John Woo's influential cops vs. gangsters gun-fu classic comes back to the big screen with a pristine 4K remaster making it a perfect time to revisit or discover one of the greatest action films of all time.
The seamless gun choreography is hypnotic in its fluidity, more akin to dance sequences than deadly shoot-outs – never was the phrase ‘bullet ballet’ more accurately applied.
Hard Boiled 1992
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One of the most iconic films in the history of not only Hong Kong cinema, but in the history of action cinema in general, Hard Boiled heavily inspired modern action films such as the John Wick franchise. Standing against the test of time it is still as enjoyable and entertaining as it was when it originally reached international audiences in the early 90s. Chow Yun-fat having a gun fight with gangsters in an exploding hospital while carrying a baby and singing a lullaby simultaneously is something that must be seen to be believed.
Hard Boiled was legendary action director John Woo's last film before decamping to Hollywood. Here, he is at the peak of his powers. With a cast featuring Chow Yun-fat (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) as Tequila, the rule bending police officer that is too trigger happy for his own good and Tony Leung (In the Mood for Love) as Andy, the undercover cop deep in the triad's inner circle. Together they go up against a gang of arms smugglers in a ruthless gun-fu bullet ballet with no boundaries in sight. — Jordan Salomen