Paper Bullets (1999) User Reviews

Tilting the Game

[bkoganbing · 3/10 · 20 April 2011]

Paper Bullets (and I'm not sure how they got the title) is your generic cop action flick and looks like James Russo got stuck with a script that I'm sure Mel Gibson and Russell Crowe must have taken a pass on. Which why they are the stars they are.

A couple of Chinese drug gangs are at war, but one of them has a real unfair advantage because they've got inside help from the cops. That doesn't sit well with the other gangs so when word gets out that there will be a conference of narcotics detectives at a hotel in San Francisco, an Oriental gentleman gets into the hotel and starts blasting away with an Uzi at every Occidental with a badge.

He kills a few and then is executed by Lieutenant William McNamara, but that's covered up. McNamara then assigns James Russo and partner Jeff Wincott to investigate what's behind all this and then throws a lot of sand in the gears of the investigation. But Russo is an alcoholic stubborn cop.

Russo is one singularly unattractive character. Other than being honest and loving his son, he's really not a guy you can rely on. That's all used against him in the film.

James Russo was so much better in films like China Girl and My Own Private Idaho. But it's not his fault, the story is really an impossible one. However violence junkies will like it.

Some interesting things get abandoned for a routine finish

[Wizard-8 · 16 April 2002]

"Paper Bullets" is a more leisurely-paced cop flick, but one that holds your interest for much of the movie. The acting is good all around; even Wincott gives a decent performance. (Too bad Ernie Hudson gets almost nothing to do.)

James Russo is also very good playing the central character, a burned-out alcoholic cop, and one that isn't as sympathetic as you might think. (The scene where he first confronts his ex-wife is an eye-catcher.) In fact, seeing this cop struggling to solve the case under pressure from the department (and from his internal demons) makes the movie surprisingly compelling, despite the fact there is only some sporadic action along the way.

Unfortunately, the movie doesn't bother to stay with this theme all the way through. Near the end, the movie drops this viewpoint (as well as secondary characters and their subplots) and ends things with chases and shootouts around the docks. What's worse is that this action isn't particularly well choreographed and shot - surprising, since the remainder of the movie overall looks pretty decent despite the fact that the budget obviously was low even for a B movie. However, the DVD transfer is pretty poor, so the care taken to make the movie look decent is diminished.

Note to Wincott fans: If you are hoping for some martial arts action from him, you better forget it; not once in this movie does he engage in martial arts, even though there is the opportunity for his character to do so at several points (the most he ever gets to do is throw a few punches.)

great action film

[ethos_leader · 8/10 · 14 April 2002]

this film is great. the story is about a cop who is pushed to the edge when an important witness is killed. a mysterious hitman from an unknown Chinese gang opens fire at a police confrence and some of the cops best friends are killed. . . .the cop is soon investigating and it leads to the kidnapping of his own son. . . etc.... i found it to be one of the best action films i have ever seen and i went out and bought it on DVD. James Russo acts very well in it, as does Jeff Wincott. definetly worth watching. ..

8/10

Better Than "Jack of Hearts"

[tarbosh22000 · 6/10 · 12 May 2010]

"Paper Bullets" is another action film by Serge Rodnunsky. He's definitely hit or miss. One of his other films: "Jack Of Hearts" is terrible.

The plot: John Rourke (Russo) is "A cop on the edge" who's son is kidnapped. Nothing stands is his way to find him, not his captain (Hudson), fellow cops (including Wincott), Nobody.

The action scenes are well-filmed and the actors do their best with the clichéd roles they've been handed. Russo and Hudson are always entertaining.

If you're looking to fill a B-movie addiction, this is a good fix.

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Saw this movie by mistake... well now bad but not that good either

[destroyerwod · 29 October 2011]

Well... I buyed the movie "Combat Mortel" in french from France thinking it was gonna be Deadly Bet also with Jeff Wincott(a martial arts movie of the 90s) For some weird reason, the production compagny in charge of the french DVD production put the wrong movie in the right case... The case is Deadly bet, the menu is even Deadly Bet but the movie is Paper Bullets... So i had replacement sent by the seller, he let me kept this one, so since i got it, why not watching it righ? Jeff Wincott is even in it.

But well, sadly this is no martial arts movie at all, a couple fight here and there, but mostly a movie about a story. The story itself is not bad, but nothing especially impressive either. I had trouble liking the main character, i guess its done on purpose tought but i think the movie searched its place. First its more of a story movie, then the ending let all the character development into the bin and it change into your typical car chase and all.

Overall i would say not a bad movie, but not my style, im glad i got it for free...