Review of Hard Boiled (1992) by Joseph B — 13 Apr 2016

John Woo's 1992 action film "Hard Boiled" has some of the most exciting choreographed action sequences ever put on camera. Also like many of John Woo's Hong Kong pictures, it stars Chow Yun-Fat as Tequila, a hard boiled cop who is determined to bring down the gun smugglers who killed his partner in a botched arrest turned gang war in a teahouse. While on the trail he comes across Alan (Tony Leung Chu-wei) who is an undercover cop working in a rival triad before being recruited by Johnny Wong (Anthony Wong). Together the two work to bring down Wong's gun smuggling activities. This leads to one of the most chaotic climaxes in movie history leading to a gun battle between the triad and the police at a hospital.

This would be Woo's last film in Hong Kong before heading to Hollywood to make action pictures here. Although, at times "Hard Boiled" plays out like a first person shooter video game where unnammed gangmembers appear out of nowhere only to be killed by the good guys, this may be Woo's best film. It builds more of a story than 1989's "The Killer." And like "The Killer," the movie takes many cues from Jean-Pierre Melville's "Le Samourai" as well as American cop films like "Dirty Harry" and "Bullitt.".

This film definitely glorifies the police and show their regard for human life as that is contrasted with the triad's disregard for anyone and everyone that stands in their way, regardless of age or their physical condition.

Overall, this film is one of the greates action films of the late 1980's to early 1990's and it's no wonder Hollywood wanted John Woo.