Fulltime Killer

There's a plot in there somewhere about two assassins and a girl they both have feelings for. One of them wants to take the number one assassin title from the other. But really this film is just a exercise in style over substance. The thing is the style IS great and it's very fun to watch. Well at least it attempts to get serious. A few nice set-pieces though.

My Grade: C+

DVD Extras: 25 minute Making of; 23 minute behind the Scenes; Bios for Andy Lau, Takashi Sorimachi, and Johnnie To; Theatrical Trailer; and Trailers for "The Believer", "the Last Minute" and "Scratch"

Fantastic blood and bullets thriller starring Andy Lau and Takashi Sorimachi as Tok and O , two hitmen at the top of their game. O is the number 1 killer, he does his job and gets away clean. Tok is a showman, taking risks but always making them pay. To be number 1 he knows he has to defeat O, and begins to stalk his prey. Along the way, both hitmen fall for Chin (Kelly Lin), a young Taiwanese woman, and attract the attention of Lee (Simon Yam), a cop determined to bring them both down.

So far, so familiar, but Johnny To delivers a film that ascends over its premise to become a classic of the genre. The action sets are expertly done, and everyone looks totally cool - especially Lau. Slo-mo and visual effects are used but not overused, and there was clearly a decent budget getting thrown around (the list of sponsors in the credits attests to that). There's more depth here than in an average film of its ilk, but there's also a delightful sense of glee in the action pieces that make you think that those involved thankfully weren't taking it completely seriously.

If you're a fan of ‘heroic bloodshed' action and for whatever reason haven't seen this yet, do yourself a favour.

For the fans of the so-called "Hong Kong blood opera" -genre this movie is a must see. Great visual styling, great acting, excellent script with originality and good directing. There is constantly the feeling of great drama even in the occasional moment of stillness. When you've seen all the classics by John Woo then movies like this are where you should continue.

It is the story of two professional assassins who live to kill. Both are act without remorse or second thoughts, are highly effective and completely relentless. Takashi Sorimachi plays O, the Japanese killer who is considered the best in his (admittedly limited) field. He kills efficiently, dispatching the target, his bodyguards and anyone who could identify him. He is quick, clean and much in demand by those who employ him. Andy Lau is Tok, a Chinese killer who wants to replace O but who is considered too showy and flamboyant. When O executes a hit he simply walks away and disappears into the crowd. Tok escapes on a stolen motorcycle while a police station explodes in the background.

They are brought together by Tok's envy of O and Tok's desire to replace him as the most sought after assassin in Asia. While they stalk and spy on each other, they are also linked by Miss Chin, played by the gorgeous Kelly Lin. She is O's housekeeper and Tok's girlfriend. Simon Yam is Inspector Lee of Interpol who leads a team going after both of the killers and who (literally in one case) are always just a step behind them.

There are references galore to other movies: El Mariachi and Desperado, Blood Simple, Hard Boiled, Point Break, The Godfather, Samurai and probably plenty of others that I missed. Even the Warner Brothers cartoons of Chuck Jones are referenced—one of the more outrageous assassinations by Tok has "Largo Factorum" from The Barber of Seville accompanying the action, in much the same way that Bugs Bunny committed mayhem to the tune of Mozart, Wagner or Rossini.

The action scenes are excellent. There are cars that blow up when shot, pistols that are accurate at 500 yards and huge shotguns that appear from beneath short leather jackets but even with these clichés the action set pieces created by Johnny To are exciting, fast paced, very violent and seamlessly shot and edited.

Sorimachi is properly dour and brooding, almost phlegmatic. His understated acting personifies the loneliness and isolation of his character. Lau, in keeping with his character, has a much more florid style—Tok could be a full time smirker as well as a full time killer.

While not exactly a return to heroic bloodshed—there aren't any heroes here—Fulltime Killer uses many of that genre's conventions. Very much worth seeing and recommended.

I just finished seeing Fulltime Killer. What a pleasant surprise. 2 months ago, I was sorely disappointed with the flicks that H.K churned out. Apparently, i was tired of watching every action directors in H.K imitating Tsui Hark, John Woo, Ringo Lam, and Johnny To. Every movie I saw, there was that typical shaky cameras, and sweeping movements, making everything seemed cooler than it actually is. Even the Greats imitated themselves in such mess as Zu Warriors. But then I saw Shaolin Soccer, and that shook my disturbed belief a bit. And today, I saw Fulltime Killer, and my faith in H.K is fully restored. I know that Fulltime Killer is nothing original, compared to the action classics such as "the Killer", but it was done right for once. I found myself lost in Johnny To's perspective of this excellent story. In the end, I took what seemed like the first breath since the opening of the film. Apparently I had a very good time. I was certainly pleasantly surprised. I found that every actors did their jobs well. Andy Lau, who always seemed a bit feminine to me fit the role well, and made it work. I was impressed with Takeshi's performance. Although his role seemed very stereotypical and slightly less demanding, he made it work well. I found myself in awe with Kelly Lin's portrayal of the innocent girl. The action scenes were very well done. Although they were noting revolutionary as the recent films "crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" or "time and Tide", but I found them incredibly effective. The Music was certainly the highlight of the film. Its haunting theme weave in well with the scenes, and made them alive. All in All.... not the most original, but at this day and age, it's almost impossible to find originality. Very fun time, and quite a pleasant surprise.