Review of The Replacement Killers (1998) by Michael V — 15 Feb 2010
An exercise in style rather than substance, Antoine Fuqua manages to take the the classic Hong Kong action films of the 1980s - including one of its biggest stars - and create a respectable Americanized version.
Sadly, the subtext of those films wasn't part of the export package but it remains the cinematic equivalent of Panda Express: inauthentic but still tasty. It would surprise me if Chow Yun-Fat knew any English other than that which he had to speak for his role, but he carries himself like a badass and his intense stare needs no translation.
Even with an abundance of slow motion shots, the running time clocks in at a concise 88 minutes, which is a good thing because this type of movie is better off when the number of gunshots exceeds the lines of dialogue.
The action is far from plausible, although it's somewhat refreshing to see a hero use two hands while operating his handgun. Well, at least some of the time.
This review of The Replacement Killers (1998) was written by Michael V on 15 Feb 2010.
The Replacement Killers has generally received mixed reviews.
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