Hardboiled

HARDBOILED: The Loser review

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Hardboiled is legendary director John Woo's last film before he came to the United States. The entire film is in Chinese. It follows the story of Tequila, hardboiled cop who is out for revenge on a criminal organization that killed his partner.

Pros: The Die Hard of China. No, the plots are very different, as are the characters, but both are excellent action films. When you first start up Hardboiled, you might think it is a slow movie. I am guilty of this, but a few minutes into the movie, you are thrown into one of the most well done action scenes ever filmed. Bullets fly everywhere, ricocheting and piercing flesh. Tequila slides down the hand guards of stairways, dual wielding pistols, and landing head shots. Not only are a lot of people shot, but it is also very bloody. Bullets act like they would in real life, spilling blood by the gallons. I cannot describe the scene very well, but if you see it you will completely understand. It is amazing. Now, while all this shooting is going on, Tequila's partner is being pounded with bullets. This movie is not 24 or Commando where the bullets seem to move out of the main character's way. Tequila's partner is shot and shot until he is coughing blood. Finally, he dies, and in an awesome following scene, Tequila grabs the man who shot his partner and takes him out at close range with a pistol head shot. Another thing I love about this movie is the completely appropriate story, it is not a Fast and Furious type movie where there is an enormous, impossible to follow without getting bored plot. No, this movies plot is easy to follow and everything that Tequila does is completely realistic (save for the over the top action scenes). You start to really like his character, and his friend who is an undercover cop that was working with a criminal gang.

Besides the opening scene, there are 2 other scenes that are sublime in terms of action. The warehouse scene and the Hospital shootout. If you like action, you will absolutely love these scenes.

This may just be me, but I think the fact that the film is in Chinese adds a lot of authenticity and a special touch to the film. Besides, I take subtitles over dubbing ANYDAY.

CONS: Some fake sounding gunshot sound effects, and you will soon know that a certian sound is used for all pistols, one for all shotguns, ect. Also, some people may have a problem with the film being in Chinese, but I actually like it. Besides that, no other bad things come to mind. It isin't a 10/10, but is definitely a fine piece of work.

BOTTOM LINE: If you speak Chinese and like action movies, you will love this movie. If you do not speak Chinese and like action movies, you will still love this movie. From beginning to end, it is an engaging film and one of the most entertaining I have seen in a while. If you like stylish action, you will definitely love this movie. This was my first John Woo movie, and has given me a great impression of him, and not to mention Chow Yun Fat (the actor who plays Tequila). This is a must watch for fans of action.

Score: 9.0 out of 10