The Killer has
powerful action scenes, with guns blazing left, right, and center. Plus, the
story is so well fleshed out that it’s almost impossible to look away.
After seeing A
Better Tomorrow (1986), I was eager to watch another John Woo movie
from the 80s. If you think A
Better Tomorrow is fantastic, then there are no English words left to
describe The Killer. The movie takes you through every turn you can think of,
and just when you think it’s done, you’re turned once more.
What I enjoyed is the dynamic way the plot builds. Chow Yun-fat was so good in this movie; I can’t imagine anyone else being able to give such a powerful performance. An assassin with compassion—that’s the whole premise this movie is built on. John Woo made sure the action isn’t overshadowed by the drama, nor the drama by the action. The movie is well-balanced, and the pacing is so well done that you won’t be able to look away.
The plot is
about an assassin, Ah Jong (Chow Yun-fat), who was sent to kill a man. While
performing his duties, he meets a lady. His actions at the club where she
worked and where he killed that man affected her permanently. Feeling guilty
for what he caused, he takes it upon himself to care for her, which leads to
them developing a relationship.
Now, Ah Jong
wants out of the triad and plans to do one more job to get enough money to
leave. As you’d expect, things don’t go as planned.
The shootout at
the end is a classic, and I like the way the movie wraps up—not trying to
overdo it or make a mockery of all the work it’s done building up the viewer.
The movie was a
critical success, one that helped solidify John Woo’s reputation as a creative
genius when it comes to action movies. Woo borrowed plot elements from the
French film Le Samouraï and developed the screenplay while the film was
shooting. The main reason we’re getting to see this movie is that Chow Yun-fat
agreed to play the lead role and convinced the production company he was tied
to to fund the film.
The movie has
the same feel as Léon:
The Professional (1994), which was the creation of French director Luc
Besson.
This is my first time seeing the movie, and I can’t believe how fantastic it is.
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