“Hitman” Theatrical Poster
Director: Stephen Tung Wai
Cast: Jet Li, Eric Tsang, Simon Yam, Gigi Leung, Keiji Sato, Paul Ropovshi, Frankie Ng, Jude Poyer, Deon Lam Dik On, Sam Wong Shum, John Ching Tung
Running Time: 104 min.
By Numskull
A very welcome change of pace for Jet Li, Hitman features no flying around on wires or other stupid Hong Kong action tricks, unless you count the bad guy who blinds people with light from the rings on his fingers. Let’s not.
Jet Li’s character is a poor mama’s boy from mainland China who finds work…and unprecedented wealth…as a hired hitman (bet you couldn’t figure that out from the title). Eric Tsang skillfully plays his sleazy, Hollywoodesque “agent” who buys him snappy outfits and shows him the ropes; a far cry from “Roundhead” of Lucky Stars fame. His tall, long-legged attorney daughter Kiki (Gigi Leung) doesn’t need snappy outfits to catch the eye and is getting fed up with his wrong-side-of-legal shenanigans, although her significant other David doesn’t seem to mind shelling out bail money time and again. Much of the film revolves around a righteous killer nicknamed “The Killing Angel” whose true identity is a mystery; Simon Yam has a supporting role as a detective who gives our hapless anti-heroes a hard time about their possible connection(s) to the assassin.
There are well-acted, serious moments (mostly with Tsang and Leung), but also some bursts of comedic relief, like Jet Li chasing a runaway $5 coin near the beginning. A lengthy lull in the action brings the middle of the film down a bit, but a really cool sequence in an elevator shaft and a climactic battle involving six characters wrap things up on a high note.
Columbia/TriStar has purchased distribution rights to this film and (as of this writing) intends to release it dubbed only as Contract Killers. I wonder if they’ll cut out the shot of the woman with the Mickey Mouse shirt in the grocery store? I’m tempted to say I hope so…
This is definitely one of Jet Li’s better Hong Kong movies. Better than any of that Wong Jing shit, that’s for sure. Check it out, unaltered only.
Numskull’s Rating: 7/10
