From Amazon.co.uk
Eric the would-be assassin is such a nice, caring fellow that
Hitman has an immediate credibility problem: how could Eric (oriental superstar Jet Li in his follow-up to
Lethal Weapon 4) ever believe he could be a cold-blooded murderer? The script tries to get around this by emphasising his poverty, and once he meets conman Norman (Hong Kong comedy star Eric Tsang), the film manages to blend amiable humour with amoral characters and polished action into an entertaining whole. A yakusa crime lord has been murdered by the Angel of Death, a professional hitman who only kills those he believes deserve to die. Getting well out of their depth in the hunt for the assassin, Li and Tsang make an appealing double act, while Gigi Leung is charming as Norman's lawyer daughter. With a moderately involved plot and an emphasis on character, action is limited to five well-staged set-pieces which are stylishly conceived, exciting and don't outstay their welcome. The finale even has a joke at the expense of
Die Hard's running across broken glass, while the ending sets up the inevitable sequel. A long way from Li's magnificent
Once Upon A Time in China (1991),
Hitman is efficient, highly watchable Hong Kong entertainment. --
Gary S Dalkin