Hard-Boiled

Rating:
Summary: THE best action film I have ever seen
Review: "Hard Boiled" is without a doubt the best pure action film I have ever seen, it makes "Die Hard" look like a buggy ride to your grandmothers house. The action in this movie is jaw dropping, the shootouts are so wll choreographed that they almost look like a ballet. The action is hypnotic. For fans of action movies there is no other choice but "Hard Boiled".

Rating:
Summary: ultimate action buddy movie
Review: This is my favorite John Woo. At first the Killer was. But then I saw the widescreen subtitled version of Hardboiled and haven't looked back.

Contrary to many people, my favorite element in this is Tony Leung Chiu Wai. He's incredibly cool here and gives a greatly underrated performance, better as a performance, than Chow's. There's a scene where he's introduced against the background of some nondescrept music --he's racing through the Hong Kong freeway in a red sports car headbopping to this faceless music. Then it goes on to him executing a "job" and that whole sequence is so musical. It could be cheesy, but his performance makes it effective. Of course that's just the beginning. Actually the movie starts out with a bang and never lets up. The action sequences will prboably never be surpassed.

Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A Hard Boiled masterpiece
Review: If you have seen an action movie but havn't seen Hard Boiled.Your missing out.If you wanna see action every second of the movie,a body count higher then any other movie see Hard Boiled.

Rating:
Summary: CYF AT HIS BEST!
Review: If you like action, high body count, then this is the video for you. I would also recommend "KILLER".

Rating:
Summary: Violence as poetry? I think so
Review: In Hard Boiled,John Woo does A master piece .He brings the story of how two very unlike people come together in order to stop a PLAGUE THAT IS KILLING Hong Kong.And he developes this story thruout intense action sequences.If you love action movies with a brain then hard boile is for you! HAPPY SHOTTING!

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant film, fine DVD - almost...
Review: Selling for considerably less than its erstwhile LD equivalent, Criterion's DVD version of John Woo's HARD-BOILED is packed to bursting with fascinating supplementary materials, including critical essays by the likes of Barbara Scharres and David Chute, and a rather engaging commentary track which encourages a deeper reading of the film's major themes, as well as providing viewers with enough information to reassess (or confirm) all their previous conceptions of the screenplay and its execution. This much is true: HARD-BOILED's complex narrative amounts to a great deal more than the sum of its action set-pieces. As with virtually all of his post-1986 HK films, Woo generates a tangible sense of melancholy by placing honorable, chivalrous - even lovable - characters into situations where all those precious moral virtues are constantly being challenged and devalued by the greed and cynicism of our modern age. And yet, this disc reveals that Woo was eventually persuaded to conclude his picture on an optimistic note, with the villains routed and the good guys allowed to resume their places in the grand scheme of things. It's a daring move, given everything which has preceded it, but no less effective than the all-out tragedy which Woo had originally envisaged. As for the disc itself, the film has never looked better on home video. Criterion's region code-free DVD presents the film at 1.90:1 and restores all of the color and clarity of Wang Wing-heng's breathtaking cinematography. There are minor quibbles: A couple of interior sequences seem overly dark, and several observers have complained that the optional subtitles are basically a transcript of the poorly-voiced English soundtrack - which is included on the disc and kills the performances STONE DEAD - but they convey all the necessary information and are basically on a par with the subs on Metro Tartan's excellent (though slightly censored) UK video version. Sadly, Criterion's DVD does not include the on-screen dedication to scriptwriter Barry Wong - who died while the film was still in production - which appears at the end of the UK video, just before the closing credits appear on-screen. This baffling omission means that Criterion's otherwise superb disc falls just short of being definitive.

Rating:
Summary: Hard boiled, not woo's best but
Review: I've watched it thousands of times. Woo' is known for a great opening 5 minutes. The first 5 minutes of this one is one of the best action scenes ever.

This ones great for actions and stunts. Not as inter personal as his other movies.

This ones got great one liners as well. "I hope that mortuary has good feng shui"

Buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent DVD edition, the best in my library so far.
Review: I've already reviewed the film elsewhere so this applies strictly to this Criterion DVD edition.

Wonderful packaging, great bonus material. The inclusion of the dubbed English version (which I've argued actually surpasses the somewhat stiff original script) was a great idea, and the extra material is stunning: An essay on Hong Kong crime cinema; a library of John Woo trailers that's simply breathtaking, showcasing Woo's miraculous sense of monumental shot designs; a student film which, though not as compact or amusing as, say, Martin Scorsese's "The Big Shave", is still indicative of Woo's development and shows a real sense of black humour and imagery; good commentary tracks by Woo himself and Terence Chang (inspired choice). Roger Avary is the only shaky element here, his comments lacking in economy and eloquence, but merely a small dent in a top-notch package. Also, it's wonderful to hear Woo comment on Philip Kwok, the unbelievably graceful, physically impressive actor/stuntman who shines as Mad Dog in the film.

Criterion wins my trust, making a very good film (Hard Boiled isn't one of my favourites among Woo's oeuvre) great, and giving due attention to the fact that, as with most of Woo's films, Hard Boiled functions both as expressive, formalistic art and simply a thrilling action movie.

Rating:
Summary: Another Good JOHN WOO Film
Review: Hard Boiled is another good film from John Woo, and Chow Yun Fat is as great as ever. If you can try to get this film on DVD (Criterion Collection)the special features are excellent i.e. trailers, audio commentary etc. Criterion have done a fantastic job with this DVD. The only reason I have given this film 4 stars is that in my opinion I do not think it is quite as good as The Killer or my personal favourite Bullet In The Head which I would give 5 stars. But if your looking for lots of shoot-out's you can't go far wrong with this film.

Rating:
Summary: Woo at his best! Wonderful Action Sequences!
Review: John Woo has directed many first rate action movies in America such as Face Off. His films have easily some of the most stylish and exciting action sequences ever put to film.

This one displays Woo at his best. Chow Yun Fat is a cop named Tequila who feels the need to avenge his friends murder by taking on organized crime. The actual man who killed his friend was an undercover cop who struggles for acceptance. His change of heart causes him and Tequila to take on the mob during a breathtaking hostage crisis in a hospital.

John Woo's ability to blend dramatic elements and action is always welcome. This film is probably his best and stands as a real classic in the action genre. Can't wait to see how Woo does With Mission: Impossible 2.