Hard Boiled (Two-Disc Ultimate Edition)
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Movie Reviews of Hard Boiled (Two-Disc Ultimate Edition)
Movie Review: In a Blaze of Glory..
Summary: 5 Stars
As has been stated before, this was John Woo's last Hong Kong cinema work before going on to Hollywood. (In a way, I wish he'd stayed, his HK cinema flicks are masterpieces) This film rightfully takes it's place as one of the greatest action movie ever made. Woo tells the tale of a man working in the Hong Kong police department, Inspector Tequila. Tequila plays at the local Jazz Bar, and, having been dumped, spends a lot of time there. The movie begins with him playing a tune that acts as a sort of theme for parts of the movie. Tequila is on a case to find gun runners smuggling Chinese weaponry into the province, and ends up killing a lieutenant in the crime organisation, but not without loosing his partner. Embittered by his loss and inability to help more in the teahouse shootout, he proceeds to disobey orders to leave the case. Meanwhile, the other protagonist, a mob killer (won't say much, it spoils a major plot twist) makes a hit on a man who betrayed his boss, Uncle Hoi, to a major competitor by the name of Johnny Wong. Alan (the killer) will play a major role, and though the film may be rated by some as a stereotypical buddy cop action movie, it's nothing of the sort. Gunfights ranging from raiding a gun shop to saving a hospital make this an electrifying epic, and a fitting swan song to Woo's HK cinema flicks. I highly recommend this, but you might want to keep the kiddies away.Movie Review: The best there ever was, is, and will be. . .
Summary: 5 Stars
A quick note on the new Dragon Dynasty edition: To me, the skewing of the aspect ratio was quite noticeable. I thought there was something wrong with my TV or DVD. Until I got on the interweb and found others were having the same issue. The people all appear to have gained 15lbs. (maybe they all just started college). And the use of the dubtitles is pretty bushleague considering it's a DD release. If you have either of the previous offerings there's no need to replace them with this one unless you must have the extras.
"Hard Boiled?" I think not. We simply like to refer to this film as "John Woo/Chow Yun Fat: Unleashed And Fully Funded". Because that is exactly what this film is. The Scorsese and DeNiro of Hong Kong come together for the single greatest display of cinematic action in the history of the medium. And they certainly had to go through enough to get there. "Once A Thief". Two "A Better Tomorrow" flicks. "The Killer". How many classics does one have to turn out in HK before they finally agree to just let you at it?
Either way, HB is a film that sees John Woo at the peak of his action powers. The action is so loose, so massive, and so intricate that it may never be matched again. What's funny to think about is that this film only has three action sequences. That's it. It just so happens that the first one is about the size of any other major action film's closing action finale. After that, they just get bigger. Once you get to the third one, you can sit back and just watch the genius unfold for over 30 minutes solid.
But there is more to this film than just the action. The story is pretty engaging. I've always thought "The Killer" had a bit of a silly story. The hitman doing one last job so as to pay for eye surgery was always a little cheesy (don't get me wrong, it is probably the movie that would be occupying the "greatest action movie" slot had "Hard Boiled" not been made). But the story of a rogue cop and an undercover cop playing cat and mouse and eventually coming together to set it right plays out brilliantly. Also, one thing I rarely see mentioned is just how excellent Tony Leung's performance is. *mild spoiler* When he has to kill his own guy in front of the boss to keep his cover, and walks toward his boss in slo-mo with the smile on his face and then, as soon as he passes the boss, instantly goes to the verge of tears, that is incredible. That is first-rate, all the way. No amateur or stock action star could pull off that performance. *end spolers*
While I've always thought that the action in "The Killer" had a little more artistry and grace to it than "Hard Boiled", HB's action is pretty much fueled by rage and testosterone. It's possible that there have been modern-era wars that had less shots fired than this film. But the action in this film has what must be the most creative "bullet ballet" sequences ever. It's one thing to just have big and long action spots. But the massive puzzle that John Woo assembles here is like a "how-to for gun-fu". The centerpiece of this all being the several-minute, uncut, hand-held single shot that follows our two protagonists through the hospital, into and elevator, up a floor, and out onto a new floor, all while firing guns, reloading, diving, grabbing more guns, dodging, co-ordinating, etc... It must have taken a week just to set that shot up and rehearse it. That shot should go down in the history books.
There's really nothing more to say than just buy it. Seriously. Do you like action movies that have people shooting at one another? Great. This is the best one ever made. When I dropped this movie on the arthouse dorks in my film school, even they had to admit that it surpassed any and all other action flicks ever committed to celluloid (or digital, nowadays). See, the fact that it's Asian and subtitled means you can slip it past your artsy friends. So it's a win/win for everyone. Oh yeah, and Chow has to work on keeping his girlfriend happy, too. So, it's a romance as well. Now you can watch it with your girlfriend, too. It's such a brilliant movie that everyone wins. See, how can you go wrong?
One last thing I forgot to mention, if you have a "Y" chromosome, it is mandated that you see this film. I heard a rumor that Jewish boys have to watch this after their Bar Mitvah to fully complete the process of becoming a man. Some African tribes send their boys into the wilderness with nothing but a spear and a portable DVD player with this film on it in order to attain the "rights of manhood". It doesn't matter how old you are or what you do for a living. If you haven't seen this, you're not a man, yet. I think you get the point.
Movie Review: Hard Boiled Delivers
Summary: 5 Stars
A great action movie. John Woo delivers in this film. Also check out The Killer.Movie Review: Woo's Finest.
Summary: 4 Stars
It is debated whether or not John Woo's films lost a touch when he came to America. Well even if you don't like his newer films, this movie should not be missed. Amazing shootouts leaving you wonder where they get 50 round magazines for pistols... Movie Review: Find the version of Hard Boiled that best suits your needs
Summary: 3 Stars
Some brief back-story: I first experienced "Hard Boiled" in 1997 and, like all of it's fans, my jaw hit the floor. I had never seen anything like it in my entire life. Soon after seeing it, I bought the Hard Boiled/Killer VHS pack. That followed with "A Better Tomorrow" on VHS and "A Better Tomorrow 2" on DVD. Every so often, I would see the Criterion Collection version of "Hard Boiled" and "The Killer" but not wanting to shell out the money and believing it would be around forever I never picked it up.
Fast forward to 3 years ago when I make a concerted effort to own the best DVD versions of all the films I love. Believing that Criterion did it better then anyone, that's the one I wanted and that's when I discovered it was out of print. At that moment I made a vow to myself that I wouldn't watch either "Hard Boiled" or "The Killer" again until it was re-released on a special edition DVD.
Fast forward again to this July when I look in the weekly Best Buy ad and see "Hard Boiled: The Ultimate Edition". As quickly as my balloon became inflated, it was popped upon going online to read these facts about it:
1. It was not going to be presented in it's original aspect ratio.
2. Instead of upgraded subtitles, it would be subtitled with the script
from the dubbed version of the film.
3. No John Woo commentary track.
4. No interview or commentary track with Chow Yun-Fat about the film.
It was also disconcerting to read that no DVD version(not even the Criterion) of this classic was without it's flaws but more on that in a bit. Weighing my options, and feeling like a sellout, I purchased the Dragon Dynasty edition of the film.
This week, I finally got around to watching it. How do I feel about my four biggest reservations now?:
1. While not visually presented in the way that it was meant to be seen,
it is a MAJOR upgrade in quality over my VHS version.
2. To not have decent subtitles is ridiculous but the "dubtitles" weren't
so egregious that it ruined my enjoyment of the film.
3. The 37 minute interview with John Woo on Disc 2 almost completely made
up for not having a full length commentary.
4. Chow Yun-Fat was shown doing voiceover work for the game
"Stranglehold" but not having him speak about his experiences during
shooting still bothered me.
In addition, I had a whole new appreciation for Tony Leung's performance after this viewing. I was disappointed he was not included on any bonus features.
A couple of more things before I give my summation...the Bey Logan commentary track gave me more information about Hong Kong cinema then I was ever going to find out otherwise. His enthusiasm and knowledge of the genre made me wonder why I haven't gotten more into Hong Kong cinema beyond a few John Woo films. This makes up for a few of his assertions about the film itself which are probably off the mark. The Terrance Chang, Philip Chan, and Kwok Choi interviews are insightful and entertaining. Overall, the location guide didn't give me a sense that I was seeing where "Hard Boiled" was filmed but that might just be because the landscape has changed so much.
In conclusion, I can't understand why no distributor of this film has ever given it the proper DVD release it deserves. Like the back of this version says, "Hard Boiled" is a landmark in film history and deserves to be treated as such. Why Dragon Dynasty failed to achieve this on their crack at it is beyond me. This means that fans have to compare and contrast the 4 or 5 different editions of the film that are out there and decide which one suits their individual needs the most. Therefore, all I can say is that the Dragon Dynasty version of "Hard Boiled" suited my needs the best because:
1. It was major upgrade in picture quality.
2. It wasn't the dubbed version of the film, just the "dubtitles"
(which still bother me but not enough to not enjoy it)
3. It has some cool bonus features(if not everything that I wanted).
4. I could walk into my local Best Buy and purchase it.
Until a true "Ultimate Edition" comes out(if it ever does) 10, 15, 20 years from now, I will be happy with this edition. But that doesn't mean you are going to be.