Directed by:
John WooScreenplay:
John WooCast:
Yun-fat Chow, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Paul Chu, Kenneth Tsang, Fui-on Shing, Tommy Wong, Teddy Yip, Chi-wai Huang, Barry Wong, Parkman Wong, Chung Lam (more)Plots(1)
Hong Kong’s preeminent director, John Woo, transforms genres from both the East and the West to create this explosive and masterful action film. Featuring Hong Kong’s greatest star, Chow Yun-fat, as a killer with a conscience, the film is an exquisite dissection of morals in a corrupt society, highlighted with slow-motion sequences of brilliantly choreographed gun battles on the streets of Hong Kong. (Criterion)
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Reviews (8)
The Killer is mainly a timeless action romp that is hard to compare with anything. Unlike the action-packed Hard-Boiled, John Woo here places more emphasis on the characters and their personalities. The direction is different, but the outcome is similarly good. ()
Another great action classic, which I liked even a little bit more than Hard Boiled, but a little bit less than Full Contact, but all of them star the great Chow Yun-Fat, who is undoubtedly the action hero of Hong Kong. The action consists only of gunfights, which are very decent for their time, the opponents drop like flies, blood spurts quite decently and the ending in the church is a definite highlight. But this is not just about action it also has a nice story and some depth, so I definitely recommend it. A proper classic, the quality of which I can only confirm. 75% ()
Chow Yun-Fat is a great character, his killer Jeffrey has charisma, a conscience and is a darn good shot. It’s not every day that you see the kind of action that we get in Killer. Incredible massacres alternate with moments so emotionally intense that you almost feel sad. In places, the theme of friendship and fate play a much greater role than the action itself and John Woo masterfully combines everything to form this riveting picture. ()
In a direct comparison, a full class better than Hard Boiled. John Woo replaces the endless (although effective) shootouts with shorter but more impactful fights, with a simple but thankfully strong storyline. Besides, Chow Yun-Fat is better as a tough killer than as a tough cop. ()
I can't help it, but the film just doesn't impress me that much. Yes, it's well-directed, no doubt about it. They also managed to incorporate emotions quite well. However, when you've seen both parts of "A Better Tomorrow", you can't help but think that this has already been done before, to some extent. It is bloody, though, no doubt about that, and the slow-motion shots are at their peak here. I'm not completely blown away by it, but it's still an excellent action flick. ()
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