“Hard Boiled” is a gritty, powerful Hong Kong crime thriller in the vein of “Dirty Harry” that combines exciting, visceral action with characters that you care about.
Featuring strong performances by Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung Chiu Wai, “Hard Boiled” tells the story of Tequila (Chow), a tough-as-nails detective who loses his partner in a teahouse shootout with gun smugglers. Seeking revenge against the ruthless gangster kingpin responsible for his partner’s death, he teams up with Tony (Leung), a disillusioned undercover cop who has infiltrated the gangster’s lair, to bring down the smugglers and stop them from killing.
While the story is solid, the main reason to watch this flick is for the action sequences. Across three unique locations (teahouse, warehouse and hospital) , director John Woo manages to orchestrate a stylish and energetic ballet of gunfights, explosions and bare knuckle brawling that is truly eye-popping. Both Mr. Chow and Mr. Leung are believable as action heroes and very capable actors, imbuing their characters with compassion and bringing emotional resonance to the dramatic scenes.
It is to Mr. Woo’s credit that he allows some breathing room amidst all the fighting and chaos in order to flesh out the dramatic arc of the characters and inject a bit of humor. We can relate to Tequila and Tony -- both are inherently good guys trying to do the right thing against a morally corrupt villain who kills innocent people without remorse – and come to appreciate the bond of friendship that develops between them. Overall, this is a fine blending of action and drama.
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