If we are to believe a horde of posters, The Killer is one of the best flicks of all-time. Certainly one of the best "action" movies.
Not for me. Not by a long shot.
Woo discovers the exploding bullet blood spray and proceeds to weave a story around some 200 such explosions. For some unexplained reason, our protagonist values the lives of children and women, but not adult males. What happens to the children who grow up to be adult males?
His characters are resolute, one dimensional clichés who come up with some of the most trite dialog existent outside of Ed Wood films.
Two relationships, with his work procurer and the cop who's after him, turn into loudly proclaimed "best friend" exchanges. Each willing to sacrifice their body to help the other, because they admire the protagonist and because they are "men of their word."
Huh?
The aerial ballet of trigger-happy opponents foreshadows Yimou Zhang and Ang Lee, but lacks any of their graceful touches. It's just bodies launched for no explainable reason.
The most telling factoid about The Killer: 120 deaths, by count. It wouldn't have been the same if only 107 had died.
Sure it's escapist folderol, but there are so many better ways to spend movie time. I would also object to the inclusion by many of "Leon: The Professional" as a comparable film. Leon is so superior to this claptrap as to belong in a different medium.
The overly loud score may be the best aspect of The Killer. If there is a best aspect.
Not for me. Not by a long shot.
Woo discovers the exploding bullet blood spray and proceeds to weave a story around some 200 such explosions. For some unexplained reason, our protagonist values the lives of children and women, but not adult males. What happens to the children who grow up to be adult males?
His characters are resolute, one dimensional clichés who come up with some of the most trite dialog existent outside of Ed Wood films.
Two relationships, with his work procurer and the cop who's after him, turn into loudly proclaimed "best friend" exchanges. Each willing to sacrifice their body to help the other, because they admire the protagonist and because they are "men of their word."
Huh?
The aerial ballet of trigger-happy opponents foreshadows Yimou Zhang and Ang Lee, but lacks any of their graceful touches. It's just bodies launched for no explainable reason.
The most telling factoid about The Killer: 120 deaths, by count. It wouldn't have been the same if only 107 had died.
Sure it's escapist folderol, but there are so many better ways to spend movie time. I would also object to the inclusion by many of "Leon: The Professional" as a comparable film. Leon is so superior to this claptrap as to belong in a different medium.
The overly loud score may be the best aspect of The Killer. If there is a best aspect.