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Summary: Great! But...
Review: Anyone else upset at the release of dubbed HK films? I don't mind the subtitle option but don't release movies ONLY in english. That's why I'd rather spend a little more money and get the REAL ones from HK,
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Summary: The final Fight is awesome.
Review: At the end of the movie, Jet fought with a tall American and fierce Japanese. It is both exciting and enteraining. If you love Jet, You will love the movie.
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Summary: Jet Li's final Hong Kong film
Review: Columbia released Contract Killer in 2002, but this movie is actually a Westernized release of Jet Li's final Hong Kong film Hitman (1998); this explains some questions that anyone watching this film today may have. It's obvious from the beginning that this is a Hong Kong film because the voices are all dubbed (not all that impressively in spots), making it strange to listen to the hard-driving, rap-heavy soundtrack of English-language songs. As you may have guessed, this is not the original soundtrack. The whole movie has a weird feel to it: Jet Li's character Fu is not really the hired killer type, and it's hard to interpret the character in a good-bad dichotomy; the movie also seems to morph back and forth between action and comedy, eventually combining the two into a hybrid that entertains but doesn't feel exactly right. The film opens quite impressively, with the assassination of a rich Japanese business man; the killer is good, having basically outsmarted and defeated a whole building full of bodyguards. Then we meet up with Fu (Li), a seemingly quite nice but cash-poor ex-soldier whom we find in the strange company of a gang of young assassins for hire. There's never really an adequate explanation for how he got in this unexpected business. Anyway, he's looked down upon because he has never really done a job. When he gets wind of a $100 million reward for the capture and murder of the man soon to be known as The King of Assassins, he tries to infiltrate the proceedings. There, he meets up with a con man named Norman (Eric Tsang), who for some unclear reason brings Fu to the meeting with him and tells him he will be his new agent. Fu is an unlikely choice for such a big job, and his first test shows clearly that he does not really have the heart of a cold-blooded killer. Still, he stays with Tsang and mixes it up with some major league assassins and criminals in an attempt to find the killer and claim the reward. There isn't a whole lot of action until the final third of the film, and only one scene stands out in terms of its impressiveness and length. The identity of the King of Killers did come as a surprise to me, although I'm sure it will be obvious to some. The end of the film, I might add, only further exacerbates my problem with the movie's concept; Fu's occupation just doesn't jive with the character's personality. This is apparently as much of a comedy as it is an action film, thanks largely to Eric Tsang's character Norman the agent. You can't help but like the guy, especially given the fact that he doesn't seem cut out for the whole business of contract killing; he is pretty funny for the most part, but he does ham it up a bit much in several scenes. I think Jet Li did a fine job of acting here, but the character of Fu is by no means one of his better roles; Fu is just too vague and self-contradictory in nature. This is not really a martial arts film, I might add. There are several hand-to-hand contests, a couple of them involving a bad guy equipped with blinding light beams on his fingers and boots, but this is more of an action flick that just so happens to feature a few kung fu type encounters. Contract Killer does offer a good view of Jet Li in the time period immediately preceding his jump to American movie stardom, and the contrast between this particular Hong Kong film and his American films is rather striking. You can't get the full Hong Kong experience, however, because of the dubbing and the new soundtrack used in place of the original. Contract Killer is probably best suited for Jet Li fans because the movie itself just doesn't seem to click on all cylinders.
Rating: 
Summary: Hitman Slays Contract Killer
Review: Contract Killer is the dubbed version of the film with the English title Hitman. Hitman is a good action comedy with excellent performances by Li, one of the few times he's not dubbed in the Cantonese soundtrack, and Eric Tsang with the two showing excellent chemistry. When preparing Contract Killer for release, Columbia Tristar appears to have gone that extra mile to remove the funny, cutting scenes where Tsang expounds on how to be a killer diluting his rapidfire monologs.
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Summary: Say no to dubs.
Review: Even though fans of HK cinema have as a whole come a long way since HK films were generally only seen in the states on Saturday afternoon television, some studios are still refusing to provide buyers with the option of seeing HK films in their original language with subtitles. This film is available from Columbia Tristar only in a dubbed format, and for that reason I won't be getting the Region 1 release of this film.
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly Entertaining
Review: For non-wire fans, one of the better movies Jet Li has done. So far, my favorite is Fist of Legend with this being a close second. The action is not senseless or gratuitous, like someone might expect...there is not as much action in this movie as in others by Jet Li, but there is enough, and ALL of it is great.
The story is good too, but the voice acting for Jet Li's character is only passable (not too annoying, but not quite convincing...one of the things you have to put up with in all HK movies unless you want to read subtitles).
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Summary: huh....differnt
Review: Fu played by Jet Li, an ex-soldier who gets hired by a low-rent triad member played by Eric Tsang,to chase a hundred million dollar hit: to kill the King of Assassins, who was responsible for the murder of a powerful Japanese crimelord. Thing is, everyone and their brother is after the reward, including the Japanese guy's son, who's damn intent on getting that 100 million for himself.
Fu seems to have the ability to get the job done, but he's too damn nice, which is a perfect fit for Jet Li the actor. This is actually the best character Jet Li has played in a while, eschewing his humorless acting for a gentler personality. This film effectively dodges the previously inescapable Jet Li bullet: no personality. Eric Tsang and Jet Li make a good team, with Tsang edging Li in the acting department. However, Li isn't too bad, and we hear his real voice for the first time.
Gigi Leung shows up as Tsang's daughter, a budding lawyer who takes a small shine to Fu. As always, she's incredibly cute but she doesn't do all that much. Simon Yam is on board as the cop intent on catching all the hitmen entering HK.
There are some good action sequences that are weighed down by a sometimes confusing and slow/boring plot. But, this film has a definite HK charm that it deserves credit for. This isn't your normal Jet Li crazy fight after fight after fight but it's worth your time, the chemistry between the actors are just GREAT
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Summary: More Jet Li...That Can't Be Bad
Review: God's hitman. That is how people describe a killer who has been eliminating rich bad guys for little or no fee. It seems one particular bad guy covered himself pretty well, establishing a super fund that pays off to anyone who finds his would-be killer, a smart form of insurance. Fu (Jet Li) and the "Crocodile Man" (Eric Tsang) join in the hunt, and the story goes from there. Surprisingly enough, this is a very complete movie in terms of emotions; it's not all shoot, kill and kick. Crocodile Man Tsang steals the movie, pulling off a convincing con man who manages to convice Fu that he needs an agent. His acting verges on overkill, but his portrayal of a betrayed, repentant father, a hardened ex-killer, a fearful target and a saddened friend all invite the viewer to share in his emotions. Actress/Singer (aren't they all?) Gigi Leung provides a pretty face for the movie, and actually adds a dimension to the personalities of Li and Tsang's characters. Jet Li's acrobatics are showcased not only for fighting; the opening sequence shows him weaving in and out of traffic and pedestrians to retrieve some change that had dropped through a hole in his pants. He is also asked to beat up some restaurant patrons to prove to Tsang that he is worthy of the job. His skills are also showcased in escape scenes, more protective roles, and even ice skating--not your usual Jet Li fare. His portrayal of a broke, extremely selective "killer" is both hilarious and frightening when it needs to be. The fight scenes are on the same level as Bodyguard From Beijing or The Master, not quite Fist of Legend or Twin Warriors (Tai Chi Master) good, considering that the last two were kung fu heavy. It's a much more rounded film, where the light-hearted moments contrast nicely with the darker fight scenes. Watch this in Chinese to get the full range of Tsang's vocal gyrations and swearing. Highly recommended for any kung fu collection.
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Summary: What? Great Action? Funny? Sign me up! "Hitman" is a HIT!
Review: Hitmen are apparently big business in this action hit about an anonymous worker (Li) who decides to become a hitman in order to be able to bring his family to live with him. The details get complicated as the designated "hit" puts out a reward for the person who kills them that killed him. A HUGE sum of money put together by a conglomerate of people all working for this guy, is posted out to all prospective hitmen. Jet is coerced by a friendly con-man who wants a percentage of the reward and sees Jet Li as his pot of gold. Jet befriends (I say this loosely) a cop who is also on the case, looking for the person who murdered the businessman. They form a semi-alliance as they seek out the perp for their own reasons. Put in an excellent performance by Paul Rapovski for his role as the super-coolest bad guy with what I like to call "light sabre rings" that blind his opponent and give him a clear advantage. This makes very clear that there will be a major showdown between our unlikely hero (Li) and this delicious villain. The fight scenes are beyond amazing, technically perfect and not too unbelievable as I have found over the years with most of the HK action fight scenes. One gets jaded after a couple too many loops in the air. The fight scenes in this film were very well choreographed and had me cheering. All in all, an excellent action movie with a good story and a great sense of humour to boot.
Rating:
Summary: It's great! See it!
Review: I am a true fan of Jet Li films, and I have to say that this was a great movie! I'm getting tired of flicks that are comprised of no plot and no acting ability whatsoever. This movie had a great plot! The acting was good, and the character developement of Li in this movie was really good. I liked the fight scenes, although I wish there were a little more...
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