Review of Hard Boiled (1992) by Philip J — 08 Apr 2012

Hard Boiled is a virtual cornucopia of fast moving thrills, nonstop carnage, mayhem, and action galore. Hard Boiled is the ne plus ultra of action films. It's a film that redefines the action genre and one that is worth repeat viewings.

In the late 80s and early 90s, John Woo, a Hong Kong director whom I fully respect, directed several impressive action pictures including A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Bullet in the Head, and of course, Hard Boiled. While I felt that both The Killer and Bullet in the Head were more engrossing films, viscerally and emotionally speaking, Hard Boiled is a supremely violent flick that never leaves its viewers unsatisfied. The action scenes in Hard Boiled top virtually almost every action/adventure film ever made whether they be from Hollywood, Hong Kong, or anywhere else. In my opinion though, I consider Hard Boiled to be the real John Woo's swan song. This was Woo's last feature before departing from Hong Kong. Still, I am not kidding when I say that Hard Boiled ranks as one of the best action films ever made. You have never experienced a nonstop action thriller until you have seen Hard Boiled.

Inspector "Tequila" Yuen (Chow Yun-Fat) is dedicated to his duty as one of Hong Kongâ(TM)s toughest police officers. He is an unconventional cop (Notice that in action movies, all cops never play by the rules!) who has an unnecessary habit of shooting suspects before arresting them. When he is not busy "playing God" while blowing away bad guys with his .38s, Yuen spends his time hanging out in a jazz bar as a part time musician. He is also trying to rectify his somewhat troubling relationship with his girlfriend, a fellow police officer, Teresa Chang (Teresa Mo).

Tequila's gun-slinging days have been briefly interrupted when his partner, "Lionheart" (Bobbie Au-Yeung) has been brutally killed during a hell-raising shoot-out at a teahouse. Needless to say, Tequila's boss, Superintendent Pang (Philip Chan) is really furious with what has happened and he blames Tequila for Lionheart's death. Tequila though, must keep his head straight in order to capture the gun-smugglers who are operating in Hong Kong as well as to avenge his partner's death.

Meanwhile, "Alan" (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) is in the guise of a smooth gangster who is out to impress an illegal gun smuggler and arms dealer named Johnny Wong (Anthony Wong). Alan must prove his loyalty to Johnny by icing his old boss, Mr. Hui (Hoi-Shan Kwan). As Alan goes very deep into this case, he begins to identify with his criminal persona. This undercover cop realizes that the more he becomes involved in this case implicating arms smugglers, the more he begins to forget which side of him is real...

Hard Boiled is one incredible picture and I was certainly left breathless by the film's conclusion. Hard Boiled is an exhilarating thriller that moves faster than a piercing silver bullet. It definitively surpasses most of the competition. I was disappointed by the time it was over because I was having so much fun watching this movie. I have watched this film multiple times and it remains just as enjoyable as the first time I saw it.

Personally though, I liked both The Killer and Bullet in the Head slightly more because they contained more meaningful themes. The Killer questions the concept of what defines someone as a "good guy" or a "bad guy" while Bullet in the Head deals with friendship and betrayal. However, when I am in the mood to see an all-out action film that still manages to be thought provoking, I would preferably choose Hard Boiled. The action scenes in this motion picture are some of the most exciting, slick spectacles ever captured on film. The gun-blazing shoot-out at the Wyndam Teahouse in the beginning of Hard Boiled is one of the best action sequences ever displayed. This Teahouse literally becomes bullet-riddled as the heroic cops and gun smugglers play a deadly game of cat and mouse with automatic weapons. Normally, an amateur director would simply film the hero shooting, then cut to the bad guy shooting, then back to the good guy shooting, again cut to the bad guy trying to reload, and so forth. With John Woo's technical expertise, he genuinely takes the time and effort to make an action scene look spectacular. And yes, this part of the movie features Tequila in a memorable scene where he mows down two fleeing fugitives while running down the stairs, keeping his back on the stair banister. In the process, he nonchalantly keeps a toothpick firmly on the side of his mouth.

Another tremendous action sequence takes place in a warehouse factory, which happens to serve as a weapons arsenal. The fast paced chases and explosions galore make this sequence one hell of a visual masterpiece. Finally, all of the explosive action culminates in where else . . . but a hospital. The showdown between the forces of good and evil, taking place at a hospital, must have been one of the most elaborate action sequences ever coordinated. I was kept wide awake here in anticipated excitement. All of these sequences alone make this film worth every penny. From the beginning to the denouement, Hard Boiled reinvents the phrase "soup-up action.".

What distinguishes John Woo from most other directors is his outstanding film-making tricks, and these tricks of his are quite conspicuous in this movie. One trick is the use of freeze frames, where the film briefly pauses during a heavily dramatic moment, particularly during the times when a character is "thinking" to himself. Speaking of which, most of the dramatic scenes in particular, are surprisingly rarely dull. Instead, during the film's leisure moments, these scenes allow the audiences to reflect on the character's emotions and thought processes. These reflective scenes permit the audiences to understand who these characters really are and what they have to say or think. Unfortunately, the vast majority of action films these days have suffered a major case of slowdown, where the action factor is put to a screeching halt for the sake of character or plot revelations -- which turn out to be insipid nonetheless. Hard Boiled has managed to avoid succumbing to this epidemic. As well, John Woo's second cinematic trick is the utilization of slow-motion effects to embellish the stylish violence.

Another well-known technique of John Woo is his use of visual metaphors. Some of the visuals in this movie are certainly apt. I especially liked how the paper cranes in this movie served as a reflection of Alan's troubled life. Another noteworthy scene where Yuen slaughters several bad guys while trying to sing nursery rhymes in order to comfort a distressed baby was rather symbolic, in a haunting way. This scene showed (in my perspective) how youths can become desensitized to violence at such a young age. Woo would eventually use a similar technique in Face/Off, where a little boy is listening to the tunes of Somewhere Over the Rainbow while witnessing people being killed left and right.

John Woo also paints the screen red with stylish, hard-hitting violence. His influence on the "cops and robbers" sub-genre is comparable to George A. Romero's influence on the "living dead" genre. It is captivating to note that John Woo is one of the few directors out there who could truly turn gunplay into an art form. I find it rather aesthetically pleasing how Woo can transform virtually any mundane action scene into the work of an artist. As for the graphic violence, yes, the graphic gore quotient in this movie is unbelievably high and shocking. However, similar to such sanguinary masterpieces as Dawn of the Dead and the films of Herschell Gordon Lewis, the violence in these movies are so outlandish that the realism in these effects diminish as a consequence. Sometimes, the violence may also have a cartoon-like effect. As for the film's body count, let us say that the dead bodies proliferate by the dozen. Just try to keep track of the film's body count!

If there is any trademark that truly signifies John Woo as a genius, it is perhaps his talent in integrating powerful characters and poignant action scenes with an intense plot. The plot of Hard Boiled did not match the potency of The Killer and Bullet in the Head. As well, the main character, "Tequila" was too much of an old hat for my taste, but the deft performances compensate for what could have been better and more original characters. Special acclamation goes to actor Tony Leung Chiu Wai, who was absolutely convincing as Alan, an undercover cop who cannot decide what is more important: his duty, or his conscience. Unlike Chow's character, Tequila, who is a bit too stereotypical as the hard boiled cop -- though I admit that he is the embodiment of all of the cool cliches -- Leung gives a heartfelt, trenchant performance. He certainly deserved his nomination of Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 Hong Kong Film Awards (Hong Kong's equivalent to the Academy Awards).

Asian superstar Chow Yun-Fat is also an exceptional actor, and while he does a superlative job portraying a cop who prefers to serve his own "brand" of justice, I could not help but believe that his character is too stereotypical of how movies portray the heroic cop. His type of character -- a vigilant cop who thinks that he is the law -- has already been played to the hilt by veteran actors Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, Wings Hauser, and Sylvester Stallone. It is not really Chow Yun-Fat's fault; in fact, he did remarkably well adding life and energy into his role. It is just that the screenplay has developed this guy too much into the customary trigger-happy cop. I did not find Chow's character to be as intriguing as the other main character, Alan.

The two lead villains, Johnny Wong and his right-hand man, the psychopathic Mad Dog (Philip Kwok) were definitely cinematic examples of bad guys who deserve all the boos and hisses from the audiences. Veteran character actor Anthony Wong gave a show-stopping performance as the black hearted gangster, Johnny Wong. This antagonist is pure, manifested evil. He is someone who is willing to kill anybody who happens to stand in his way... Johnny is definitely the villain whom you want to spit on!

What is also interesting in Hard Boiled is that this film features a stronger female character, Teresa. In contrast to Sally Yen (Yolinda Yam) in Bullet in the Head , and Jennie (Sally Yeh) in The Killer, Teresa represents a more feminist character, someone who is more assertive rather than passive. Perhaps this is a sign of growing feminism in male dominant action movies. Still, on a side note, Teresa here continues to be primarily relegated as Tequila's love interest.

Hard Boiled is one of his defining films where viewers will see John Woo as a master cinematic virtuoso. Though John Woo has directed some quality action films in America, these motion pictures are just not up to par, in terms of depth and profundity, with the masterpieces he made in Hong Kong. Face/Off is very close though. Woo also has made a comeback in China with the epic Red Cliff movies. However, in the end, Hard Boiled is the film which shows how John Woo deserved all the accolades. This is the John Woo that his loyal fans have come to worship like a historical figure. Even if Hard Boiled is slightly long (2 hours and 6 minutes), it is certainly worth that evening rental. Would I recommend Hard Boiled to hard core action fans? Hell yeah! Hard Boiled rocks. It is a great film where one can watch it many times over and still get a kick out of the fact that this film is so grand. Like a roller coaster ride, Hard Boiled constantly builds up tension and excitement, yet the thrills never alleviate until the absolute end. However, Hard Boiled is more than just a straightforward, straitlaced action flick. This is a film done with a lot of style and subtlety in terms of imagery, technical aspects, a stupendous cast with John Woo even contributing a small role as a bar owner and personal friend of Tequila, and of course the aesthetic violence. It is all of the little, assiduous details which allow this film to transcend beyond the typical shoot 'em up thriller. To this day, Hard Boiled remains one of my very favorite action films. While both The Killer and Bullet in the Head edge Hard Boiled both in terms of plot and themes, Hard Boiled tops them all when it comes to all out, ballistic action movies.