- Actors: Yun-Fat Chow, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Kong Chu, Kenneth Tsang
- Directors: John Woo
- Writers: John Woo
- Producers: Hark Tsui
- Classification: 18
- Studio: Made in Hong Kong
- VHS Release Date: 1 Oct 1999
- Run Time: 111 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004COPA
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 26,248 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
John Woo's 1989 Hong Kong action classic, a stylish, bullet-riddled elegy to friendship under fire, firmly established him as the maestro of mayhem. Superstar Chow Yun-Fat, Asia's king of cool, plays the most charming hit man ever (and yes, he only takes contracts on those who deserve it), but when one of his killings leaves an innocent nightclub singer (Sally Yeh) blinded, he dedicates his life to giving her back her sight. Danny Lee is the cop on his tail, but the two adversaries become unlikely comrades when the mob decides to cancel its debt to Chow by taking him out, leading to a beautifully filmed and incredibly violent confrontation. Woo places the showdown in a church and punctuates the acrobatic gunfight with images of religious icons, flying doves, and burning candles. An ode to Jean-Pierre Melville's existential gangster classic Le Samouria, Woo's delirious mix of melodrama and stylized action recalls the balletic bloodletting of Sam Peckinpah, the elegant camerawork of Martin Scorsese, and the operatic, larger-than-life grandeur of Sergio Leone. Woo's love of American musicals (and his own background as a dance instructor) adds a touch of grace to the fluid choreography of the action scenes. In terms of sheer action, Woo topped himself a few years later with Hard-Boiled, his Hong Kong swan song, but most critics still rate The Killer as his masterpiece. --Sean Axmaker
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
According to the DVD jacket "PR" this is "the best HK film ever". I hope not for the sake of all the other HK films out there!
Well maybe the PR is like the Carlsberg lager ad "probably the best beer you will ever taste".
As it happens I quite like Carlsberg, not my favourite but I will imbibe and might suggest others do the same.
As for "the Killer" movie I would not EVER, EVER, suggest they see this film. It is possibly the worst film I have ever purchased. If it were possible to give it NO STARS I would. By the way "1 star" officially means "I hate it".
It is clichéd to the extreme, with hollow characters, pathetic (if slightly comical) Kung Fu sound effects and possibly the worst ending of any film, ever. I must admit I fast forwarded to the end of the film hoping for a sound ending to make up for a lacklustre movie, no joy there then!
Look elsewhere for a movie regardless of what other review sites such as, the usually trustworthy, Rotten Tomatoes might say. (100% rating, what were they on when they watched it?)
Summary; avoid like the plague.
Well maybe the PR is like the Carlsberg lager ad "probably the best beer you will ever taste".
As it happens I quite like Carlsberg, not my favourite but I will imbibe and might suggest others do the same.
As for "the Killer" movie I would not EVER, EVER, suggest they see this film. It is possibly the worst film I have ever purchased. If it were possible to give it NO STARS I would. By the way "1 star" officially means "I hate it".
It is clichéd to the extreme, with hollow characters, pathetic (if slightly comical) Kung Fu sound effects and possibly the worst ending of any film, ever. I must admit I fast forwarded to the end of the film hoping for a sound ending to make up for a lacklustre movie, no joy there then!
Look elsewhere for a movie regardless of what other review sites such as, the usually trustworthy, Rotten Tomatoes might say. (100% rating, what were they on when they watched it?)
Summary; avoid like the plague.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I just read the main review for this title and it fails to deliver on why this film is a unique and genre defining piece of Asian Cinema. The most instructive way to consider this work is through avoiding parallels and influences and tribute spiels, but rather to concentrate on what distinguishes the work from its contemporaries.
What needs to be stressed is that The Killer is a film that could only have been made in Hong Kong. Watch this film to see why people refer to Hong Kong as the very pinnacle of action movie making (especially mid to late 80's). Woo's influences are certainly diverse but this is to overlook the central attractions of The Killer. (of which there are two)
- The Killer perhaps better than any other Woo work manages to blur the line between the cop and the killer (the exact opposite of Face Off - which accentuates the distinction). By the end of the film it becomes clear that what is legal / illegal and what is right / wrong are two different questions. Woo proposes that the moral and legal spheres operate on two disparate levels.
- Chow Yun Fat plays the deadly assasin in this movie. After a hugely succesful career as the hero, the loyal and honourable friend, Woo casts Chow to play the lead lawbreaker. Few actors could effect such a seamless transition in character, whereas others such as Willis have fumbled when outside the 'good-guy' comfort zone.
Watch this movie for powerful yet bloody Hong Kong action at its very best. This film is maturer that the Better Tomorrow series and certainly less corny that Hard Boiled. I have no reservations in classing this the high points of both Woo and Chow Yun Fat. An absolute classic, that's my 'tribute' to this movie!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Considering the numerous positive Amazon reviews of this film I expected a lot more from it.
There is a story (albeit a rather ridiculous one); however, the story unfortunately drowns under an almost continuous hail of bullets which, by the middle o the film (and I'm quite a patient person), becomes exceedingly tedious. I resorted to fast forwarding through the last two (of numerous, and similar) ridiculous gun fight scenes, simply to get to the very end to discover what the conclusion of, the already very thin, storyline would be.
If you enjoy mindless, totally unrealistic, gun battles; and very little to think about films, then this is for you.
If you like the films you watch to make you think, then don't bother with this.
There is a story (albeit a rather ridiculous one); however, the story unfortunately drowns under an almost continuous hail of bullets which, by the middle o the film (and I'm quite a patient person), becomes exceedingly tedious. I resorted to fast forwarding through the last two (of numerous, and similar) ridiculous gun fight scenes, simply to get to the very end to discover what the conclusion of, the already very thin, storyline would be.
If you enjoy mindless, totally unrealistic, gun battles; and very little to think about films, then this is for you.
If you like the films you watch to make you think, then don't bother with this.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
One Vicious Killer. One Relentless Cop... ...Ten Thousand Bullets.
Hong Kong's preeminent director John Woo transforms genres from both the East and the West to create this explosive and masterful action film. Read more
Published 17 days ago by S. F. husseiny
Best Action Movie Ever Made!
The Killer is easily the best action movie ever made. It's bloody, violent, over the top, melodramatic, cool action film with a touching story about love, friendship, honor and... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Janis Livens
Great action movie
I think this movie is a masterpeice , great action good storyline an assassin that is out to put round after round in to any1 but not the innocent, except destroying some poor... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Instigator
The Killer
This has to be one of John Woo's greatest films!
Its a must see for any fans of action films or John Woo. Read more
Its a must see for any fans of action films or John Woo. Read more
Published on 9 Dec 2009 by A. J. Harrison
THE BEST HONG KONG FILM EVER
I'm not a fan of Hong Kong movies - they are simply too cheese, especially Jackie Chan's. But this one really is different. Read more
Published on 13 July 2008 by Sick-o
Truly awesome.
John Woo's greatest masterpiece. An absolutely brilliant tale of redemption, duty, honour and sacrifice. Read more
Published on 11 Mar 2008 by Conan P
DeAgostini version
WARNING: The DeAgostini version has NO EXTRAS.
So if you want them do NOT buy that version.
For me it means buying another copy!! Read more
So if you want them do NOT buy that version.
For me it means buying another copy!! Read more
Published on 7 Sep 2007 by Driverdriver
Shock horror: An action film with a good story!
When John Woo arrived on the Hollywood scene, we were all quickly wowed by the bombastic action of films like 'Broken Arrow' and 'Face Off'. Read more
Published on 15 Jun 2007 by M. JONES
Solid gunfight actioner
Hi..
I bought 4 movies from Amazon UK in one shipment, they included (Road house 2), (Naked weapon), (The Killer) and (Series 7 - The Contenders). Read more
I bought 4 movies from Amazon UK in one shipment, they included (Road house 2), (Naked weapon), (The Killer) and (Series 7 - The Contenders). Read more
Published on 14 Jun 2007 by M Bardi
Not the masterpiece the hype would have you believe, but still very...
The Killer was so over-hyped when I first saw it that it left me distinctly unimpressed, but revisiting it years later it's so much better than I gave it credit for (although by... Read more
Published on 7 Feb 2007 by Trevor Willsmer
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