Hard Boiled (DVD)

note: also appears in part on Flixster and The Student Room John Woo really is one of the masters of action films, and one of his seminal films is Hard Boiled - arguably his most artistically realised, although not his best (that would be The Killer), this is a cracking film that is a cult classic and fully establishes Chow Yun-Fat as an action hero with plenty of staying power. The film also saw a spin-off game - Stranglehold - released a few years ago. The film opens as dedicated Officer "Tequila" Yuen (Chow Yun-Fat) and his partner Benny (Bowie Lam) are attempting to arrest a bunch of drug-dealing gangsters in a teahouse. However, ...  Read the complete review

You'll be hard pressed to find an action movie as cheesy, ridiculously stupid, and clinically insane as John Woo's Hard Boiled. A cult classic, this flick showcases some of the most violently intense action scenes ever created for film, to even rival Arnold Schwarzenegger's Commando (and I never thought I'd ever be saying that). Chow Yun-Fat (Woo's recurring actor) is the typical cardboard cut out action hero- he does his talking with his guns. As the invincible supercop, his reputation as Woo's right hand man, which became from such films as Hard Boiled, rank him up there with the likes of Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Willis, in the group of elite ...  Read the complete review

This is a master piece. As far as Hong Kong actioners go this is the Zenith, there is no better (although it is pushed by The Killer). John Woo shows why Tarantino worships him, and why Hollywood will give him millions to waste his talent. All the signatures are there, Mexican Stand Offs, Motorcycle pyrotechnics, Double handed/cross armed gun play - it's the dog's danglies. This movie gallops along at such high pace that it takes your breath away. The opening 'Tea house' scene is one of the most finely crafted gun fights ever (look out for the bannister exit - it's extreme), only surpassed by Chow Yun Fat (the hero) evacuating babies from ...  Read the complete review

John Woo is one of those directors who has a big name but doesn't seem to have the films that warrant it. Of his US films only Face/Off has really delivered on high octane action all the way through. His asian films are highly rated by most people and they come no higher than Hard Boiled. To be perfectly honest having now seen Hard Boiled I don't really know what all the fuss is about. The majority of this movie moves at a slow pace and doesn't really have anything over it's american counterparts. Chow Yun Fat stars as a hard nosed cop who joins forces with an undercover cop to bust a local mafia led crime ring. Naturally there are guns, lots of ...  Read the complete review

Hard Boiled is one of John Woo's classic action films made before his entrance into Hollywood. Hard Boiled Stars Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung. Chow Yun-Fat plays a cop who is trying to avenge the death of his partner. The opening scenes involves a shoot out at a tea house and is a brilliant introduction to the film. It climaxes in a wonderful stairs scene that has to be seen to be believed!Tony Leung plays an undercover policeman who becomes friends with Chow Yun-Fat and they both fight to end the gun trade. Hard Boiled has some classic action scenes. This film is John Woo at his best. He doesnt have to worry about hollywood bosses keeping the ...  Read the complete review