Contract Killer (1998) Sat sau ji wong (original title)

Director:

Wei Tung

Writers:

Hing-Ka Chan (written by)
Kam Fu Cheng (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

3 April 1998 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action | Comedy

Plot:

Two hitmen, one a novice and the other a veteran with poor luck, band together to find the "King of Killers" for whom there is a large reward.

Plot Keywords:

Hitman | Shot In The Shoulder | Kicked In The Head | Shot In The Head | Stabbed Through The Chest

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jet Li	...	Fu
Eric Tsang	...	Ngok Lo
Simon Yam	...	Officer Chan Kwan
Gigi Leung	...	Kiki (as GiGi Leung)
Keiji Sato	...	Eiji Tsukamoto (as Sato Keiji)
Paul Rapovski	...	Tall Guy - Eiji's Bodyguard
Kwong Kim Yip	...	Martin (as Ip Kwong Kim)
Hideri Meiken		(as Hidari Meiken)
Timmy Ho	...	David
Chi Hung Ng	...	Father at Amusement Park (as Ng Chi Hung)
John Ching	...	Kau (as Chen Tung)
Kenji Sahara	...	Mr. Tsukamoto (as Sahara Kenji)
Minori Ikarashi		(as Ikarashi Minori)
Mika Kawanabe		(as Kawanabe Mika)
Masako Enokimaru		(as Enokimaru Masako)
Fukui Akihiro
Mitsuru Tokashiki		(as Tokashiki Mitsuru)
Kalo Hiroshi		(as Kato Hiroshi)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nunzio Caponio
Ta Lei	...	Leung
Wei-min Tan
Jude Poyer	...	Assassin (uncredited)

Directed by
Wei Tung		(as Tung Wai)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Hing-Ka Chan		written by (as Chan Heng Ka)
Kam Fu Cheng		written by (as Cheng Kam Fu)
Vincent Kok		written by
Domonic Muir		dubbed version

Produced by
Gordon Chan	....	producer
Tiffany Chen	....	administrative producer
Gin Lau	....	associate producer
Stanley Wu	....	administrative associate producer

Original Music by
Jussi Tegelman

Cinematography by
Arthur Wong

Film Editing by
Ka-Fai Cheung		(as Cheung Ka Fai)

Art Direction by
Bill Lui

Costume Design by
Shirley Chan

Makeup Department
Liu Hoi Ming	....	hair stylist (as Liu Hoi Ming)
Yun-Ling Man	....	makeup artist (as Man Yun Ling)

Production Management
Hei-man Chan	....	production manager
Virginia Chan	....	assistant production manager
Kwan Lok Leung	....	unit manager (as Leung Kwan Lok)
Yun Tao	....	post-production manager (as To Wan)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Lydia Lo	....	second assistant director
Jimmy Sin	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Che Liu Lam	....	assistant art director (as Lam Che Liu)
Lok Man Leung	....	assistant art director (as Leung Lok Man)

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Phyllia Chan	....	foley recordist
Adrian John Doran	....	foley recordist
Patrick Giraudi	....	sound re-recording mixer: English dubbing
Lisa Hannan	....	sound effects editor
Markus Innocenti	....	adr supervisor
John Kohlbrenner	....	sound effects editor
Lok Chee Leung	....	sound
Hing Keung Li	....	boom operator (as Li Hing Keung)
Kei-Wing Nip	....	foley recordist (as Nip Ker Wing)
Nick Watson	....	sound consultant: Dolby

Special Effects by
Stephen Ma	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Chor Keung Chan	....	focus puller (as Chan Chor Keung)
Lam Chow	....	gaffer
Kai Tin Yeung	....	best boy (as Yeung Kai Tin)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Cindy Cheung Fong-Tai	....	assistant costume designer (as Cindy Cheung)
Pik Har Sin	....	wardrobe assistant (as Sin Pik Har)

Editorial Department
Siu Yuen Ho	....	lead post-production assistant (as Ho Siu Yuen)
Kwok Keung Kung	....	lead post-production assistant (as Kung Kwok Keung)

Other crew
Cindy Chan	....	production assistant
Siu Wah Chan	....	action director (as Chan Siu Wah)
Kok Tai Choi	....	assistant continuity
Sau Hin Ha	....	production coordinator (as Ha Sau Hin)
Charles Heung	....	presenter
Wing Kin Ho	....	continuity (as Ho Wing Kin)
Huan-Chiu Ku	....	action director (as Ku Huen Chiu)
Wun Leung	....	service (as Leung Wun)
Chi Wah Ling	....	action director
Yeung Chan Ming	....	mandarin dialogue (as Ming Yeung Chan)
Wai Ling So	....	production assistant (as So Wai Ling)
Rikako Suzuki	....	translator (as Suzuki Rikako)
Wei Tung	....	action director (as Tung Wai)
Jack Wong Wai Leung	....	action director (as Wong Wai Leung)

Production Companies

• China Star Entertainment
• Win's Entertainment Ltd.
• Flea Market

Distributors

• China Star Entertainment (1998) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Win's Entertainment Ltd. (1998) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Long Shong Entertainment Group (1998) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Egmont Entertainment (2002) (Finland) (DVD) (VHS)
• Hong Kong Legends (2001) (UK) (DVD)
• Mei Ah Entertainment (1998) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Nelonen (2009) (Finland) (TV)
• Tai Seng Video Marketing (1998) (USA) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Cubists (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Showreel Film Facilities  Avid editing
• Showreel Film Facilities  post-production
• Showreel Film Facilities  optical sound transfer
• Fine Art Film Production Company  subtitles (as Fine Art Prod. Co.)
• Showreel Film Facilities  studio
• Cubists  visual effects
• Shaw Brothers  laboratory
• Cinerent  camera and lighting equipment supplied by
• Kodak (Hong Kong) Ltd.  film supplied by (as Kodak [Far East] Ltd.)

Also Known As:

"Sat sau ji wong" - Hong Kong (original title)
"Hitman" - Hong Kong (English title) (DVD box title), UK (imdb display title)
"The Contract Killer" - International (English title) (DVD title), USA (video title)
"The Hitman" - Hong Kong (English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and some language

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Japanese | Cantonese | English | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:MA | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:18A | Germany:18 | Hong Kong:IIB | New Zealand:R16 | Singapore:NC-16 | Sweden:15 (video rating) | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-15 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13

Company:

China Star Entertainment

Trivia:

In the scene where they are buying clothes for Jet Li's character, Jet dresses up as several well known movie hitmen, the most obvious is Leon (the Professional)

Quotes:

Kwan:[sipping some coffee] What's this?
[a secretary says it's decaf]
Kwan:Decaf? What the hell's the point of that?

Movie Connections:

Spoofs A Better Tomorrow (1986)

Soundtrack:

Same Story

Jet Li and Gigi - Need I Say More?

This movie is quite a treat. Li does an action-COMEDY film for a change! All of the actors in this one are just superb and well chosen. Before he dies, a Japanese tycoon, expecting to be gunned down, establishes a big reward in his will for the man who takes out his assassin(s). Of course, he does end up being killed, and a cool level-headed dude, in charge of acting upon his will, takes charge of the task and spills out the rules to the band of hitmen eager to win the reward money. A hillarious fat guy, pretending to be a bigshot conman, but who is quite unsuccessful in the trade, takes the rookie Jet Li under his wing hoping to cash in. His lawyer-daughter, played by pop superstar Gigi Leung, tries to straighten out her pop, and begins a platonic romance with Li. The movie's action, comedy, and acting are first-class: it'll have you in stitches at times, such as the teddy bear scene. However, it would have been nice had the romance between the Li and Leung characters been further developed: the ice skating scene was a real delight. Nevertheless, this was one of Jet Li's best movies and certainly a different turn for him.