1992 | R | 2h 8m | Action, Drama, War
Having established himself as one of the world’s most innovative action directors during the 1980s, with “A Better Tomorrow” (1986), “A Better Tomorrow 2” (1987), and “The Killer” (1989), Hong-Kong-reared John Woo quickly garnered for himself a cult following and was considered to be a major up-and-comer in the genre.
Although he accepted the clarion call of Hollywood in the 1990s with his American directorial debut, the oft-maligned 1993 effort “Hard Target” starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, he helmed perhaps one of the greatest actioners of all in his “Hard Boiled,” produced in 1992. It starred one of the actors he frequently collaborated with, Chow Yun-fat, as the main protagonist, “Tequila” Yuen, and was the final film he directed before heading off to the United States.
The film’s opening scene is nothing short of magnificent, with hard-nosed Hong Kong Police Detective Yuen and his partner Benny Mak (Bowie Lam), setting up an undercover sting. Their target? A gang of dangerous triad arms dealers. The backdrop is a beautiful tea house filled with all sorts of exotic birds chirping away in the background. Jazz plays smoothly and inundates the environs with its melodies, lulling viewers into a false sense of peace. But, of course, this being a Hong Kong action flick, that doesn’t last long.
Suddenly, the cops’ clandestine plans are interrupted when criminals from a competing gang begin shooting it out with the original gun smugglers. As the brazenly public gun battle escalates, the number of wounded and dead gangsters and cops rises, culminating in the tragic death of Detective Mak. However, Yuen manages to avenge his partner by terminating the killer.
In the aftermath of the shootout, Yuen is severely reprimanded by his superior, Chief Pang (Philip Chan), because he broke from proper police protocols. As a result, he is punished by being taken off the gun smuggling case, but for good reason. We discover that the man Yuen shot and, of course, unbeknownst to him, was also working as an undercover police detective.
A separate storyline featuring a mysterious figure known as Alan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) begins to unfold, and we see that this ambitious young man has established himself as a crack assassin for triad leader Uncle Hoi (Hoi-San Kwan).
Hoi’s brash rival gang leader is named Johnny Wong (Anthony Chau-Sang Wong). If Hoi represents the older, more traditional side of the criminal underworld, Wong is the exact opposite: an unpredictable psychopath with no qualms about killing innocents caught in the crossfire, or using them as human shields, if necessary.
Wong soon approaches Alan and recruits him and, since the balance of power between the warring triads seems to be swinging in Wong’s favor, Alan accepts. To prove his loyalty, Alan reluctantly shoots and kills Hoi after the latter is ambushed in a big warehouse and all of Hoi’s men are killed. For Alan, it was either that, or perish himself.
In a dramatic scene, Yuen drops in (quite literally) on the little gangster party and begins obliterating Wong’s gang. As Wong makes his getaway, Alan has the chance to kill Yuen but oddly refrains from his golden opportunity and leaves instead.
Soon, Yuen and Alan are drawn into each other’s orbits as Wong’s syndicate begins to consolidate its power. The two men begin to realize that they may have more in common than they thought, and one has a secret that may help or hinder them.
If Woo cut his action director teeth on his earlier, Hong Kong films, this one is widely considered to be his action opus. This movie represents the distillation of all of his passion, technical genius, and atmospheric gravitas.
This innovative actioner features many of the highly-stylized action trademarks Woo pioneered, such as having characters glide across surfaces (and sail through the air) while firing guns, and slow-motion “bullet-time” action takes. These are techniques that were not only mimicked by many Hollywood filmmakers but copied in video games as well.
It also has a lean, yet plausible, plotline, believable characters with interesting backgrounds, and a satisfying (if bloody) grand finale. “Hard Boiled” is certainly an action movie fan’s dream come true, with unequaled firefights, well-drawn characters, beautiful cinematography, and the equally impressive scenery of Hong Kong.
