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- Verified Buyer
This is an excellent, affordable deuce of John Woo classics. They are an interesting pair, showing different facets of John Woo's directorial style. While primarily known for his action, I find John Woo more compelling for his ability to weave a good story and compelling characters into action scenes. This is what separates his movies from the American equivalent."The Killer" is a story driven, personal, Shakespearian epic of honor and loyalty. Chow Yun Fat and Danny Lee are flip sides of a coin, one a cop, the other a paid killer, who find themselves drawn into an unavoidable admiration for each other. The violence in this film is poetic rather than gratuitous. The ending is personal and the deaths are meaningful. I find this to be the superior film."Hard Boiled" is the counterbalance to "The Killer." It is sheer, over the top violence. Shotguns fire the famous "John Woo Bullets" that explode upon impact. Sub machine guns never run out of ammo. In this film, Chow Yun Fat is the hard boiled policeman and Tony Leung Chiu Wai is an undercover agent that may have gone too far. Like "The Killer," these two dangerous characters gain a grudging respect for each other. Unlike the "The Killer," "Hard Boiled" finds it's big finish in a Hollywood style extravaganza of blood and bullets on a major scale.Again, this is a really great package with interesting commentary and a few features. Who knew that John Woo's films are influenced by the American musical? I recommend "A Better Tomorrow" to follow up this great set.
