Fulltime Killer
Since the departure of Chow Yun Fat and John Woo to Hollywood, there has been a noticeable genre missing from Hong Kong cinema - Heroic Bloodshed. This doesn't mean there have not been attempts to recreate the success, but it means there have not been many good ones. So director Johnnie To in 1999 and tried his luck with the film Fulltime Killer. So with singer/actor Andy...
(Intro)
Since the departure of Chow Yun Fat and John Woo to Hollywood, there has been a noticeable genre missing from Hong Kong cinema - Heroic Bloodshed. This doesn't mean there have not been attempts to recreate the success, but it means there have not been many good ones. So director Johnnie To in 1999 and tried his luck with the film Fulltime Killer. So with singer/actor Andy Lau and Takashi Sorimachi (also a popular Actor/Singer in Japan), and two years in production, 2001 saw the release of Fulltime Killer.
(Movie)
The story revolves around two assassins, O (Sorimachi) and Tok (Lau). O is the number one killer, and is renowned around the world as the best, and for always getting the job done in a calm and sensible fashion. His dedication has lead him to be quiet and to have little exposure to the outside world, except his cleaner, Chin (Kelly Lin). Tok on the other hand is the opposite, he is a new comer, but no less dangerous. He is arrogant, and flamboyant, and he craves attention from other people and the media. But what Tok wants most of all is to be the number 1 killer, displacing O. His only real friend, is also Chin (Kelly Lin), which sets up a triangle. Just in case you thought there is no law, they are both being tracked by one police officer played by Simon Yam and his team.
Simple premise, but does it work? Yes and No, its easier to break up into good points and bad points, as they equal each other.
THE GOOD - Andy Lau who plays Tok, is soooooo cool, his personality is really reflected in the character he plays. Though his acting might be questioned by some, his charisma is there for all to see. The action scenes are top notch, all the action scenes ooze class, by the bucket loads. This action is helped by stylish directing with unique camera angles, sequences and tricks by Johnnie To. The soundtrack is really cool too, at one point you see Andy Lau killing a group of people to a classical soundtrack.
THE BAD - The biggest problem is that the makers are too heavily influenced by Hollywood, which means the film really lacks depth. So even though you enjoy watching the characters, really you don't care what happens to them (maybe with the exception of Andy Lau). Also you sometimes get the feeling that bits of the story is there just to make up the time between action scenes, no better example is the cop (Simon Yam), whose character is important, yet criminally underdeveloped.
Overall I would say this is a very stylish film, and I would make the point it is very style over substance, but still it is very enjoyable.
(Picture)
Unsurprisingly for a brand new the film the picture looks good. Though not anamorphic, the picture is very clean, sharp and levels of detail and colour are top notch. You might see the odd white spec, but nothing very distracting.
(Sound)
There are four soundtracks, Cantonese & Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1, Cantonese & Mandarin DTS, note there is no dub. The 5.1 one is good, but in my opinion the DTS is better. The sound will blow you away, it’s a real sound of beauty when you hear bullets fly round your room. There are English subtitles (which helps), and they are clear and on the whole accurate, (I did notice one grammatical mistake, but its not worth writing home about). Brilliant sound, and good subtitles, really helps add the style to the film.
(Extras)
List of extras:-
Behind the Scenes Feature ( no subs, 25 minutes, but its mainly footage, worth a watch, but not 2).
Making of' Documentary (no subs, 25 minutes, this is more of a long advert, but still worth a watch).
Photo Gallery.
Trailer for the film.
The Director & Cast Information ( this text is in English and very highly detailed, on cast and crew).
Overall not much, but even if there was tonnes of extras, it would unlikely to be in English anyway.
(Overall)
This is very stylish film, and is mainly aimed at the international audience, and on that level it works, but a better script could have made this a classic (like Woo's The Killer). The DVD doesn't let down the film, and is very good for a Hong Kong DVD. If you like style and cant be too bothered with storylines getting away, this film is made for you.
NB There is now a region 1 release, which has a better anamorphic picture, but has 5.1 rather then DTS.
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