Daft but entertaining action (The Big Hit (DVD))

Member Name: Sputnik_257

Product:	The Big Hit (DVD)
Date:	30/06/01 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some great action sequences

Disadvantages: Poor comic inserts, under-developed plot elements, uninteresting characters

Well there's no chance The Big Hit will make it onto any top 100 film lists - it is a fairly standard and uninteresting action comedy. Yet it has some impressive qualities, and is well worth an entertaining watch (as long as you remember the popcorn and the beer).

The story follows a hitman / kidnapper (Mark Whalberg) and the three other members of his gang, who do jobs for the local crime boss. After a successful 'hit' in a hotel, bringing with it plenty of action and a splash of comedy, the group kidnap the daughter of a wealthy local. Naturally not all goes to plan, and by the end Whalberg's character finds himself being chased by pretty much everybody. We also get a comic insight into his personal life, both with his money-snatching girlfriend and manic fiancée (whose parents, incidentally, are even more manic). The story is far from original, and barely interesting. The plot is clearly geared towards enhancing the comic elements of the film rather than the potentially thriller-esque aspects.

Now I'm not a fan of comedy films, so I approached this with caution. I wanted to see it as an action film, not a comedy. This is where the film suffers - the action is interrupted by 'comedy' while the funny elements are just nonsensical and over-the-top. During the aforementioned hotel sequence, a very impressive shootout is seriously harmed by some ill-placed comic scenes. Indeed The Big Hit contains some of the best action sequences seen outside of a John Woo or Michael Bay film (actually, John Woo does find a place in the credits, but not as director), but unfortunately some viewers may simply not notice their quality due to the film's attempts to inject ridiculous comedy. But for a few minutes at a time we can enjoy some bullet-ridden explosive action, with some inventive and exciting set-pieces.

The Big Hit is not a wonderful film, but is still entertaining and enjoyable. Despite its idiocy, t
he comedy is actually funny in places, while the action is unusually impressive. Yet the film falls short of anything more than light entertainment and a single-watch popcorn movie.

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