Hard Boiled (1992)
Director: John Woo
Starring: Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong, Teresa Mo
Primary genre: Action
John Woo’s magnum opus Hard Boiled is easily the best action movie of all time. Although it might not be as emotionally rich as James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) nor does it aim to create a pop culture celebration the way Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003) did, its sheer skill, and ambition are at another level altogether.
“You’re full of shit, you know that? There’s a toilet over there.”
Part of Woo’s own subgenre (heroic bloodshed) which he created with his cult classic A Better Tomorrow in 1986, gun-fu (for the western cinephiles) reached its zenith in 1992 before the director himself sailed into the more expensive and restrained pastures of Hollywood. Following the bleak, highly emotional, and financially disappointing Bullet in the Head (1990), the action maestro was keen to go back to triads, cops, informants, and undercover agents whose loyalties will be tested. Exploring such societal dynamics could be seen as stale considering how most of the genre output of Hong Kong’s cinema (Long Arm of the Law (1984), A Better Tomorrow, The Killer (1989), City on Fire(1990)) had them explored in exquisite detail several times. This time though to avoid the glorification of Asian gangsters, Woo focuses on the police side giving a bit more of (almost homoerotic) nuance in an undercover-cop-inspector-villain trio that sees the battle for Tony Leung’s character’s soul taking place albeit toning down any superlative sentimental expressions (e.g., The Killer).
Usually, Hong Kong motion pictures venture into sheer ridiculousness with their OTT theatrics, one-dimensional female roles, and way-too-obvious corruption. Hard Boiled though is slightly more grounded on the acting front boasting genuine dramatic heft and intriguing character work on both the hero and villain fronts. Since it was Woo who made Chow Yun-fat a household name back in 1986, who better then to portray the badass Tequila, a cop that makes Dirty Harry look like a school girl in comparison. This invincible god is untouched from the occurring bulletstorm all the while dispatching hundreds of goons as if they are made of paper. Yun-fat’s onscreen charisma works extremely well during the extravagant set pieces as well as the quieter moments such as his dialogue exchanges in an intimate jazz bar. Tony Leung is the movie’s emotional resonance torn apart from the inside due to the things he has to do and lack of control on the incoming bloodshed showcasing why Wong Kar-wai picked him as his favorite actor to work with. The duo is complemented by Anthony Wong’s bastard of a Machiavellian antagonist who crosses every possible line of morality.
Although, gun-fu entries might be disregarded by purists as hyperbolic, nonsense action fantasies, it is difficult to deny Hard Boiled’s excessive bloodbath being a superb mosaic of sound and movement. Woo stages multiple larger-than-life skirmishes throughout some inspiring locations where bodies fall at an extremely fast pace and whole rooms are devastated by a rain of bullets. If destruction is a thing of beauty, then Woo is a cinematic Michelangelo; a celluloid Da Vinci who pulls no punches over its visual representation of what a movie fight should be and look like.
This onscreen excess (the body count is huge) and its craftsmanship is precisely what cements Hard Boiled as the best action film of all time. From its opening scene in the restrained environment of an upper floor teahouse to a videogame like map of a hospital full of bad guys at every corner, Woo captures through several camera setups at different angles visceral mayhem that must be seen to be believed, all his trademarks running at 100% capacity. His infamous 3 minute tracking shot through the hospital’s confined corridors can match Stanley Kubrick’s incredible intellectuality and a showdown with the chief villain’s henchman (Mad Dog played with quiet menace by action coordinator Philip Kwok) is like experiencing a fight choreography with guns instead of fists and kicks.
It is widely known how this landmark Hong Kong flick influenced plenty of giants including The Matrix (1999) and The Raid (2011). Its elaborate and practical choreography and slick visual style do not date the movie but rather elevate it even more than its retro and contemporary peers. While others have seen some of their contribution diminishing through time due to dated special effects or dodgy characterization, Hard Boiled remains not only a deliciously epic bonanza but a defining glorious piece of modern art at the forum of cinema.
Best action film of all time
+Sensational, operatic bullet mayhem
+Incredible shots, stuntwork
+Chow Yun-fat is the man
+Great supporting cast
+Slick visual style
+Surprisingly emotional resonance
-Excessive at all counts