Ultimately, Hitman is an above-average action movie. While it's pretty much done by the book -- the plot, the characters, the "plot twist" at the end -- the action sequences are good enough (particularly the one at the end, which features three separate fights) to make this a very watchable movie. There are a couple sticky points though; Hitman falls prey to the "mandatory" romance element used in many action movies by pairing Li with Leung (Tsang's daughter in the movie) which really grinds the movie down in the middle. Also -- and this is only from a fan's point of view -- Simon Yam is really wasted in his role and really seems like nothing more than window dressing, which is especially weird, given his significance in the plot. I also didn't like another "mandatory" bit of action films which was present here -- the overly upbeat, "make everyone happy" ending. Hitman isn't a great movie by any means, but it is an enjoyable action movie which should please most Jet Li fans.

"The Hitman", Li's last Hong Kong production before being exposed to American audiences in "Lethal Weapon 4", has surpassed both "My Father Is A Hero" and "The Bodyguard From Beijing" on my list, though it's still a distant second to "Fist Of Legend". Li plays Fu, a poor, inept hitman trying to make it big so he can build his mother a big house and provide for her. One day, he hears about a big job that could solve all of his financial problems. An anonymouse hitman/vigilante ("The Killing Angel") has been striking criminals throughout the city. His latest target was a wealthy Japanese businessman. However, before he was killed, the businessman set up a fund to pay $100,000,000 to anyone who was able to kill his killer.

Fu tries to join the hunt, but is unable to get into the hitman conferences. That's when he meets Nor (Eric Tsang), a shifty man who serves as Fu's agent and sets him up in the hitman underworld. Meanwhile, a detective (Simon Yam) is carefully monitoring all of this hitman, hoping to crack the case and find "The Killing Angel". Fu and Nor get closer and closer to the "Killing Angel", as well as the murdered businessman's grandson, who is intent on avenging his grandfather's death, and Nor's daughter, Kiki (Gigi Leung), who is sick of her father's criminal ways.

The real magic of the film is the chemistry between Fu and Nor. Taking Fu under his tutelage, he shows the inexperienced Fu the ropes, wowing him with flashy talk and clothes. The other high point of the movie is its cheeky lampooning of hitman movies in general. The best example of this is when Nor takes Fu to get some clean suits - Fu tries on various outfits, including Chow Yun-Fat's outfit from "The Killer" (complete with toothpick) and Jean Reno's outfit from "The Professional" (complete with potted plant). There are other nice jabs at John Woo's films and trademark shots (such as slow motion), but they're done with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

Li also does a great job throughout the entire film, playing Fu as a charming, if somewhat bumbling hitman who really has no stomach for killing. However, it's Tsang that really shines, especially in scenes involving his daughter, where he must atone for neglecting her as a child in order to become a successful criminal. But throughout most of the movie, he serves as comedic relief, and you can tell he really enjoys this role and hams it up for the camera.

Action-wise, the movie is pretty good. There were less martial arts than I was hoping for, though Li is as fast and precise as always. I'm always amazed by how smooth and quick this guy is. There are no scenes that just blow me away, but there's plenty of solid action (especially Li's fight with a fellow hitman in an elevator shaft).

I wouldn't call this one a "must-see", but if you have a chance to see it, and would like to see more of Jet Li, you certainly can't go wrong. The film has a very professional, high budget feel to it, even if they reuse some footage throughout the film. Of all of the films I've seen, this is the closest Jet Li has come to doing a Jackie Chan kind of film. I don't say that to compare the two, because they both certainly stand on their own merits. However, it does have a Chan-esque blend of action and humor, as well as plenty of humorous jabs at hitman and Hong Kong movies in general.

I thought that this was rather an unusual role for Jet Lee, his character is rather naive, innocent and far too good natured for a life as a killer. He plays it convincingly though showing that his abilities as an actor, not just a martial artist, have developed. Eric Tsang is as entertaining as ever and has the chance to develop his character through an interesting subplot where he is trying to regain the respect of his daughter, played by Gigi Leung, who believes her father to be nothing but a con artist and a loser. All this, along with the many twists in the main plot, make for an engaging story.

As to be expected there are fight scenes by the barrel load with the usual high quality choreography that you would expect from a Jet Lee film. The one outstanding scene for me involves a fight in a lift shaft on the roof of a moving elevator. However, I did feel disappointed by the film's climax though. Although very entertaining it didn't seem to produce anything new and didn't leave the kind of lasting impression that some of his other films have, e.g. Fist of Legend, Once Upon a Time in China, etc ...

All in all, a stylish movie with good characterisations, interesting plot and well constructed action sequences. Highly enjoyable but not a classic.

Jet Li delivers once again in this action-comedy, though the film is somewhat uneven. Perhaps the first half of the film features too few fight scenes, but once it revs into gear things start popping. There are a few really funny scenes, including one in which the agent decides Li needs to dress the part, leading to a brief but funny parody of other famous hit man films. Jet Li turns in a fine performance as the soft-hearted would-be killer, but it's the action that we've really come to see. Fortunately, the film does not disappoint with a final action scene which once again demonstrates why Li is at the top of his field.