Along with "The Killer", "Hard Boiled" is the most famous and most accomplished of John Woo's Hong Kong action films. Watching the film today it becomes apparent just how much Woo changed the way action scenes were handled from that point onwards and how well "Hard Boiled" has stood the test of time as a result. Chow Yun Fat and Tony Leung both give superb performances throughout, and the two big set pieces in the film - the warehouse and hospital fights - are still truly amazing sequences of cinematic genius.

The Taiwanese Long Shong International edition of "Hard Boiled" could easily be mistaken for the most definitive version of this classic action film. But don't be fooled by the 2h 16m running time - this includes several minutes of black screen and colour bars in the middle - a result of using a master that came in two parts. There is some additional footage during the shootout at the end and an alternate edit of that scene, but it has been noted that this is not Woo's preferred cut of the film.

If internet opinions are to be believed there is no definitive DVD version of Hard Boiled, with dvdcompare.net even recommending that fans of the film may wish to own multiple versions. Ultimately it is only hardcore fans of the film that the Taiwanese version will appeal to, but for those fans this version may breathe new life into a film that gets better on every viewing.

Film 5/5, Action 5/5

If you liked this try "The Killer", "Infernal Affairs", "Shoot'em Up"

Along with "The Killer", "Hard Boiled" is the most famous and most accomplished of John Woo's Hong Kong action films. Watching the film today it becomes apparent just how much Woo changed the way action scenes were handled from that point onwards and how well "Hard Boiled" has stood the test of time as a result. Chow Yun Fat and Tony Leung both give superb performances throughout, and the two big set pieces in the film - the warehouse and hospital fights - are still truly amazing sequences of cinematic genius.

The Taiwanese Long Shong International edition of "Hard Boiled" could easily be mistaken for the most definitive version of this classic action film. But don't be fooled by the 2h 16m running time - this includes several minutes of black screen and colour bars in the middle - a result of using a master that came in two parts. There is some additional footage during the shootout at the end and an alternate edit of that scene, but it has been noted that this is not Woo's preferred cut of the film.

If internet opinions are to be believed there is no definitive DVD version of Hard Boiled, with dvdcompare.net even recommending that fans of the film may wish to own multiple versions. Ultimately it is only hardcore fans of the film that the Taiwanese version will appeal to, but for those fans this version may breathe new life into a film that gets better on every viewing.

Film 5/5, Action 5/5

If you liked this try "The Killer", "Infernal Affairs", "Shoot'em Up"

SYNOPSIS:
Inspector "Tequila" Yuen swears to sweep out the gangsters and sometimes breaks the rules in his furious drive to see justice done. Tony, an undercover cop, has the same mission, fighting an uphill battle with the triads. The two cops, both dedicated to the same ends, join forces in their ultimate battle with their enemies...

There's not a single thing I can say about HARD BOILED that hasn't already been said. With THAT said, I'm going to probably be reiterating things about the film that clearly we all already know. Deal with it. I've got to have something to type here. :p

In my opinion, HARD BOILED is John Woo's greatest achievement. THE KILLER and BULLET IN THE HEAD are definitely excellent, but they don't touch the pure action bliss that is HARD BOILED. With fight choreography by Philip Kwok (who's also in the film), John Woo directs the hell out of his action scenes. The final half hour of the film is one gigantic shootout in a hospital, and is probably my favorite cinematic shootout of all time. The other action scenes don't slouch either, and John Woo liberally uses squibs and an excessive amount of pyrotechnics. The screen literally explodes amidst all the gunfire. The stunts are amazing, and I don't care who you are - if you're riding a motorcycle the explodes, it's going to hurt regardless of the protection you're wearing.

With all the action stuff out of the way, we can move onto the acting, which is great considering the type of film this is. chow Yun-Fat, coolest man alive, plays his best role of all time with hardened policeman Tequila. Chow is a joy to behold in HARD BOILED and he clearly gives it his all. As the villain, Anthony Wong oozes pure sleaze. He's damn good in the film and makes one long for the days of the more intense, thinner Anthony Wong. Ah, who am I kidding? I love heavier, more kindly Anthony Wong. Tony Leung is the best part of the film. His performance is riveting. You can see it in his eyes. When he shoots his boss in front of Anthony's character, the look on Tony's face sends chills down my spine as it changes from sadness to happiness to bitter hatred as he slaughters his ex-boss' men with a machine gun.

Teresa Mo does a decent job as Tequila's on-again, off-again girlfriend, but I can't help but think of her role as a glorified damsel in distress. Philip Kwok is the most intimidating henchman to ever grace a Hong Kong action film. His Mad Dog is just that - a crazed killer. Though when Philip's character has a large change of heart towards the end of the film, it feels genuine, saying something about Philip's acting abilities. If there's one actor in the film who's slightly over-the-top, it would have to be Philip Chan as Tequila's superior, Superintendent Pang. His constant yelling sort of got to me after a while, but it definitely didn't take me out of a otherwise excellent film.

Some people make the mistake of bringing logic into the mix when dealing with John Woo films. "That's not even possible. How can his gun hold that many bullets?" I'm sure we've all heard this at one point or another when watching Woo's films with someone else. I suggest that if you haven't seen the film before (all three of you), watch it with an open mind regarding action scenes. Besides, who wants their action slow and realistic? How much fun would the movie be if the hero died after getting shot one time, or if the villains could actually hit the broad side of a barn? The answer is, not much fun at all.

DVD Specs:

Inspector "Tequila" Yuen (Chow Yun Fat, of "The Killer" and "The Corrupters") is determined to rid the city of gangs by beating them at their own violent game. But in a vicious shootout, his partner and colleagues are massacred, leaving Yuen bitter and hungry for vengeance.

Yuen comes face-to-face with Tony (Tony Leung of "Chungking Express" and "In The Mood For Love"), a lethal and cunning assassin working for a gun-running gang, in a stakeout where it seems that Yuen will end up in a body bag. But a stunning plot twist cranks up the action another gear when Yuen discovers that Tony has a dangerous secret.

Climaxing in a final scene of bullets, betrayals, and blood, "Hard Boiled" is one action-packed spectacle you won't ever forget. Widely renowned as John Woo's best Hong Kong gangster film to date.

John Woo sets the film in 1997, a very important date in Hong Kong's history being that it was the year that British rule ceased and China took it back. Woo takes on the view that Hong Kong of the future would lose its historical values of friendship, loyalty and family. Hard Boiled exemplifies Hong Kong as a society out of control and dictated by gangsters (the police are in a depressed state as the criminals have more fire power than they do). Woo uses the film as an opportunity to reinstate all of the values that Hong Kong has lost and also to give hope for the future and creates a hero in Tequila (Chow Yun Fat) who can stand up to the criminals and defeat them. The setting for the film is created by using flashes of newspaper articles which identify Hong Kong's problems with gangster violence. This is a very simple but effective way to open as the audience know immediately where they are within the film. Woo also identifies other key social issues such as housing. Tequila is constantly mentioning his lack of accommodation during the film and society's lack of initiative in solving this problem. So overall Woo creates a Hong Kong society as one which is in turmoil and Tequila and Tony (Tony Leung) are used as tools to solve the problems.

Another key issue that Woo tackles with extreme precision is the hegemonic structure of society and power. If Hard Boiled holds one message about hegemony it is certainly that guns equal power. In the scene where Tony is forced to shoot Mr Hoi, his boss, the gun is the key as to whether Hoi lives or dies. The power in this scene clearly lies with Tony. Johnny Wong (Anthony Wong) and his fellow gangsters. Johnny Wong states that "he who holds the gun holds the power" which is the method John Woo uses to set up the power struggle between the gangsters and the police. At this point in the film the criminals clearly outnumber the police as Tequila and Tony are the only cops present and for the first half of the film we do not know that Tony is actually undercover. Woo's fast, effective camera work clearly constructs the balance of power in favour of Johnny Wong's organisation.

Another effective technique used to create power within the film is the one on one confrontation with guns (used to great effect in many of John Woo's other films such as Face Off). The scene where Tequila encounters Tony for the first time, after Tony has killed Mr Hoi, shows the balance of power equalled.

Woo's use of slow motion sequences is effective to build up the impact of the violence but is often disruptive in the scenes in the hospital once Wong's arsenal has been discovered. It would have been better for Tequila and Tony's journey for Wong to have progressed without these slow motion sequences as they give a false picture of where the power lies. Clearly at this point in the film the balance of power has transferred to the police as they now outnumber the gangsters. Tequila is a very typical hero in that he constantly defies the rules of power especially where his boss is concerned. No matter how much his boss tells him not to pursue the case concerning Tony, Tequila always defies him. Tequila's emotion over the death of his partner continually make him deny power.

The issue of power can also be related to that of gender. Predominantly Hard Boiled is a male-oriented environment with only one female present which is the character of Teresa (Teresa Mo). It is thought that much of Hong Kong cinema is very non-chauvenistic and that the female kills just as much as the male. Hard Boiled, though, presents Teresa in a very traditional female role not in relation to her job but rather her natural female instincts. The scenes in the hospital see Teresa's natural instincts gear her towards saving the babies first not the patients. The audience do see her go through the rites of passage in her female role as she is forced to kill in order to fulfil her need to save the babies. Woo also explores the way Tequila is drawn towards saving the babies. Woo's vision is of a brighter and better society and this is reinforced by Tequila's actions.

Friendship, loyalty and family are very popular themes of Hong Kong cinema and Hard Boiled is no exception to the rule. A strong friendship develops between Tequila and Tony. The scene in the library after Tony has assassinated one of Mr Hoi's workers links Tequila to Tony through the use of parallel flashback. This forms the beginning of the pair's connection.

Friendship is also Tequila's main energy for vengeance against Wong's group as his best friend was killed in the Tea House massacre at the start of the film. The film's main focus is the friendship that develops between Tequila and Tony. At first there is very little development until their confrontation with Wong in the hospital. Tony's near death experience is linked cleverly to that of Tequila's best friend with the use of flashback. This moment is the beginning of a strong and loyal partnership between the two men.

Family is also a very strong concept which runs through the film. Woo develops an interesting contrast between Mr Hoi's organisation and Johnny Wong's. Whereas Mr Hoi's organisation is a strong family unit loyal to Hong Kong, Johnny Wong's is portrayed as lacking morals of any kind. This lack of morals is also contrasted by the way his henchman, Mad Dog (Kwok Choi) goes against him. When Tequila and Mad Dog drop their guns so that the patients can retreat Johnny Wong just goes ahead and shoots them all.

Another important issue which runs through the film is that of identity and self. This theme is most important to the character of Tony. At the beginning of the film Tony has no idea who he is. Tequila is unsure whether to call him a thief or a cop. Tony classes himself as just a birth date but what the film does is take the audience on a journey of Tony's self-discovery. The line to sum up Tony's self-identity is when he tells Tequila "I'm a cop". Finally Tony knows who and what he is.

Woo uses and interesting and dramatic change of locations during the film. The dark, daunting warehouses are the location of dramatic shoot-outs which the audience are kept at a distance from. In contrast the ocean is the location of freedom, letting off steam and expressing anguish. Tony lets out his anguish of killing Mr Hoi while out at sea and the camera techniques used distance the audience from Tony's true character.

In conclusion, Hard Boiled is a film of intense shoot-outs which, most of the time, outweigh the acting in the film. However, Woo does explore some very interesting issues which are very typical of Hong Kong cinema. At times Hard Boiled is very predictable in its plot and some of the fight scenes look too rehearsed and less in touch with reality but overall it is a very intense cop thriller.

This was also probably the point at which John Woo reached his peak. While 'The Killer' had more heart (and remains today my favourite film of all time), with 'Hard Boiled' Woo pushed back the boundaries by cramming in even more chaotic action that resulted in a ridiculously high body count. Certainly nothing he's done (or anyone else for that matter) since (or before) can match the intensity of the action in this film.

The plot provides a simple but effective framework for the fantastic action pieces. Tequila (Chow Yun-fat) is cop determined to put a stop to rising crime boss Johnny Wong (Anthony Wong). Unfortunately his actions compromise the position of Tony (Tony Leung) an undercover cop who has managed to infiltrate Johnny Wong's gang and become a trusted member.

John Woo again employs the familiar themes of honour, brotherhood and betrayal but also his obviously personal concerns for the state of society. The honour and morals of the older days, as represented in characters such as Kwok Choy's 'Mad Dog' and Tony's first boss, are in danger of being eroded by the new breed of criminal i.e. Johnny Wong.

Really though, 'Hard Boiled' is about the action and there are essentially three main scenes. The first, a shoot out in a tea house and the introduction to the movie, really grabs your attention. With the first ten minutes 'Hard Boiled' carries more action than any Hollywood film, up to that time, had in its climax. 'Lethal Weapon', 'Die Hard', 'Rambo' all pale in comparison. This scene apparently took two months to shoot and it was time well spent.

The second main action piece is where Tequila and Tony meet for the first time as Tequila single-handedly takes on Johnny Wong's triad army. This may seem totally farfetched but in the context of the film I found it perfectly acceptable. The scene features an excellent gun battle between Chow Yun-fat and Kwok Choy who's character, 'Mad Dog', only came to the fore when it became obvious that Anthony Wong was unable to do the stunts or handle firearms as well as required (according to Kwok Choy in an interview with Toby Russell). Kwok Choy as Johnny Wong's chief henchman is a masterstroke as he provides the film with a truly formidable villain.

Finally the action goes into overdrive as Tequila and Tony have to clear out Johnny Wong's men from a hospital where they are holding all of the patients hostage. This is Hong Kong action at its most manic and the body count goes through the roof.

The realisation of these scenes by John Woo is masterful and feature his now trademark editing style that combines normal speed and slow motion action with innovative camera angles. Now it's been greatly copied but at the time there was no one else to touch him.

The action might take centre stage but the strength of the actors is also apparent. Everybody involved does an excellent job and 'Hard Boiled' is free of the haminess that often plagues Hong Kong movies. Chow Yun-fat gives probably his best performance of the nineties and Tony Leung is also good as a man in torment. Anthony Wong's appearance is unlike anything I've seen him in since in that its far more restrained than his other villainous roles.

'Hard Boiled' is a cornerstone of action cinema and still to be beaten, in my opinion, in terms of intensity of action.

Why Would I Like This Movie? A hell of a lot of bullets and explosions. Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, who does some great acting as a mob hit man...or is he? There's a neat cameo by Woo (as a bar-tender), where he and Chow Yun Fat bond on-screen. The final scene is worth seeing just to say you did: forty-five minutes of mayhem. Also, there is a good moral to the story (I feel) about loyalty and the evils of crime.

Why Wouldn't I Like This Movie? Well, the usual sexism and mindless violence ... also Chow Yun Fat playing the clarinet in a big fake way seemed really uncool to me. Some of the fashion & stunts seem a bit dated & grate on one's nerves. But if you like the genre (little plot, lotsa violence), you won't regret seeing Hard Boiled. If you don't like senseless violence, don't see this movie.