The Replacement Killers (1998)

A troubled hitman seeks aid from a forger to help him get papers to China. However, the drug lord has hired replacements to finish the job, and kill the hitman.

Director:

Antoine Fuqua

Writer:

Ken Sanzel

Stars:

Yun-Fat Chow, Mira Sorvino, Michael Rooker

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yun-Fat Chow	...	John Lee (as Chow Yun-Fat)
Mira Sorvino	...	Meg Coburn
Michael Rooker	...	Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov
Kenneth Tsang	...	Terence Wei
Jürgen Prochnow	...	Michael Kogan (as Jurgen Prochnow)
Til Schweiger	...	Ryker
Danny Trejo	...	Collins
Clifton Collins Jr.	...	Loco (as Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez)
Carlos Gómez	...	Hunt (as Carlos Gomez)
Frank Medrano	...	Rawlins
Leo Lee	...	Lam
Patrick Kilpatrick	...	Pryce
Randall Duk Kim	...	Alan Chan
Andrew J. Marton	...	Stevie
Sydney Coberly	...	Sara

Storyline

John Lee is the best hitman money can buy. But when John refuses to kill because of the seven year-old son of his target, John's bosses send someone after John to kill him and then take his place in the ring of hitmen. John then teams up with Meg Coburn to help him escape these "Replacement Killers."

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Plot Keywords:

hitman | sniper rifle | passport | forger | police | 

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Taglines:

Conscience has no place in the heart of an assassin.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and for language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Cantonese

Release Date:

6 February 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Asesinos sustitutos

Filming Locations:

Union Station - 800 N. Alameda Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$8,046,553, 8 February 1998, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$18,967,571, 19 April 1998

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$35,100,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, WCG Entertainment Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min 96 min (extended cut)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS (8 channels)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mira Sorvino took the role in the film, at the behest of then-boyfriend Quentin Tarantino, who told her she had to work with Hong Kong legend Chow Yun-Fat.

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Goofs

The photo negatives hanging in Meg Coburn's darkroom are actually strips of 35mm movie film.

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Quotes

Meg Coburn: Hostage etiquette: kidnapper pays the incidentals.

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Alternate Versions

Available in an extended version on DVD and Blu-ray.

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Connections

Featured in Chow Yun-Fat Goes Hollywood (2001)

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Soundtracks

Makes Me Wanna Die
Written by Adrian Thaws, Eric B. (as Eric Barrier) and Rakim, (as William Griffin)
Performed by Tricky
Courtesy of Island Records Ltd.
By Arrangement with Polygram Film & TV Licensing
Contains "To The Listeners"
Performed by Eric B. & Rakim
Courtesy of MCA Records
Under license from Universal Music Special Markets

User Reviews

Hits the center of the bulls-eye with hair-raising accuracy.

Wild and absolutely menacing thriller involving Chow Yun-Fat (in his American film debut) as John Lee, a quiet yet resourceful hit-man who along with a sarcastic forger, Meg Coburn (Mira Sorvino), become involved when Lee refuses to take out someone close to a cop (Michael Rooker), who shot and killed his mobster boss' drug-dealing son during a drug bust and in the process, Coburn and Lee are also targeted by his superiors.

It's a brilliant debut for Yun-Fat and director Antoine Fuqua ("Bait", "Training Day"), both of whom show their skills with such respect. Some of the shoot-outs that take place in some areas that you wouldn't even think of (car wash, alley, movie theater, etc.). Plus, the cinematographer Peter Lyons Collister and composer Harry Gregson-Williams excell in making the movie even more entertaining. The scenery has a very colorful and artistic look to it and the music doesn't get too loud. I think of the movie as "Lethal Weapon" made like in the style of John Woo, who is one of the film's producers.

"The Replacement Killers" certainly hits the center of the bulls-eye with hair-raising accuracy.