Rating: 
Summary: Intoxicating although...
Review: This is one of my favorite John Woo films. There's no overlaying message except of Woo's usual message of blood brotherhood and loyalty. At times the action in this movie looks like a video game, especially during a hallway sequence at the hospital that is an unbroken two-minute-and-fourty-five-second sequence. The action is cheoreographed by Phillip Kwok who plays Mad Dog in the film.The cast does their job well. Chow Yun-Fat is at his superman best in this film. Woo even finds moments of laughter between him and his girlfriend. Tony Leung shares a quality with Chow Yun-Fat that I love in an actor. They can both commute emotions perfectly with their faces, and they do it without it seeming contribed or fake. This is an incredible action film that knows what it is and it never takes itself to seriously. Bravo John, bravo!
Rating:
Summary: Best Action Movie......Ever
Review: This was the very first John Woo movie I ever saw. After that, I never looked at movies in the same way. This film is jam-packed with so much energy and excitement, it promises an experience that most movies rarely ever deliver(especially in the action genre). It's just that good. I don't want to ruin the movie for you, so I won't go into the plot much, but I will go into why it is so great. First off, it's directed by John Woo, who is the very best director to come out of Hong Kong. To him, a gunfight is not merely people standing around, shooting at each other; instead, it's a graceful, almost beautiful dance of death. Woo knows that the key to great action sequences is objects in motion, and he packs true emotions into them(just as all the great directors have done). Secondly, it has Chow Yun-Fat in the lead, as the tough super-cop, Tequila. Chow is an outstanding actor, and delivers his usual tough-guy performance as the gunslinging antihero; toothpick in his mouth, twin 45's blazing. But, like all of the great action stars, there's more to it than that, and Chow brings something to the role that few other actors could. And lastly, Chow's costar is Tony Leung, a cold hitman who is more than he seems. It's hard to outshine somebody like Chow Yun-Fat, but Tony Leung almost does. His performance is beyond words, and it's where most of the movie's moral themes are derived from. In closing, Hard-Boiled is the best action movie ever. It's story may not be as complex as some of Woo's other masterpieces, but it's still better than almost any other action film. And the action set-pieces are the best ever committed to the silver-screen. So do yourself a favor and see this movie. Now.
Rating:
Summary: The ultimate gun fight film
Review: I often feel that it is a total shame that Hong Kong legend John Woo moved to the United States to start directing; if his Hong Kong magnum opus was any indication, then we might have missed out on some of the best action films ever instead of receiving movies like the dopey Face/Off and the watered down Mission Impossible 2. Hard Boiled centers on two "hard boiled" cops battling a gun runner. The amazing opening shootout in a teahouse alone easily surpasses the entire action content of most American action movies, with hunderds of bullets and a couple dozen bodies being strewn about within seconds. Woo makes great use of Chow Yun-Fat here as his cop, with a .45 in each hand, quickly and with great visual flair shoots the bad guys to pieces, including an eye opening slide down a stair well. The movie would have been good for the opening shootout alone! Of course, it doesn't stop being good there. With every sucessive action scene, the body count, brutality, and the visual bullet buffet increases three fold until a stunningly good half hour battle in a hospital that has more gun toting badguys than patients. Woo makes it all come together perfectly, often having elaborate shootouts take place in only a few takes! If you absolutely can't stand action movies, then by all means, completely steer clear of this one. If you even have a vague enjoyment for any action movies, then hastily put this film at the very top of your wish list and add it to your collection as soon as possible. You'll never regret it!
Rating: 
Summary: Cheesy and ridiculous
Review: I can't believe how well people rate this movie; it was absolutely horrendous. All the gun battles were ridiculously unrealistic and way overdone. All the characters are shallow and most of the conversation is vapid. The body count in this movie must be several hundred. But what is worse, is that there are these sappy moments with the cheesy music where we're all the sudden supposed to care about the plight of one man after we just watched 100 invalids at the hospital get gunned down. I have to say, I'm really not a big fun of most of the action movies Hollywood pumps out, but they are significantly better than John Woo's Hong Kong flics. I still can't get over why people rate this movie so highly after what I just saw. My faith in humanity is crumbling ....
Rating:
Summary: BEST. ACTION. MOVIE. EVER. PERIOD!!!
Review: Prior to seeing this fine flick (for a Literature & Film class, no less), my concept of Hong Kong cinema was of late-night kung-fu fistacuffs, not the action extravaganza contained herein. Boy, amd I glad I found out about John Woo! I went out immediately after class, went to every movie store until I found the movie, and brought it back to show all my friends. Shining endorsements aside, Hard Boiled really is one of the finest action movies ever made, and as John Woo's Hong Kong swan song, the pinnacle of his action film career. The story is fairly simple. Tequilla, a hard boiled cop to do Mickey Spillane proud, is out to nail the head of a local gun-running triad (read: Chinese mob) over the death of his partner. He runs afoul of a planted police agent who has become so deeply entrenched in his triad cover that he even kills the head of a rival gang, and the two must eventually team up to defeat the psychotic triad boss and his gang of gun toting thugs. The opening minutes are sheer action ecstasy as a stakeout of a local tea house quickly turns into a shootout where tons of innocent bystanders and policemen are caught in machine gun fire and that ends with a flour-covered Tequilla putting a point-blank shot into the crook's head. Talk about intense action and imagery! Later action scenes take place in one triad's smuggling warehouse (into which Tequilla drops and singlehadedly takes on and wipes out most of the bad guys) and the climatic hospital-filled-with-babies-and-invalids sequence occupying perhaps the last 45 minutes of the film. The film delivers all anyone could want, from one-liners to intense action--and for those wanting something artistic, the film gives us Tony's (the undercover triad/cop) story of wanting to escape the darkness for somewhere it's always light, and Tequilla's mission to not fail his partner again. There's enough art anyway for it to have made my Lit & Film class. As for the DVD, the video transfer is fine. However, there is not yet a 5.1 channel version out there--and since other John Woo films made in Hong Kong have 5.1 sound, I can't believe there aren't tracks out there for a suitable mix. Still, the film is so outstandingly outrageously supreme in terms of action that I STILL rate it at 5 stars overall, for to do anything less would be an insult to the film. If you like action, you MUST check out this film.
Rating:
Summary: I CANT GET ENOUGH
Review: I first saw this movie about three years ago and have been dying to get a hold of it on DVD. This X-mas I am taking full advantage and purchasing a good set of speakers and mini blinds to lock myself in my room to enjoy this to the limit. I love all kinds of action from arnold to anime, but nothing compares to Hard-Boiled. It was everything and then some of what I could ever ask for in an action film. All of Johns newer more "americanized" stuff is just a walk in the park compared to this action experiance. Woo is tha man! Hong Kong Rocks!
Rating:
Summary: A Gunplay Masterpiece
Review: If you want the action movie of all action movies, John Woo's Hard Boiled is the one to own. Chow Yun Fat plays the hard [nose] cop nicknamed "Tequila" who battles Triad gun smugglers in some of the most beautiful action sequences ever filmed. From the first action sequence in a tea-house where Chow slides down a banister wielding his two pistols(front cover) to the last action sequence (30 or so minutes long) in a hospital, you are in for the greatest shoot-em up flick of all time. My best friend and I tried to keep a kill count, impossible with this movie. Despite the action and carnage there is also a real plot behind the movie and many metaphors for the life of John Woo. This was the first Chow Yun Fat flick I watched, and every film of his I have seen after has never come close to Hard Boiled. This makes films such as Desperado or the Matrix look like childsplay.
Rating:
Summary: Violence doesn't make a movie exciting
Review: I bought the film 'cos I wanted to see a realistic movie. This is not what I imagined.
This is just violent, that's it. This is like the famous doom game. Very unrealistic.
That lot's of violence doesn't make it better. This movie makes you brutal too. If you
have made the mistake to order it then buy a romantic movie or a comedy to keep the balance.
(Example the Crazy/Beatiful a nice one.)
And this was not that exciting action movie. Sometimes it was boring what changed to blood, and so on. The english dubbed is simple horrible.
If you wanna buy an action movie where you are made to stick in front of the screen
then buy a Schwarzennegger movie. If you like martial arts, buy the Royal
Warriors with Michelle Yeoh. It's one of my favorite and it is better in every aspect than this one of a thousand one movie.
Anyway, next time I'll buy a Robert Williams movie.
At least it is entertaining, makes me excited and makes me think of life.
Rating:
Summary: A DREAM COME TRUE!!!!!
Review: I had seen all of John Woo's US films (MI:2, Face Off, Broken Arrow and so on) and I needed something new to tide me over. What I chose was what must have been one of the greatest action movies I have ever seen! John Woo shows off his true skills in this excellent Hong Kong shoot'em up with of course the great performance with the legenndary Chow Yun-Fat, playing the role of rogue cop Tequila. In just one minute I was completely blown away! I couldn't keep my self from drooling while just staring in astonishment! The whole movie was everything I could ever hope for in an action flick. Endless gunfights, great choreography and Chow Yun-Fat just being one bad ..., one man army! Tequila shoots it out with Triads magnificently wheather in a restaurant, warehouse and even a hospital. This movie really shines though in it's high-octane finale in the huge hospital. Tequila and his buddy Tony (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) cleaning house side by side with Tequila mowing guys down with my personal favorite pump-action shotgun. There's also a great scene involving a human wall of hostages used by the baddies that Tequila and Tony save brilliantly! After watching it once I went right back to the beginning just to see it again because it was just so damn good! If your looking for something to just blow you right on your [rear] with classic hardcore action except no substitutes, Hard Boiled is a rare gem.
Rating: 
Summary: A Waste of Time and Money
Review: If you are a student of the martial arts, don't bother to watch this movie. There are only two scenes where martial arts are used, the rest is pyrotechnics and tumbling around. This movie has to be worse than the worst American Western where the cowboys guns never run dry, except in face to face confrontations. Give me Bruce Lee anyday!!!
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