MasterChugs Theater: 'Hard Boiled'
There's not a single thing I can say about Hard Boiled that hasn't already been said. I'm going to try though. Have faith in me, preferably in the form of a dove.
..........
You know what? I can't. It's almost impossible to review Hard Boiled and at the same time avoid the bottomless anus-bowl of clichés that surround it. I’m sure it’s been described as "a high octane thrill ride," and even on most of its boxes it says Hard Boiled is "an action fan’s dream." This is a good thing, despite what it may seem how I said what I just said. Everything I said is all true, but plain and simple, it's just a damn awesome movie. I am at a loss for bad things to say about it.
Not many movies get me as pumped up as Hard Boiled does. It uses an arsenal of well-executed techniques to draw the viewer into each and every action sequence. Woo also manages to craft these explosive scenes so that he actually makes you feel stupid if you miss something cool. There are many small and beautiful things going on during all of the crimson waterworks that you may not notice the first time through. One image that really stuck out to me was during the first action scene in the teahouse. There's a shot of someone getting blasted in the leg. The bullet goes through a table first, so you get this foreground picture of the table’s leg busting in two as the man’s leg snaps right behind it. It is really fantastic in that it was totally unnecessary ... but it's so awesome anyway.
A synopsis, you clamor for? OK. This vintage John Woo action flick pits top Hong Kong actors Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai against evil bastard Anthony Wong and his army of bad guys. Chow Yun-Fat is Tequila, the cop who "breaks all the rules." His mirror is Tony Leung Chiu-Wai as triad assassin Tony, who's secretly an undercover cop disillusioned by his double life. Anthony Wong is Johnny, an evil bad guy who is evil because it serves the film's plot. Teresa Mo is Tequila's superior officer/love interest, who really plays no part other than to be a female in a testosterone homoerotic male action-fest. And John Woo shows up on screen as a bartender who is the Hong Kong reincarnation of Yoda. There. Happy?
Yeah, there's also some deal involving illegal arms and rival triad gangs, and Tony's identity crisis over being a cop/triad guy. All that standard cop/triad stuff is set up in the first sixty minutes. After that, we get sixty minutes of the MOST INSANE BLAZING TWO-GUN ACTION YOU'LL EVER SEE. Yes, my respect for this film is so great that I must resort to capital letters like a newsgroup newbie to get my point across. What makes the movie a genre-defining film is the sheer insanity and theatrical showmanship that the filmmakers bring to the table. The action in Hard Boiled is simply some of the most amazing stuff you'll ever see in an action film. It's incredibly staged, over-the-top balletic action that has probably never been equaled on screen. Also, the acting is top-notch. Chow Yun-Fat is his usual charismatic self, but Tony Leung Chiu-Wai runs away with the picture. His performance adds weight to a genre that is, in its usual form, weightless and without consequence.
If you haven't seen this film, then you've obviously happened upon this website by accident. Please, return to your search engine and continue looking for whatever it was you were looking for, because if you've never seen Hard Boiled then you weren't looking for this website. Nonetheless, definitely go see Hard Boiled in place of whatever you were looking for, especially since it just came out this week on a new 2 disc DVD set. BUY IT. Simply put, Hard Boiled may not be just "one of the best action films of all time," as it's commonly thought of, but quite possibly, "the best action film of all time."
..........
You know what? I can't. It's almost impossible to review Hard Boiled and at the same time avoid the bottomless anus-bowl of clichés that surround it. I’m sure it’s been described as "a high octane thrill ride," and even on most of its boxes it says Hard Boiled is "an action fan’s dream." This is a good thing, despite what it may seem how I said what I just said. Everything I said is all true, but plain and simple, it's just a damn awesome movie. I am at a loss for bad things to say about it.
Not many movies get me as pumped up as Hard Boiled does. It uses an arsenal of well-executed techniques to draw the viewer into each and every action sequence. Woo also manages to craft these explosive scenes so that he actually makes you feel stupid if you miss something cool. There are many small and beautiful things going on during all of the crimson waterworks that you may not notice the first time through. One image that really stuck out to me was during the first action scene in the teahouse. There's a shot of someone getting blasted in the leg. The bullet goes through a table first, so you get this foreground picture of the table’s leg busting in two as the man’s leg snaps right behind it. It is really fantastic in that it was totally unnecessary ... but it's so awesome anyway.
A synopsis, you clamor for? OK. This vintage John Woo action flick pits top Hong Kong actors Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai against evil bastard Anthony Wong and his army of bad guys. Chow Yun-Fat is Tequila, the cop who "breaks all the rules." His mirror is Tony Leung Chiu-Wai as triad assassin Tony, who's secretly an undercover cop disillusioned by his double life. Anthony Wong is Johnny, an evil bad guy who is evil because it serves the film's plot. Teresa Mo is Tequila's superior officer/love interest, who really plays no part other than to be a female in a testosterone homoerotic male action-fest. And John Woo shows up on screen as a bartender who is the Hong Kong reincarnation of Yoda. There. Happy?
Yeah, there's also some deal involving illegal arms and rival triad gangs, and Tony's identity crisis over being a cop/triad guy. All that standard cop/triad stuff is set up in the first sixty minutes. After that, we get sixty minutes of the MOST INSANE BLAZING TWO-GUN ACTION YOU'LL EVER SEE. Yes, my respect for this film is so great that I must resort to capital letters like a newsgroup newbie to get my point across. What makes the movie a genre-defining film is the sheer insanity and theatrical showmanship that the filmmakers bring to the table. The action in Hard Boiled is simply some of the most amazing stuff you'll ever see in an action film. It's incredibly staged, over-the-top balletic action that has probably never been equaled on screen. Also, the acting is top-notch. Chow Yun-Fat is his usual charismatic self, but Tony Leung Chiu-Wai runs away with the picture. His performance adds weight to a genre that is, in its usual form, weightless and without consequence.
If you haven't seen this film, then you've obviously happened upon this website by accident. Please, return to your search engine and continue looking for whatever it was you were looking for, because if you've never seen Hard Boiled then you weren't looking for this website. Nonetheless, definitely go see Hard Boiled in place of whatever you were looking for, especially since it just came out this week on a new 2 disc DVD set. BUY IT. Simply put, Hard Boiled may not be just "one of the best action films of all time," as it's commonly thought of, but quite possibly, "the best action film of all time."
Labels: MasterChugs Theater
posted by Chris 'Chugs' Taylor at
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