Written by Gordon Chan, director of Fist Of Legend and Thunderbolt, The Big Heat may be a little rough-around-the-edges, but it still stands strong as a fantastically gritty, violent, and fast-paced action thriller. Directed by Andrew Kam and Johnnie To, with the great Tsui Hark getting behind some scenes, uncredited, the film is brilliantly shot, in a way that only compliments the dark revenge plot, with its brutal tale of cops and robbers, screaming the style of a certain Ringo Lam, with only hints of light breaking through this raw, gore-filled, dark and exciting Hong Kong gem!
For me, the great Philip Kwok steals the show. Playing a cop on Lee's team, he could have carried this as the lead, bringing an explosive energy to his role and delivering one of the better performances in the film. After watching him in so may Shaw Brothers films recently, it was good to see him in a modern setting. But for Waise Lee, who had made an impression with his breakout role in the classic, A Better Tomorrow, only 2 years prior, The Big Heat helped take him to another level. Playing a cop with a spinal injury that affects his gun hand, Lee is advised to resign early. But when he gets word about the murder of his ex-partner, Lee delays his plans until he finds out who was behind the brutal killing. I would like to say that, if Chow Yun Fat had been in Lee's place, this film would be in everyone's collection much like his classics with Woo and Lam...
When I watch The Big Heat, I see Tsui Hark giving us a project inspired by his time on A Better Tomorrow 1 & 2. With John Woo taking a different approach to his stylised action thrillers, this gave Hark the chance to darken the tone even more, blending his dark humour with more ultra-violent, kinetic action. Working with Andrew Kam, the man behind Swordsman, Fatal Termination, and High Voltage with Donnie Yen - as well as the great Johnnie To who was still fresh as a film director (although had already been assisted on films such as Royal Warriors and Magnificent Warriors with Michelle Yeoh), producer and director Tsui Hark delivers an underrated classic that I say, deserves a place beside the legendary John Woo flicks.
Although leaning more towards that of a Ringo Lam film than the work of Woo, The Big Heat is packed with stunning cinematography that pulls you into the action, making for a tense viewing experience full of graphic gun fights and action, where limbs and heads are blown-off, and kids and innocent people get abused, backed by that stunning, night-time Hong Kong movie lighting, tight editing and great soundtrack. As the plot moves along, emotions run high with each of the cast members giving memorable performances - even Waise Lee, with a great collection of names, some just starting off in their career. Keep an eye out for the likes of Crime Story director Kirk Wong, Wong Hin Mung, Joey Wong, Paul Chu Kong, Ong Sai Kit, Michael Chow, Robin Shou, Roy Cheung, and the aforementioned Philip Kwok, who also doubles up as the action choreographer alongside Joe Chu and Paul Wong. Strangely enough, Kwok takes part in a fantastic hospital shoot-out, something that may just have inspired a certain scene in the amazing Hardboiled, where Kwok plays Mad Dog against Chow Yun Fat's gun-toting Tequila...
Brutal and fast-paced from the get-go, there's no denying its pace in the heroic bloodshed genre of Hong Kong cinema. I love The Big Heat and hope to see it resurrected with a 4K restoration one day soon. Unapologetic in its shock value and violence, the film stands as one of the most brooding and brutal crime films I have ever seen!
Overall: Powerful and memorable, The Big Heat is one of Hong Kong cinema's darkest and greatest action-thrillers that deserves to be seen!
For me, the great Philip Kwok steals the show. Playing a cop on Lee's team, he could have carried this as the lead, bringing an explosive energy to his role and delivering one of the better performances in the film. After watching him in so may Shaw Brothers films recently, it was good to see him in a modern setting. But for Waise Lee, who had made an impression with his breakout role in the classic, A Better Tomorrow, only 2 years prior, The Big Heat helped take him to another level. Playing a cop with a spinal injury that affects his gun hand, Lee is advised to resign early. But when he gets word about the murder of his ex-partner, Lee delays his plans until he finds out who was behind the brutal killing. I would like to say that, if Chow Yun Fat had been in Lee's place, this film would be in everyone's collection much like his classics with Woo and Lam...
When I watch The Big Heat, I see Tsui Hark giving us a project inspired by his time on A Better Tomorrow 1 & 2. With John Woo taking a different approach to his stylised action thrillers, this gave Hark the chance to darken the tone even more, blending his dark humour with more ultra-violent, kinetic action. Working with Andrew Kam, the man behind Swordsman, Fatal Termination, and High Voltage with Donnie Yen - as well as the great Johnnie To who was still fresh as a film director (although had already been assisted on films such as Royal Warriors and Magnificent Warriors with Michelle Yeoh), producer and director Tsui Hark delivers an underrated classic that I say, deserves a place beside the legendary John Woo flicks.
Although leaning more towards that of a Ringo Lam film than the work of Woo, The Big Heat is packed with stunning cinematography that pulls you into the action, making for a tense viewing experience full of graphic gun fights and action, where limbs and heads are blown-off, and kids and innocent people get abused, backed by that stunning, night-time Hong Kong movie lighting, tight editing and great soundtrack. As the plot moves along, emotions run high with each of the cast members giving memorable performances - even Waise Lee, with a great collection of names, some just starting off in their career. Keep an eye out for the likes of Crime Story director Kirk Wong, Wong Hin Mung, Joey Wong, Paul Chu Kong, Ong Sai Kit, Michael Chow, Robin Shou, Roy Cheung, and the aforementioned Philip Kwok, who also doubles up as the action choreographer alongside Joe Chu and Paul Wong. Strangely enough, Kwok takes part in a fantastic hospital shoot-out, something that may just have inspired a certain scene in the amazing Hardboiled, where Kwok plays Mad Dog against Chow Yun Fat's gun-toting Tequila...
Brutal and fast-paced from the get-go, there's no denying its pace in the heroic bloodshed genre of Hong Kong cinema. I love The Big Heat and hope to see it resurrected with a 4K restoration one day soon. Unapologetic in its shock value and violence, the film stands as one of the most brooding and brutal crime films I have ever seen!
Overall: Powerful and memorable, The Big Heat is one of Hong Kong cinema's darkest and greatest action-thrillers that deserves to be seen!