Did we need a prequel to the A Better Tomorrow series that shows us how Mark (Chow Yun-Fat) became the man he was in the first film? Were we wondering where he got his aim, his sunglasses and duster from? I wasn’t but apparently someone thought we were. Hark Tsui takes over as director after…
Tag: john woo
A Better Tomorrow II (1987) – John Woo
John Woo got the band back together for A Better Tomorrow II. Ho (Lung Ti) is offered an early parole if he helps investigate his former mentor, Lung Si (Dean Shek). He turns it down, until he learns his brother, Kit (Leslie Cheung), a police officer is involved in the investigation. Ho doesn’t believe Si…
A Better Tomorrow (1986) – John Woo
A Better Tomorrow was a hole in my John Woo and Hong Kong cinema that I wanted to fill, People have raved about it for years, that it helped define a generation of HKers and became a cult classic among North American film lovers. It features melodrama and lots of gunplay. It also has a…
The Killer (2024) – John Woo
John Woo updates his own 80s classic, by shifting the location to Paris, and swapping out Chow Yun-fat for Nathalie Emmanuel. Emmanuel is Zee in Woo’s updated story. He wrote and directed the original, but this time out, there’s a script by Brian Helgeland, Josh Campbell, and Matt Stuecken. The script hits all the familiar…
Hard Target (1993) – John Woo
John Woo movies are great to watch, though some are tougher to get through than others. His first North American effort, Hard Target, with Sam Raimi at his side to help if needed, could have been something really special if the film had a lead who could act. Jean-Claude Van Damme stars in the film,…
The Replacement Killers (1998) – Antoine Fuqua
Antonine Fuqua’s 1998 actioner The Replacement Killers has quite the pedigree, it not only has Fuqua in the director’s chair, an executive producer credit for John Woo, but also stars Hong Kong cinema icon Chow Yun-Fat, the fantastic Mira Sorvino, Michael Rooker, Jurgen Prochnow, Danny Trejo, Til Schweiger, and Clifton Collins Jr. John Lee (Chow…
Broken Arrow (1996) – John Woo
I dig me a John Woo movie, and I remember when Broken Arrow came out, and how me and some friends completely devoured it (and loved Hans Zimmer’s score – which got used for Scream 2 as well). Woo has had some trouble when it comes to making American films, but there always seems to…
Hard Boiled (1992) – John Woo
The Directory, filling out the last section of DK Canada’s marvellous The Movie Book, brings me a 90s action classic. One that set the standard for Honk Kong cinema, and found fans all over the world with its style of balletic violence, beautifully crafted shots, and fantastic set pieces. Not to mention, the exemplary Chow…
Face/Off (1997) – John Woo
Hong Kong action meets big budget Hollywood in this entry on the 101 Action Movies list as John Woo fills the screens with stand-offs, explosions, and his signature balletic gunplay. John Travolta and Nicolas Cage play interchangeable roles as FBI agent Sean Archer and terrorist Castor Troy. Travolta as Archer is desperate, and obsessed…
Desperado (1995) – Robert Rodriguez
101 Action Movies brings Robert Rodriguez into the fold with this sequel/remake/self-homage follow-up to his shoestring budget independent action film, El Mariachi. Desperado has a two ridiculously good-looking leads amongst an all-star cast. Antonio Banderas takes over the role of the Mariachi, and Salma Hayek is Carolina. The first time I saw this movie was the first time I had…
The Mind Reels 