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Yun-Fat Chow, Danny Lee, Sally Yeh, Kenneth Tsang, Chu Kong ... see more see more... , Fui-On Shing , Chung Lam , Yi Fanwei , Huang Guangliang , Ye Rongzu , Wu Shaohong , Parkman Wong , Yang Xing , Barry Wong , Kong Chu

Though John Woo's lifelong admiration of Sam Peckinpah, Sergio Leone, Martin Scorsese, and Stanley Kubrick are also evident in this stylish actioner, the film is essentially a tribute to Jean-Pierre M... read more read more...elville and his cult thriller Le Samouraï. During a restaurant shoot-out, hitman Jeff (Chow Yun-Fat) accidentally hurts the eyes of a singer (Sally Yeh). Later, he meets the girl and discovers that if she does not have a very expensive operation very soon, she will go blind. To get the money for the surgery, Jeff decides to perform one last hit. The cop (Danny Lee), who has been chasing Jeff for a long time, is determined to catch him this time. The film's number of victims makes The Terminator or Rambo pale in comparison, but its brilliant visual style and bravura direction earned accolades even from non-action fans. ~ Yuri German, Rovi

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91% liked it

27,509 ratings

Critics

100% liked it

33 critics

R, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: John Woo

Release Date: July 6, 1989

Keywords: action

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DVD Release Date: January 1, 1998

Stats: 1,602 reviews

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The Killer Explosion Gunfight Sydney Fung, Jeff's mentor The Killer (Dip huet seung hung) The Killer (Dip huet seung hung) Jenny Rifle Jeffrey/ Ah Jong Original "faceoff" Shoot first, ask questions later Weng Jeffrey pointing a cool gun
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Flixster Reviews (1,602)

  • fb1664868775
    March 3, 2012
    fb1664868775
    The best action movie of all time in my opinion. This is the blueprint to all the action films being made today. Even the melodrama is great.
  • itsjustme2004
    February 11, 2012
    itsjustme2004
    I just can't get into this genre of Asian films where the action scenes have added sound effects: like smack..smack..smack..during fight scenes. I've tried, but it just reminds me of those really bad (in my opinion) Asian films from the 70's.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    April 11, 2011
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "I always leave one bullet, either for myself or for my enemy."

    A disillusioned assassin accepts one last hit in hopes of using his earnings to restore vision to a singer he accidentally blinded, only to be double-crossed by his boss.

    ... read more Schoolbook">REVIEW
    Despite a few obvious points of influence (Peckinpah and Jean-Pierre Melville coming immediately to mind), "The Killer" was a wholly fresh film when initially released. Ever since than, Hollywood directors from the MTV school have been shamelessly ripping him off. None of them will ever top Woo. "The Killer", his best film, combines near-operatic violence with a poetic love story in a way no one else can. No other action director since Peckinpah has had characters this complex and fascinating. And like Peckinpah, Woo explores the themes of loyalty and friendship. Hollywood can copy his style all they want but they often forget to include the complex characters, which is ultimately what makes "The Killer" a classic film as opposed to just an action classic. There's much more to this film than just gun play.

    Chow Yun Fat became an international star as a result of his performance as John, the assassin with a code of ethics and a heart. The sheer emotion of the portrayal makes him one of the most fascinating protagonists ever. This isn't a "Rambo" style hero, but a realistic and flawed human being. Almost as good are Danny Lee, Kong Chu, and pop singer Sally Yeh. John Woo's direction is flawless. No one can fashion an action scene like him. The heights of bloodshed in the climax are an all-time high for cinema, but they also have a poetic resonance. The ending is tragic and likely to induce tears in the audience. "The Killer" is quite possibly the greatest action film of all time.
  • allan913
    March 22, 2011
    allan913
    An unforgettable and killer action movie masterpiece. A full-throttle action-packed extravaganza that pushes the limit. A spectacular action flick that delivers some of the best action sequences and gun-battles in Hong Kong action cinema. The gun-fights snap and crackle of pure a... read morewesomeness. Director, John Woo is one of the true kings of action movie-making. This film stand with his best like Face/Off, Hard-Boiled and A Better Tomorrow. Chow Yun-Fat is at his best. A great film that has a great sense of characters and story as well as fire-power.
  • cosmo313
    March 12, 2010
    cosmo313
    From a stylistic standpoint, this is probably the most amazingly violent film I've ever seen. It's not the most violent film overall I've ever seen,(it's up there), but in terms of stylistic presentation of the violence-yeah it doesn't get better than this. Everyone talks about t... read morehis (it seems) like it's the greatest action film ever made. That's basically true. This film lives up to the hype. What makes it even better is that it has an actually story, and not only that, it's a good one. There's really nothing to complain about here. I watched the R-rated dubbed version, which was a bit distracting, but other than that, I've got no gripes. Woo needs to return to making films like this. And Hollywood needs to take notes on how to do this type of thing. Believe the hype-this is a true masterpiece.
  • garyX
    November 5, 2009
    garyX
    When a contract killer accidentally blinds a nightclub singer, he takes on one last job in order to pay for an operation to restore her sight but his employer is less than willing to let him retire. John Woo's international breakthrough film, The Killer explores his favourite sub... read morejects of honour, loyalty, and revenge. It's pure XY pleasing male bonding and excessive gunplay and to be honest, it's showing its age a little. His penchant for heavy handed sentiment is clearly in evidence (although it's nowhere near as cloying as it was in A Better Tomorrow) and the dialogue is clumsy and repetitive; in fact when Danny Lee is describing Chow for a composite picture he sounds like he's in love! But let's face it, this film is all about the action and Woo's trademark "heroic bloodshed" is as thrilling as always, the slow motion acrobatics, duffel bags full of firearms and exploding masonry will be familiar to anyone who has seen everything from The Matrix and beyond. Hardly the height of subtlety and sophistication, but it's still a stylish and exciting throwback to the days of 80s machismo.
  • rubystevens
    June 30, 2009
    rubystevens
    the killer with a heart of gold? chow yun fat plays the nicest assassin ever but still manages to be almost as cool and every bit as hot as alain delon in le samourai. john woo's streak of sentimentality keeps this from being a really great film but it is a great bloody opera w... read moreith stellar gun battles; very entertaining
  • DragonEyeMorrison
    January 1, 2009
    DragonEyeMorrison
    Over the top in the best possible way.
  • Chiefilms
    March 1, 2008
    Chiefilms
    John Woo used to belt out the Hong Kong Classics until Hard Target with Van Damme came out and went Hollywood, love those doves though.
  • kenstachnik
    September 19, 2007
    kenstachnik
    Not as good as I was told, but looking forward to Hard Boiled

View All The Killer (Dip huet seung hung) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
March 1, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

A lot of claims have been made for this campy bloodbath concerto by Hong Kong director John Woo, and I must admit that he's even better than Brian De Palma at delivering emotional and visceral excess ... Full Review

Stephen Holden
February 11, 2006
Stephen Holden, New York Times

The director repeatedly places the viewer at the center of the crossfire and turns the gyrating camera into the next best thing to a lethal weapon. Full Review

Hal Hinson
January 1, 2000
Hal Hinson, Washington Post

This is a rush of a movie. Full Review

Rob Humanick
February 3, 2011
Rob Humanick, Projection Booth

One of the few films to hold a legitimate claim to the title of Greatest Action Movie of All Time. Full Review

Walter Chaw
January 27, 2011
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central

The gotterdamerung of the Hong Kong heroic bloodshed cycle. Full Review

Jason Zingale
April 7, 2010
Jason Zingale, Bullz-Eye.com

For as over the top as [Woo's] shootouts tend to be, the ones in The Killer are some of his most excessive. Full Review

Alan Morrison
March 1, 2007
Alan Morrison, Empire Magazine

It's as much a doomed romance as a shoot-'em-up. Full Review

Jeffrey M. Anderson
October 23, 2006
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

Woo has cited Sam Peckinpah and Martin Scorsese as two of his influences, but he has established a touch all his own. Full Review

February 9, 2006
Time Out

The most dementedly elegiac thriller you've ever seen. Full Review

KJ Doughton
February 3, 2006
KJ Doughton, Nitrate Online

[It] makes The Wild Bunch climax look lethargic by comparison. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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