn of events that would take this sad tale and change the mood. That didn't happen though. And even though a false somewhat happy ended was put on the conclusion, the film never had a single bright point that could lift the dark atmosphere.

I feel the film was well done, but it was very confusing and the forced me to deal with some rather upsetting themes. I certainly can't recommend it for the average viewer and think that even the most hardened film buff would find it just too depressing. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

Movie is wonderful, DVD copy is not.
The movie is a wonderful peace of art. Wong Kar-wai is a visionary. He approaches movies with an artist's soul. Don't expect to grasp the concept of this movie on the first viewing. It takes a few times to understand. But because the movie is soo beautiful, you probably won't mind watching over and over again.

The problem with the DVD is that they put a huge black line across the bottom of the screen for subtitles and they didn't bother to adjust the picture. So, being that this movie is such a visual high, it ruins it when you can't see half of the picture.

Purchase the VHS Copy instead.

LABRYNTH
Being shot out of sequence, this is definately one of those movies you want to read up on before seeing it, otherwise, you'll end up very confused. That being said, I still enjoyed it, although remember it isn't in the usual Hong Kong Cinema production. For those who don't know, Wong Kar-Wai is supposedly Hong Kong's "leading" art-house director, meaning his movies are very abstract and AOT is definately not a martial arts film, although it does have martial arts in it. For instance, unlike the usual Cantonese films, where the characters are all over the screen in seemingly endless motion and rapidfire dialog, this movie wades through pools of stillness and silence. Even the fight scenes, while still dynamic, are bound together with moments of quiet inactivity. I imagine most people who like martial arts films wouldn't like this kind of pace (Sammo Hung, who directed the fight scenes, supposedly described the film to Wong Kar-Wai as "very boring"). But if you want something different, or you're part of the arthouse crowd, you might give it a shot. On the other hand....the reason I gave this film only four stars was due to Leslie Cheungs presence. He was good in "Farwell My Concubine" as a Chinese Opera star, but as a middleman for assasins and supposedly a swordsman, he's less than convincing. Once in an interview, Cheung said Bridgette Lin was not convincing in a masculine role; well, the same can be said for him. He's just not a fighter (by his own admission, he knows no kung fu) and this really comes across on the screen. How he ever became the lead in "The Bride With White Hair" as the top martial artist of a fighting clan is a mystery. Small, effeminate, and not athletic at all, you just can't take him seriously as an agent managing a stable of swordsmen-for-hire. Tony Leung(of Chungking Express), on the other hand, is the opposite side of the coin. While not Arnold Schwarzengger, he's obviously spent his time on the mat. He handles a sword with the casual and effortless effeciency that comes only with long and continuous practice. The scenes where he fights what looks like a small army of bandits or his duel with a lone wandering samurai are both skillful and gritty. So with AOT, you might want to take a chance, although you might want to rent it the first time you see it instead of buying it.

Good movie, awful DVD
This is great movie. No doubt about it, but quality of DVD is horrible. Picture sometimes got blurred, sound is very low quality. This is worst DVD ever. Movie is more then worth to watch, but not from that DVD.

For what is probably deep, it only scratches a surface.
After reading a few rave reviews, I purchased this DVD and found it somewhat lacking. To its credit, there are some scenes that are quite beautiful; the combination of cinematography and acting combine to create beautiful moments. My favorite portion of the movie is about Yin/Yang. I think her fighting her schizophrenic reflection in the water is awesome (though the watery explosions just felt mega-cheesy). Beyond this, however, the story IS quite difficult to follow, and I found myself constantly asking "Ok, is this the other guy or someone new...?" I might find it more appealing after multiple viewings, as the story line might coalesce for me. I would proabably have gotten more out of the movie if I understood the stories from which it was derived; it's like watching the 2nd half of a movie. Now on the major downside, the transfer was clearly shaky - regardless of how good or bad translations are, they aren't always fully viewable on the screen. The fight scenes are sparse (which is ok), but most are filmed in "BlurryVision" - meaning most of the movement on the screen is nothing but whirling blurs with very cheesy-sounding effects. Were it a campy martial arts flick, I wouldn't mind, but when combined with the dramatic intensity of other scenes, it just feels completely misaligned, like I'm watching two different genres of movies that were spliced together. If you appreciated the precision and grace of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, with elegant choreography and nice wirework, don't expect to see any of that in Ashes of Time... just lots of blurs and maybe some blood. To some, the fights might seem er... artsy, but to me, they just look sloppy. Were this movie filled with more captivating dramaic scenes and without the blurry fights, I'd have liked it a lot more.

Beautiful Movie!
This was an incredible film. Perhaps I'm biased simply because I AM Chinese; then again, everyone has to admit the plot was complex and well thought out. I have heard that some people did not understand the movie entirely and it is somewhat hard to comprehend. I was able to grasp the movie's meaning from the beginning only because I grew up hearing stories of Dong Shie and Ouyang Feng, characters by the popular author Jing Yong. Many people, not knowing the original story, do not realize that the movie tied together loose ends left by the author (such as why Ouyang and Hong hated each other from the start.) When I watched it, a sort of epiphany came over me. It was kind of like, "Ohhh!!! That's why he named the island Peach Blossoms!" Maggie Cheung was also wonderful in the movie--she appears in the last part of the film and the focus is only on her for a few minutes. However with only a few simple gestures and a red dress, she absolutely steals the spotlight. ... Read more

Reviews (74)

Gorgeous!
This DVD looses a star for the incredibly bad dub job for Jackie on the English track. To hear the "real" Jackie, view the Cantonese track with English subtitles - so much better. Or, alternatively, get the Asian release, which even has extra scenes, deleted from the American release. Contrary to some of the "dah - action only" reviewers, this movie is terrific! Jackie is trying something new, and it works for those with enough sense to realise it isn't MEANT to be an action flick. Jackie has thrown in a few martial arts/fight sequences (I don't think he can help himself!) and these work very well. The last fight scene between him and Australian stuntman Brad Allan is something to be seen to be believed. Great choreography! The movie has a bit of everything - it is a romance, a drama, a comedy and a fairy-tale with a happy ending. Jackie plays a suave, playboy-type millionaire who meets Bu, a girl from a small island off Taiwan, who comes to Hong Kong in search of "true love" (a la a message in a bottle). What she finds is Tony Leung, in a great performance as the gay friend. She then meets Jackie, falls in love and the story revolves around her attempts to get him to reciprocate. Give this movie a go, just approach it as a romance/drama/comedy NOT an action film and you will enjoy it immensely!

A gorgeous story, but bad dubbing.
When I went to a discount store the other day, I was suprised to see that Gorgeous was priced to buy (finally!). I waited two years to check out this film, and it was worth the wait. Jackie plays a different kind of character from his other movies. And the plot is also focused around a romantic plot as well. Shu Qi, who plays Bu, is a charming distraction to Jackie's character of C.N. Chan. She's loveable, and believes that everything has a happy ending. How can you not like her? Even her opening monologue sounds like something out of a fairy tale. Don't expect any death-defying stunts in this one. But on the plus side, it has some dynamite fight scenes in which Jackie makes memorable use of a jacket and some baseball bats. The downside of Gorgeous is in the dubbing. Jackie and much of the original cast didn't provide their own voices. I think it's the fact that Jackie didn't have plans to release this in this U.S. because he thought it was too Asian for an American audience. But some American film distributors wanted it anyway, and used their own voice talent for the film (the guy that did Jackie's voice didn't even sound like Jackie). The dubbing, though, is only a minor distraction from the enjoyment of this film. There are plenty of one-liners to make up for that. Give this one a look. It might grow on you.

Very good story
It has been a while since I saw this but the store as well as the fight scenes are great. I don't remember that many fight scenes but the last one was cool.

Most annoying - but best Chan fight scene EVER!
Shu Qi is so annoying I cringed whenever she opened her mouth in this mediocre Chan film. I dunno, maybe Chan was dating her or something. A love story? Bleh. I hated it.

I can only recommend the movie for the absolutely stunning fight scenes pitting Chan with Brad Allen. Incredible martial arts action. No wires and camera stunts here - just pure, unadulterated, REAL fight moves performed by two of the best film martial artists you'll ever have the fortune to see.

A good compromise between action film and 'chick flick'
Gorgeous is a wonderful movie. I won't repeat what other reviewers have said, but this is arguably Chan's best all-appeal film ever. The movie has enough plot and drama to keep any romantic going, and enough humor and action that the guys won't fall asleep. And Bu is so cute ... (although the pun in her name gets lost in the dub). Get this! It's a great movie. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

I love this movie
The first time i saw this movie, I have to admit, I fell asleep. And the second time I saw "HAPPY TOGETHER", I fell asleep again. But each time, I just wanted to slap myself because I had been told and knew deep down inside, it was a great movie. And finally, the third time I saw it, the movie just captured my heart.

"HAPPY TOGETHER" is a love story in it's most darkest and bittersweet form. Two gay lovers venture out to Argentina from Hong Kong and the idea of them being happy together is seriously tested. One lover (I can't remember the name) is stable, diligent, and so giving while the other one is just simply a selfish gay slut. They try several times to start over, but each time, the selfish lover wants to eat his cake too.

Like all of Wong Kar-wai's films, this one has little dialogue and the story is told mainly through visuals. The waterfall is a major theme running through the movie. The beginning opens up in black and white and later on, when the lovers start over again, color (in a very Wong Kar-wai-esque cinematic sense of it) comes in. And the soundtrack (mostly Astor Piazola) is just an unforgetable part of the movie.

I heard that before making this film, Wong Kar-wai was reading a lot of Manuel Puig (gay Argentine writer of "KISS OF THE SPIDERWOMAN"). Puig dealt with mainly the themes of unrequited love, impossible love, the love that hurts you more than gives you pleasure. And often, his characters where pretty much society's castoffs, whether because they were gay, revolutionaries, or just plain freaks. You can see a lot of these same themes in many of Wong Kar-wai films, but it hits the hardest in this one.

The plot is rather simple, but Wong Kar-wai seems to be the master of capturing those feelings people don't talk about-- those feelings that show up only on our faces. In the end, I cried. Not because I had my heart broken in the same fashion, or because I'm one of those people uncapable of attaining love. I cried because the movie just eats away at your heart little by little and anywhere within the last 15 minutes of the film, the tears come and you don't know if you're crying because you're sad or you're happy.

Changing perspectives...
Happy Together, by Chinese director Wong Kar-Wai, is one of my all-time favourite movies, and - along with The Tango Lesson - one of the movies that has effected me the most. To me, HT is one of those (rare) art products that manage to combine formal beauty, intellectual sharpness and emotional depth all into one.

I have watched HT many times, and each time I felt that it had a new meaning to convey. My impressions about this movie have therefore shifted with time, leading me not to a definite interpretation but to the knowledge that art - as life itself - can be looked at from different points of view.

The story line is quite simple: two lovers leave Hong Kong and go to Argentina; once there, they argue so much they decide to break up; one of them (Ho Po-Wing) prostitutes himself, while the other (Lai-Yiu Fai) works in a tango-bar and virtuously puts money aside to return home; one day, chance unites them and for a short while they live happily together; inevitably, however, the friskier one becomes dissatisfied with their conjugal life; they separate again, and this time it's really the end. Needless to say, the movie's title - as light-hearted as it sounds - is actually quite deceiving: the two men's relationship turns out to be a rather "unhappy" one.

The first few times I watched HT I couldn't help feeling disgusted by Ho Po-Wing's moral hideousness - I thought of him as the negative-model the movie meant to point the finger against. I thought the movie proved that although there are no "real heroes" some people do behave better than others, and that by self-discipline one could "redeem" one's soul... I thought the movie was about Aesthetics as a means of purification, as if Beauty could protect one from squalor. I admired Lai-Yiu Fai and mercilessly condemned Ho Po-Wing.

I still admire Lai-Yiu Fai, of course, but I now feel I was too superficial in judging Ho Po-Wing. I see he's not the monster I made him out to be in the past: he's a victim of his own temperament, a person misfortunate to the point of being unable to grasp the good life offers him. In this, I feel he well portrays many homosexuals, who, I'm afraid, often let happiness slip out of their hands, perhaps because a sick environment has taught them not to "love" but to "want." In my opinion, not only are we "all the same when we feel lonely," as Lai-Yiu Fai puts it - that is: inclined to promiscuous sex - we're also "all the same" in that we are all constantly on the verge of self-inflicted unhappiness.

Last time I watched HT, about a week ago, I got extremely sad, because I realised how easy it is for anyone to fall, and because through experience I've come to understand that so many of us are like Ho Po-Wing, damned to suffer the pains of degradation and solitude because of our "insatiability." We are taught that since we aren't attracted to someone of the opposite sex we are "bad" and have no values. Of course the effect of this is that we end up believing they are right. Thus, monogamy and fidelity become accessories, as tenderness and mutual support.

To me, Happy Together is about all this.

watchable travalogue, love story, human portrayal of gay men
My wife and I got different things from this movie, but we both
enjoyed it enough to be worth the time.

What struck me most vividly was the idea of just bravely taking
off to another country on little enough of a plan that running
out of money and being forced to survive like they do is even a
possibility. I don't know if that speaks more for the main
characters' love of life, or just their incompetence, but for me
it was a vividly portrayed and compelling case for the value of
the former. This might not have been a focus of the movie, and
I'm sure that for many people the grim conditions if anything
make the opposite case, but it really made me want to seize the
day, take off on a motorcycle and so on.

I think my wife was more affected by the love story. She grew up
in China with a moderately negative but mostly non-existent
awareness of homosexuality. Her reaction at the end of this
movie was that now she could much better understand the idea of
two men actually being in love with each other, just like anybody
else. I figure I got my money's worth just for that.

Now, as her husband, I do find it a little bit disturbing that
she finds such a screwed-up relationship so easy to relate to,
but it speaks well for the movie as tolerance propaganda.

The visual style didn't particularly speak to me. It was
occasionally intrusive, occasionally neat to look at, every once
in a while participated in the story-telling, and mostly I just
ignored it.

I spent much of the first half of the movie complaining to
myself that the director gives us no clue at all why these two
would want to be together, let alone as obsessively as they are.
Eventually, I accepted that the director's not incompetent, so if
he's not letting us know it's because he doesn't want to. Okay,
Kar-wai, whatever, man. I got along much better after I gave up
on that.

Not in the Mood
This movie tries to present deep, complex and intriguing characters but that pretension ends up delivering a flat, tedious and emotionally empty story. The plot focuses the relationship of two gay men, their co-dependence and the everyday struggles they must face, most of them with each other.
It coul be interesting if the characters weren`t so distant and devoid of any life or worthwile qualities. Instead, they turn into shallow, selfish people that only add to a slow and lifeless movie. Director Wong Kar-Wai ("Fallen Angels", "In The Mood For Love") delivers some stylish, beautiful images with creative camera angles and an engaging use of lightning, but it doesn`t help much since the story itself drags on and on and fails to captivate one`s attention. Some pretty and original details aside, "Happy Together" is a long, boring and useless waste of film. Disposable.

murky disappointment
Having seen three of Wong Kar-Wai's films (Chungking Express, Fallen Angels, In the Mood for Love), I have become a big fan, and was eagerly looking forward to this one, the last available in my video store.

It turned out to be a big letdown -- indeed, before I checked the actual date, I thought it was an early precursor of his unique style (combined with seemingly extreme low budget).

What I could distinguish of the plot and characters was at least mildly interesting, but that's the catch, "what I could distinguish" -- the film style and (VHS) print combined to make it very hard to figure out what was happening on the screen. The subtitles were especially hard (or impossible) to read.

A lot can be blamed on the print, and I envy those reviewers who saw it in theaters, but even trying to look through that, the film seemed to have only touches of the trademark WKW style. It was interesting to see so much shot not just exterior but outdoors, under wide skies. [The WKW films I've seen were almost entirely interior, or at least enclosed (with the exception of the Cambodian scene in Mood for Love) -- even a motorcycle is ridden at night in a tunnel.] And WKW doesn't seem to do well with the wide open spaces. Maybe it is his not being on the familiar territory of Hong Kong (or Asia). But the style here did not develop the interest and momentum for me that it did in the other films mentioned.

As to the plot, it was the usual theme of obsessive love, impossible love, and sad reflection on lost possibility. Yet their story doesn't grab me the way the others' do, I think because they are brought down by their own disfunction (and such extreme, almost clownish, disfunction)with little relation to events or societal expectation. It's like watching a habitual drunk driver wrap his car around a tree. ... Read more

Reviews (74)

Gorgeous!
This DVD looses a star for the incredibly bad dub job for Jackie on the English track. To hear the "real" Jackie, view the Cantonese track with English subtitles - so much better. Or, alternatively, get the Asian release, which even has extra scenes, deleted from the American release. Contrary to some of the "dah - action only" reviewers, this movie is terrific! Jackie is trying something new, and it works for those with enough sense to realise it isn't MEANT to be an action flick. Jackie has thrown in a few martial arts/fight sequences (I don't think he can help himself!) and these work very well. The last fight scene between him and Australian stuntman Brad Allan is something to be seen to be believed. Great choreography! The movie has a bit of everything - it is a romance, a drama, a comedy and a fairy-tale with a happy ending. Jackie plays a suave, playboy-type millionaire who meets Bu, a girl from a small island off Taiwan, who comes to Hong Kong in search of "true love" (a la a message in a bottle). What she finds is Tony Leung, in a great performance as the gay friend. She then meets Jackie, falls in love and the story revolves around her attempts to get him to reciprocate. Give this movie a go, just approach it as a romance/drama/comedy NOT an action film and you will enjoy it immensely!

A gorgeous story, but bad dubbing.
When I went to a discount store the other day, I was suprised to see that Gorgeous was priced to buy (finally!). I waited two years to check out this film, and it was worth the wait. Jackie plays a different kind of character from his other movies. And the plot is also focused around a romantic plot as well. Shu Qi, who plays Bu, is a charming distraction to Jackie's character of C.N. Chan. She's loveable, and believes that everything has a happy ending. How can you not like her? Even her opening monologue sounds like something out of a fairy tale. Don't expect any death-defying stunts in this one. But on the plus side, it has some dynamite fight scenes in which Jackie makes memorable use of a jacket and some baseball bats. The downside of Gorgeous is in the dubbing. Jackie and much of the original cast didn't provide their own voices. I think it's the fact that Jackie didn't have plans to release this in this U.S. because he thought it was too Asian for an American audience. But some American film distributors wanted it anyway, and used their own voice talent for the film (the guy that did Jackie's voice didn't even sound like Jackie). The dubbing, though, is only a minor distraction from the enjoyment of this film. There are plenty of one-liners to make up for that. Give this one a look. It might grow on you.

Very good story
It has been a while since I saw this but the store as well as the fight scenes are great. I don't remember that many fight scenes but the last one was cool.

Most annoying - but best Chan fight scene EVER!
Shu Qi is so annoying I cringed whenever she opened her mouth in this mediocre Chan film. I dunno, maybe Chan was dating her or something. A love story? Bleh. I hated it.

I can only recommend the movie for the absolutely stunning fight scenes pitting Chan with Brad Allen. Incredible martial arts action. No wires and camera stunts here - just pure, unadulterated, REAL fight moves performed by two of the best film martial artists you'll ever have the fortune to see.

A good compromise between action film and 'chick flick'
Gorgeous is a wonderful movie. I won't repeat what other reviewers have said, but this is arguably Chan's best all-appeal film ever. The movie has enough plot and drama to keep any romantic going, and enough humor and action that the guys won't fall asleep. And Bu is so cute ... (although the pun in her name gets lost in the dub). Get this! It's a great movie. ... Read more

Reviews (31)

4 Stars for Killer, 2 for Hard Boiled
In terms of sheer number of bullets fired, Hard Boiled has far more action than the Killer. Some of the gunfights are really spectacular. If all you want is gunplay then it's a movie worth renting, but not something you should buy. The problem with Hard Boiled is that after the opening gunfight it starts to resemble Walker: Texas Ranger in both realism and plot. I actually found myself laughing at the sheer stupidity of it (particularly the save-the-babies part at the end). And while John Woo's movies have never been the most realistic, this one is just plain silly at points. (I could never understand how the main character's shotgun blasts have more power than most claymore mines) But it is cool to watch the gun duels. On the other hand, the Killer has less violence but wins out on story. You actually care about the two heros and want them to survive. There are some scenes that are quite tense. And while the gunfights are less spectacular, they are more meaningful because you care about the people involved. Another plus for the Killer is the gunfight in the church. While Hard Boiled's duels took place in a sterile hospital with fake flames, this one's setting looks real and has a much grittier feel to it. I return to my title: 4 stars for The Killer, 2 for Hard Boiled.

Classic...
These two films... in my opinion... are the pinncale of Woo and Fat's achievements. The two must collaborate on a Holywood production... Replacement Killers just lacked the intensity and story of these Classics. The Killer has more of a plot... and has better character development. Killer, Cop, love interest/victim... and the bad guys. The action choreography and cinematography have become their own genre... distinctly Woo. Action galore and sound acting performances. Hard Boiled is my personal favorite of any HK flick... because the first shoot-out scene is th