The brazen contract killer Tok (Lau, Infernal Affairs, Days of Being Wild) is literally gunning for the underworlds top assassin, O (Sorimachi). While Tok enjoys public displays during his killings and has a fetishists love of action films, O is more solemn and haunted, carrying out his assignments with efficiency and no pizzazz. Likewise in his love life, O cannot seem to make a connection with Chin (Kelly Lin, Legend of Zu, My Left Eye Sees Ghosts) the girl he hires to clean his false apartment, silently observing her from his real apartment across the street. So, when Tok walks into her day job at a video store and strikes up a relationship with her, it is his first step in drawing O's attention. As the two killers get closer to a showdown, they are both being tracked by a dogged Interpol officer (Simon Yam, Bullet in the Head, Dr. Lamb) determined to discover their identities and bring them to justice.

As I said, it is a tired genre, but Fulltime Killer's success is in its inventiveness and self conscious knowledge of this fact by making references slick actioners like Point Break and Leon: The Professional. Even the "girl who cleans the killers apartment and knows he's an assassin" seems directly lifted from the first segment of new waver Wong Kar Wai's Fallen Angels. It engages in all of the stylistic excess we've seen before, action with the John Wooish slo-mo gracefulness imbued with grit and brutality. It is illogical excess- mid day open street killings set to the tune of classical opera, bullets fly, and the cops never catch the executioner, the kind of film where the style is the substance. Dramatic camera sweeps and squib splatter are as important as the dialogue. Yet, despite it all having been done before, it is pulled off with appropriate panache, a sense of its ludicrousness, and maintains an even level of fun and seriousness.

Equal credit has to go to the actors and their characterizations- each of whom (O, Tok, Chin, and Yam's Interpol officer) get to narrate the story at one point. Lau waltzes, crashes through the film with an electric swagger and a constant smile. In playing a cool killer, who wants to be a cool movie killer, he ends up coming across like a complete sociopath, this extremely disturbed leather clad grandstander with no morality whatsoever. He's the Columbine kid, the already disturbed individual who acts out his fantasy like he's part of a movie or game. Naturally then, Sorimachi's O has to be the brooding opposite, the stone faced, remorseful assassin haunted by his deeds and wanting to get out of the only thing he's been good at. Kelly Lin, aside from being yummy, does well with her character that has the biggest stretch in personality, at first coming across as shy and demure, yet we soon realise she has a kinship with the killers when she is in no way turned off by their violent lifestyle and seeks out that excitement and their affection. Yam likewise takes a turn, from the standard cop out to catch the killers, to disgraced officer determined to capture their story.

Conclusion: ...It is an entertaining implausible action film, proof that even in the exploit-a-genre-until-its-dead-in-the-ground realm of HK film, the right marriage of style, character, and story can always succeed and produce a decent action yarn.

The story at large is pretty simple. Asia’s finest assassin, O (Takeshi Sorimachi), executes a hit in a crowded railway station. In the process, he stumbles upon a former classmate and is forced to kill him to keep his identity secret. In the mean time, Tok (Andy Lau) bursts his way into a jail in Thailand and blows it away in one of the film’s more stylish scenes. Tok is an arrogant, childish man who bases his life (and his violent style) on his favorite action movies. When Tok goes to pick up payment, his arrogance takes center stage as he fights for more money and recognition (he sees himself as equal, if not superior, to O). This scene is fairly uneffective and annoying because, for some reason unbeknownst to me, all the characters converse in terrible English. O travels to Korea to get information from his superior, a mysterious man who always wears sunglasses and is ever seated behind a glass window. The man questions O on the murder of the schoolmate, and O states that in his line of business, friends are bound to wind up dead. We then follow Chin (Kelly Lin), a cute Taiwanese woman who runs a Japanese video store in Hong Kong. At night, she serves as housekeeper of O’s mock apartment – he really lives across the street in an “abandoned” unit. At night he watches her, and they only meet on rare, pre-arranged occasions. We are soon introduced to his earlier housekeeper, Nancy, and brought to the assumption that something terribly tragic happened with her. One day, Tok comes into Chin’s video store wearing a Bill Clinton mask. He subsequently asks her to a movie, then to a café. There, he takes a fifteen minute break to brutally shoot a group of men and inject their elderly, black-toothed leader with pure nicotine. Another amazingly stylish and enjoyable scene. He returns to the restaurant and taunts Chin, who isn’t really sure whether to believe his claims to being a professionally killer. O and Tok become more involved with each other, Interpol grows more interested and determined in both of their cases, and Chin is torn between two killers – one charasimatic and sadistic, the other quiet and brutal. Betrayal, deception, and hidden identities lead in to the film’s final half hour, where the film seems to start again with a completely different feel and style. In many ways it works, in many ways it fails to do anything but send the audience into a state of complete confusion. Either way, it’s all of a filmmaking caliber that is rarely scene, especially in newer Hong Kong films.

Johnny To is renowned for his films “The Mission” and “Running Out of Time”, but ever since he began his collaborations with Ka-Fai Wai (a writer/director of “Peace Hotel” fame), his work has gone hill both visually and conceptually. Fulltime Killer is a lone standout visually—every scene has numerous moments that simply won’t leave for mind. His camera is always moving, as if it had ADD, and while that has gotten annoying in other films, here the camera always seems in synch both with the emotions of the scene and the plot as a whole. He paints and dazzles with lights, angels, composition, and movement, and there is rarely, if ever, a dull moment.

Kelly Lin is amazingly attractive. In addition to that, she’s also a genuinely talented actress. She’s not necessarily award-caliber, but she brings a really scene of humanity and reality to her role. Andy Lau seems to be on an ego trip for the whole film (granted, he deserves it), and it actually works quite well for his character. Takeshi Sorimachi gives a rightfully subtle performance. While he really shows no range and little obvious talent, at closer examination there is a lot going on in his eyes and behind his hardened expressions. Where this can be attributed to great casting or good acting, however, I have no idea.

The music in this film is really, really good. It ranges from memorable and beautiful newly composed segments to techno to classical music engulfing and enlarging the scale of the entire film. It’s a great score for any film, and amazing for a Hong Kong film.

Fulltime Killer may not be your cup of tea. There are countless people who loathe it who will gladly make their position known on any message board, and there are a good number of people who think it’s a really great and intelligent action film. I don’t fully agree with either of these summations, but I definitely lean towards the latter. If you’re in the mood for action that will get you thinking, or at least get your head pounding, Fulltime Killer has some of the best action since the end of Hong Kong’s golden era. If, however, you’re looking for an art film that will unravel within your mind within a few moments after watching, you’ll definitely be disappointed.

Most reviews I've read about FULLTIME KILLER seem to have a love or hate opinion of the movie. This is very similar to how many people felt about TIME AND TIDE. Much like Tsui Hark, Johnny To is associated with some great films. This means that expectations are raised with every new project. FULLTIME KILLER doesn't rank with the best Johnny To films but it is still a decent movie with some good action scenes. There isn't much in the way of character development but Johnny To's answer to this is in little moments here and there that give a glimpse of who the characters are. O is a master killer but he takes the time to collect miniature Snoopy figures from each place he travels for a job. This says something about him. Tok is a movie buff who frequently tells of scenes from some of his favorite movies. This sometimes works very well and sometimes doesn't. Tok also has one tragic flaw that I won't mention so it doesn't spoil the movie for you. While the cleaning lady doesn't have too much of a back story, she talks a little more of her motivations. The cop, has a more robust story even though it isn't apparent until the ending. FULLTIME KILLER hits more than misses and is worth a watch. It may not be your favorite Johnny To movie but I would recommend it...

FULLTIME KILLER isn't perfect, but it is entertaining and has some good actions scenes. If you are a Johnny To fan, you will want to check it out. The DVD is worth getting if you like the movie.

The plot is refreshingly simple in this day of convoluted action films. Andy Lau plays an assassin named Tok, who is very talented at his job but also extremely vain. Nothing gets Tok's blood boiling more than someone who mentions the current "king" of assassins, a Japanese man simply called O (played by Takashi Sorimachi), and so Tok sets out to kill O, using O's cleaning lady (the lovely Kelly Lam) as bait. Seeing the opportunity to finally catch the killer, two Interpol cops (Simon Yam and Cherrie Ying) join in the chase.

However, like many other Milkyway movies, Fulltime Killer certainly has its' share of quirk, which only adds to the enjoyment. Tok initially meets up with Kelly by donning a Bill Clinton mask, going so far as to wear it while they see a movie. And movie buffs will get quite a kick out of all the film references, since Tok bases many of his "hits" on scenes from his favorite films. The mix of both straightforward action and unusual twists make for a more interesting viewing experience than your usual action film.

And speaking of action, while Fulltime Killer is not as pyrotechnically explosive as some other Hong Kong movies, it definitely delivers the goods. At first, I was somewhat annoyed by the camera tricks (such as slow motion) that were being used, but as To and co-director Wa Ka-Fai go further into the movie, the cinematography during the action sequences becomes one of the keys to the film. One unforgettable part that uses the aforementioned slow motion very effectively is when Tok blows out a target's kneecaps with a shotgun. It's an incredibly violent and visceral shot, that while lasting only a few seconds, shows that Hong Kong film-makers are still the kings of action, no matter how much Hollywood tries to copy or pilfer them.

Alas, though, Fulltime Killer is not a perfect movie. The acting didn't feel quite right. Even though I enjoyed the characters (something rare for an Andy Lau role for this reviewer), they didn't feel as fleshed out as they should have been. Most of this comes from the fact that the principal actors speak very little of their native language. Though Andy Lau's use of Japanese fit in with his character, the use of English did not, especially when the person he uses English with (Lam Suet, his "agent") is also Chinese. Simon Yam seemed the most out of place. He speaks entirely in English, and while his delivery is alright, it seems to inhibit his performance, which ends up hurting the movie since we're supposed to believe that he goes through some sort of major transformation near the finale.

Speaking of which, I felt like the ending was a bit of a cop out. There is little true resolution to the story. Hong Kong films are known for not having everything neatly wrapped up at the end, but Fulltime Killer tries too hard to have a "twist" ending and fails a bit as a result. But on the whole, as I said before, Fulltime Killer is most definitely one of the best films of 2001 from anywhere in the world. True, it is a lot of style over substance, but, man, what style. Fulltime Killer is a fun and kinetic ride through the seedier side of Asia that you won't want to get off of.

The set-up feels pretty generic. On one hand, there's O (played with the utmost of cool by Sorimachi), Asia's best hitman. He's mysterious, efficient, and completely dedicated to the job, even if it means killing an old friend to keep him from squealing. On the other hand, there's Tok (played with the kind of smarm that only Andy Lau has), the new assassin on the block who wants O's crown. Unlike O, Tok is flashy and brazen, even going so far as to take out people in the middle of a busy street for everyone to see. He dresses in leather, rides motorcycles, and lives up the killer lifestyle.

Caught in the middle is Chin, a young woman hired by O to clean his apartment. In reality, O doesn't live there; he lives across the street in an abandoned warehouse. Haunted by the murder of Nancy, his former cleaner, he watches over Chin and begins to fall for her. Tok begins seeing Chin as well, hoping to use her to get to O. Meanwhile, Police Inspector Lee (played by the venerable Simon Yam) is pursuing O and Tok to bring them to justice. However, the stress of the case threatens to drive Lee insane.

Okay, so maybe it's not quite so generic. But for the first 2/3 or so of the movie, O and Tok play an increasingly complex game of cat and mouse, both with each other, and with their betraying bosses. But just when you think things come to a head, with the police closing in on O and Tok, things just get weird.

It's the growing madness of Lee that eventually becomes the movie's lynchpin. After a climactic shootout leave's Lee's forces in tatters, he completely loses it. He quits the force, and decides to write a book about the case, believing that's the only way he can solve it. Unfortunately, he can never come up with a satisfactory ending. Just when he hits rock bottom, Chin appears out of nowhere, promising to tell him how it really ends.

While "Full Time Killer" is throwing the viewer for a loop, it's also throwing out one movie reference after another, until it almost feels like a tribute of sorts. There are nods to "El Mariachi" and "Le Samourai". "Hard Boiled"'s library scene makes an appearance. Tok gives Chin some shooting lessons, a la "The Professional". Chin's incredulous responses to Tok's claims of being an assassin are reminiscent of "Gross Point Blanke". At first, it's fairly humorous to see a scene from another movie make an appearance. But after awhile, you start to wonder at the point of it all. Paying homage to other, well-known movies in the genre is one thing; but soon, it starts to feel oddly ingratiating.

Any talk about "Full Time Killer"s acting has to start and end with Sorimachi's performance. Like I said before, he plays O with the utmost of cool; calm, collected, and completely brutal. However, O is also wracked with guilt for the consequences of his lifestyle (like the death of Nancy and having to murder his best friend from high school). O is a conflicted person, though he hides it behind an icy, professional facade. Sorimachi captures this perfectly. 95% of the time, O may be a killer. But Sorimachi's performance makes that other 5%, when O wants to lead a better life, that much more poignant. As O's rival, Andy Lau perfectly captures the flamboyance of Tok with the kind of smarm that only Lau can pull off.

But it all comes down to the ending. I have to hand it to directors To and Wai; my jaw was on the ground throughout most of the movie's final act. I had no idea how the directors would try to wrap up the movie, or even if they could. However, as interesting as the ending's concept may have been, that doesn't prove to be enough. The movie runs out of steam well before the credits, and the ending feels like a letdown.

That's because the movie has spiraled too far from its original focus. The final showdown between O and Tok, the event the whole movie's been moving towards, feels like an afterthought, rather than the climax it should've been. And compared to the maddening ride through Lee's insanity, the final scenes feel too nice, too neat, and too simple. Perhaps they had some poignancy in the novel the movie is based on, but watching them onscreen, don't be surprised if you feel a little cheated.