1.5/4  The Replacement Killers Quick Review
Throwing a pretty face and an action star together does not a movie make. Mira Sorvino can act and Chow Yun-Fat can kick pretty much anyone around, but together they look awkward and the story seems to be an afterthought.

2/5 Stupid child-endargement plot
  by A. Henri (Finland)
I guess the viewer is expected to feel sympathy and relate to a situation where an assassin is so warmhearted that he decides not to go forward with his contract of killing a cop because he's playing basketball with his kid. I sometimes consider myself a bleeding heart liberal but this is just plain stupid. Had it been a case where he decides not to kill someone because they make good pancakes, I could have related.

Shallow. Target audience: prisoners who need to feel that there's someone worse than them. "I did this and that, but I'm not a child killer".

4/5 The Replacement John Woo
  by H. Bala (Carson - hey, we have an IKEA store! - CA USA)
- Chow Yun-Fat, in the DVD featurette: "I shot over 556 rounds with two guns. Next morning I cannot hold my chopstick. My hand's too shaky." Just goes to show that even masters of gun-fu can come down with horrifying finger cramps.

In 1998 THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS was supposed to usher in Chow Yun-Fat as the new action hero in the American box office, except that it didn't really work out that way. Chow Yun-Fat is big, big noise in Hong Kong cinema, and very well deserving of his superstar status there. He and director John Woo pretty much made their rep on elegant thrillers like A BETTER TOMORROW, HARD-BOILED, and THE KILLER. But the icon could've picked a better vehicle than THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS to make his Hollywood debut.

It's another story about a remorseless killer whose conscience finally catches up with him. Chow Yun-Fat plays cool professional hit man John Lee, forced to undertake contracts for Los Angeles-based (?) Asian crime boss, Mr. Wei. His first two kills for Mr. Wei were no big whoop, the victims being criminal scum, but then Lee balks at his third target, a police officer spending time with his seven year old child (this is the same cop who had shot up Wei's son). Lee understands that his botched assignment has just landed him in serious doodoo with his boss. Now fearing for his family's safety and urgently needing to get the eff out of the U.S. Lee scrambles to get his hands on a passport. Which is where sultry document forger Meg Coburn (Mira Sorvino) comes in. Sucks for Meg that she promptly becomes, by association, an objective of Wei's vendetta. Lee and Meg go on the run. Cue the bullets. Cue the slo-mo violence.

THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS is the sort of cinema you pop in when you don't want to strain the brain too much. This movie is pretty mindless stuff, with flimsy dialogue, a skimpy plot, and unelectrifying chemistry between the two leads. I couldn't get into the plot device involving Lee's concern over his mother and sister's plight. Frankly, since all we ever really see of the mother and sister is an old faded photo, who gives a crippitycrap? I certainly wasn't emotionally engaged.

I guess I buy Mira Sorvino as the hardened forger, and it's because she's either good enough as an actress that she sells her role or because I'm a dude and this hottie for most of the film scampers around in a sexy black slip, boots and red, red lipstick, and waving a gun and an attitude. That's pretty damn hot. But again it's disappointing that she and Chow Yun-Fat doesn't click as well together. But I did laugh for a bit, seeing as how John Lee paid Meg a thousand dollars to forge a passport and all she ends up doing is gluing his photo on to one. Yes, Meg sure has got them mad forging skills.

By the way, the film title refers to two assassins later hired by Mr. Wei to finish Lee's job and to also take out Lee and his family. This is important only in that one of these "replacement killers" happens to be Danny Trejo, an hombre with a distinctive face who usually ends up playing supporting role bad guys (although he's the star of the upcoming MACHETE). It's always a nice surprise when I see him popping up in a film.

When you get right down to it, I like this movie. John Woo co-produced it - I wish he'd directed it - and there's some here of what he'd cut his teeth on. Antoine Fuqua, formerly a music video director, apes John Woo's sensibilities, but Fuqua is no Woo, and so there's a certain polish or follow-thru or something missing. Still, this is the legendary Chow Yun-Fat taking up a familiar role and he brings his smooth elegance to the action sequences. I feel okay with the world whenever the dapperly dressed Chow Yun-Fat is whirling around and getting trigger-happy with a gun in each hand. What's missing is the man's sense of humor, that sly personality. Chow Yun-Fat instead comes across as truculent and understated to the point of being monotone. I haven't seen THE CORRUPTOR, but we do see a lighter side of Chow in BULLETPROOF MONK. Still if you want to see how charismatic this dude is, I recommend his native films, especially HARD-BOILED and THE KILLER.

THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS, like most of its type, is basically a showcase for one flashy action sequence after another, with scenes of occasionally forced exposition serving as the linking mechanism. Character development, it simply falls on the wayside. Chow Yun-Fat does his stony-faced killing machine thing, and, as ever, he moves with fluid grace, rendered even more poetic in dramatic slow motion. Even though I consider this flick to be John Woo Lite, there are plenty of cool poses and stylized visuals here. But, still, imagine how much more impactful those images would be if the viewer were more invested in the characters. I say, 3.5 stars out of 5.

5/5 Elegant and glamorous
  by Judy K. Polhemus (LA)
Usually, the title of a work is the subject--but not always. "The Replacement Killers" is not a film about replacement killers, but about moral ambiguity, gray area. John Lee (Chow Yun-Fat) is drawn into a moral morass by a Chinese Mafia hold over his family. He must become an assassin to prevent his mother and sister from being killed.

John Lee is brought to the West Coast to kill people, enemies of Mr. Wei, a very powerful drug lord based in the United States with tendrils wrapping in China as well. John's father was an honorable military man before the Cultural Revolution and friend of Mr. Wei. Connections.

When John backs down from his third kill for moral reasons, he has committed "treason" against Mr. Wei and must return to China to protect his family. That's where Meg Coburn (Mira Sorvino) comes in. She is one of the best forgers around. He needs a new passport. When they meet, Wei's hired thugs are right behind. Violence breaks out. That's the back story.

Meanwhile, two real hit men are hired as John's replacement killers. Another reviewer so amusingly describes these men as hit men who actually look like hit men: black leather jackets, black pants, big and muscular bodies and fierce faces, and weapons cases.

Perhaps this will seem strange, but "The Replacement Killers" is an elegant and glamorous film noir. Most of the cinematography is filmed in dark or semi-dark places: her office/apartment area, the car wash, the movie theater, the Buddhist temple, Mr. Wei's business office, alleys and staircases. John's impeccable dress (a suit and tie) and Meg's hip attire speak glamor. Her youthful face, his mid-30's look, hers Caucasian with deep red lipstick and his handsome Asian face make a striking balance for elegance. The background music throughout the film is romantic, laced with Asian mysticism.

Every scene with Wei and the head of his henchmen, Jurgen Prochnow, adds to the striking miasma of corrupted moral values. Just ugliness and sordidness.

Michael Rooker represents a police department that is actually straight and committed to their actual pledges to pursue evil and protect society. As the third party of participants, the police do not back down from the use of arms. Not at any time do all three parties come together for a significant shoot-out. The police always arrive just as the shooting is over. The last big shoot-out between John and Meg and the Chinese Mafia is a battle which stirs the gray area into moral certitude. It's a great scene.

Mira Sorvino is absolutely an essential part of how well this film works. She is no timid woman to be protected. Her part in each scene of violence is crucial. Then gears are whirred and her parting scene with John is dignified yet tender. Amazing.

Most other reviewers love this film. I find the film sophisticated, glamorous, and elegant, not because it is violent, but despite the violence, which is not made glamorous or elegant, just present and sometimes necessary. Moral ambivalence.




4/5 GREAT ACTION, FAMILIAR PLOT
  by Geary A., Jones
This is definitely a movie where style pretty much overcomes the lack of substance. The acting is first-rate, the action is non-stop, the chemistry between Chow Yun-Fat and Mira Sorvino is solid, and the music, and camera-work are above average. The slightly extended scenes don't really add that much to the picture, however. It's a fun movie.

3/5 The Replacement Killers (Extended Cut) - Blu-ray Info
  by LGANS316 (Tokyo Japan)
Version: U.S.A / Sony / Region A, B, C
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
MPEG-4 AVC BD-50 / High Profile 4.1
Running time: 1:36:07
Movie size: 29,08 GB
Disc size; 32,59 GB
Total bit rate: 40.34 Mbps
Average video bit rate: 26.00 Mbps

LPCM Audio English 4608 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 4608 kbps / 16-bit
LPCM Audio Italian 4608 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 4608 kbps / 16-bit
Dolby Digital Audio English 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio French 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Hungarian 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Italian 640 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 640 kbps

Subtitles: English SDH / English / Arabic / Bulgarian / Chinese / Croatian / Czech / Danish / Dutch / Finnish / French / Greek / Hebrew / Hindi / Hungarian / Icelandic / Italian / Korean / Norwegian / Polish / Portuguese / Romanian / Slovenian / Spanish / Swedish / Thai / Turkish
Number of chapters: 16

#Chow Yun-Fat Goes Hollywood (SD - 20 min)
#The Making of The Replacement Killers
#HD Trailers