Hard-Boiled

HARD-BOILED (1992) - Feb. 3, 2011
Oh man -- why did I wait so long to watch this movie?  I've gotta watch some more of John Woo's pre-Hollywood stuff.  About a gritty cop who wants to take down an illegal firearms dealer with the help of an undercover officer, the film itself (i.e. the non-action stuff) was fine.  Ho-hum and a bit dated in parts, it did a decent enough job of setting up the characters and keeping things moving between the action.  Oh man, the action.  Finally, after having only watched Woo's American films, I see why the man is regarded as a legend; the action in this film is almost ridiculously good.  Always engaging, exquisitly staged and featuring amazingly kinetic camerawork that never feels overbearing, I think the shootouts here are among the best I've ever seen.  Certainly, the last scene, an epic half-hour shootout set inside a hospital, is a pretty stunning accomplishment.  You'd think a shootout that lasts that long would overstay its welcome, but oh man it does not.  So good.  There's also a scene in which Chow Yun-Fat takes on a warehouse full of guys that's pretty jaw-dropping.  Why weren't any of John Woo's American films even close to this good??  ****