This has all the ingredients I would pick in a perfect action movie; so why is it not quite hittting the mark?

The fresh faced feel of most HK originals give them a certain innocence, even in amongst the riot of bloodshed that goes with the territory, and it may be that innocence can be lost when transplanted to Hollywood.

This deliberate Chow Yun-Fat vehicle is nevertheless, a very good film; and part of me still thinks i should have gone with four stars!

Yun-Fat has never looked cooler and his dialogue is kept workman like. Morvino is athletic and capable of standing side by side with Chow as the story progresses. The sets and suppporting cast are all great and for once, we have an admirable score to underpin the whole project.

the deleted scenes suggest a movie that was heading towards some pretty lame communist China motivation backstory to the Yun-Fat character and I am glad the editor got his way and kept this as a story about a killer who has a second… more »

This has all the ingredients I would pick in a perfect action movie; so why is it not quite hittting the mark?

The fresh faced feel of most HK originals give them a certain innocence, even in amongst the riot of bloodshed that goes with the territory, and it may be that innocence can be lost when transplanted to Hollywood.

This deliberate Chow Yun-Fat vehicle is nevertheless, a very good film; and part of me still thinks i should have gone with four stars!

Yun-Fat has never looked cooler and his dialogue is kept workman like. Morvino is athletic and capable of standing side by side with Chow as the story progresses. The sets and suppporting cast are all great and for once, we have an admirable score to underpin the whole project.

the deleted scenes suggest a movie that was heading towards some pretty lame communist China motivation backstory to the Yun-Fat character and I am glad the editor got his way and kept this as a story about a killer who has a second thought. The backstory is hinted at but never rammed down your throat.

This is a movie that will grow and grow on you and as such, a perfect addition to a DVD collection.

John Woo as Executive Producer may have given the film just enough of a push to get the film that elusive fourth star had he been closer to the final delivery, but ask me again in six months and I may say its close to a fifth!