Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extended Cut vs. Regular Cut, IS IT WORTH IT?, June 30, 2006
The five stars are for the movie itself. As for this Extended Cut and whether or not it is worth getting, read on:
If your a dedicated fan of the movie (as I am) then it is worth it (though I find it pathetic that the studio could not put the director commentary on this Extended Edition, which appears on the Special Edition). You wont find a great deal of difference in the Extended Edition in the sense of a lot of new large segments or anything. There are a few longer segments that are new, mostly things which enhance character background. And there are some very interesting small segments, simple lines, etc., that bring an even darker and rougher edge to the picture, to characters statements, etc. As I have watched the standard release many times, I noticed these things. But others may not if they have seen the picture only once or twice. So, in a sense, the movie is a little more fleshed out when it comes to character development. That seems to be the main point of the Extended Cut, as well as the studios way of trying to get people to stay interested in the film, keep it in circulation, and make more money off it, etc.
Is the movie better or worse for these additions? Well, as it does not seem/indicate that it is a director approved cut, I am leery to say it is better. I'm more interested in the vision of film that the artist who created it has in mind. However, unlike so many films where such additions seem silly or pointless, I found most of these additions to have actual merit to an already great movie. In the long run, I would say, in the spirit of the movie, that the additions make the film no better or worse, they just are. And I think that is the best kind of complement that could probably be paid. If you already own the previous SE edition this probably won't be a worthwhile upgrade to the average fan. If you don't own the movie yet, or are a big fan of the film, I would recommend it.
Video presentation here is in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen, supposedly digitally remastered. Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround; this is a fine track, making good use of surround channels for the incredible amount of gunfire and action present throughout the film. While I would have preferred seeing a DTS option for a movie so dependent on action interplay, what we are given does the job very well. To sum up, the video and audio of the original release were already great and I don't see any real improvement here in the Extended Edition.
For the most part, The Replacement Killers succeeds as an early attempt to bring a Hong Kong style action film to American audiences. Chow Yun-Fat and Mira Sorvino give solid performances and actually have good chemistry. The characters and story are developed real well and it has become a cult hit among fans of the genre. It also has managed to find appeal with others outside the genre. The credit for this goes to the director, the story, and the chemistry between Chow Yun-Fat and Mira Sorvino. A loose though relevant comparison would be to call it the sort of Cary Grant & Lauren Bacall mix of our times. The Replacement Killers rocks!
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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kill or be replaced., October 10, 2003
In reading reviews for Chow-Yun Fat's first American movie, The Replacement Killers, it seems people either really liked it or really hated it. I, myself, really loved the movie.The story centers on John Lee (Chow Yun-Fat), a hitman who fails to carry out a contract for moral reason, and soon finds himself and his family targets by the mob that hired him. In an effort to save his family, he goes to Meg Coburn (Mira Sorvino), a specialist in making forged documents, to hire her to make him a passport so he can get back to China and protect his family from the vengeful wrath of an Asian mafia. She soon becomes entangled in the war between John and his former employers. In the meantime, other assassins are brought in, the replacement killers, to finish what John couldn't, and to also kill John for his failure. Some have complained that the movie is too short, but I would say it's tight. How many times have you watched a movie and thought the movie could have been shorter? So many times I have thought certain scenes in movies serve no other purpose other than to pad out the run time. This is a lean movie (87 mins) with lots of action. The pacing was such that it didn't allow for a lot of character development, but I felt there was enough to drive the story. I think Antoine Fuqua did an excellent job directing this movie, keeping the focus on the action rather than getting mired in useless details. Some have criticized Mira Sorvino's character and her change of heart in the movie, saying that it was unrealistic. Well, I thought the whole movie was unrealistic, but I was just along for the ride. Did that element hurt the movie? I didn't think so...unrealistic? Maybe, but how many HK actions movies have you seen where something comes out of left field, like a main character changing allegiances? She did speak of how sometimes it was necessary to do the right thing, doing that one good think to make up for all the bad things. Most movies require a suspension of disbelief, and some require more than others. If you really want pick on a character that acted unrealistically, look at Kogan, played by Jurgen Prochnow. He appeared to be a high ranking member in the Asian mob after John but in a few scenes we see him involved in doing rather menial tasks better assigned to henchmen. His boss, Terrence Wei (Kenneth Tsang), did say something along the lines of taking a more hands on approach after the first failed attempt on John's life, but I think Kogan might have taken it a little too serious. At one point, he was staked out eavesdropping on a cop, trying to get specific information. Didn't seem like he would be so involved at that level of operations, but I let it slide. Anyway, I had a lot of fun with this movie, and while not substantial in some areas, it certainly delivered with the action. Slick visuals, fast pacing, and lean story come together and work where others have failed. Also, the soundtrack really works well, complimenting the movie nicely, while not overshadowing it.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Lord! The Bad guys actually look like bad guys!, April 8, 1999
By A Customer
That's effin' illegal! In a day where every bad guy that has appeared in an action movie looks like he escaped from a guess jeans commercial, its nice to see a movie where the bad guys look like some SOB you would not want to meet in a dark alley. And with the likes of Dan Trejo and Jurgen Pronchow in this movie you've got plenty of them.PLOT Same old song and dance as a lot of other movies, Morally righteous assassin (how the heck does that work anyway?) John Lee (Chow Yun Fat) refuses to kill the son of the cop (Micheal Rooker)that killed the son of his employer, Mr. Wai. So Mr. Wai calls in two assassins(Trejo and some other guy) who don't know the meaning of the word low profile. Their job, kill John then kill the boy. Meanwhile John, realizing that his disobedience has pissed off his boss, needs to get his family out of Shanghai before they get eliminated. From the far side of the stage enters Meg Coburn (Sorvino) a document forger who can turn Wai's army of rent a thugs into hamburger with the best of them. After Wai's trenchcoat & Armani clad goons make swiss cheese out of her home, she and John pair up to stop Wai. REVIEW First off, Kudos to Fuqua for being one of the few directors who ever did the Woo-trademark two fisted gunfight the right way. (Bad memories of Double Impact's sucky shoot outs starting to arise....ack! eye's glazing over....medic!) The action scene are awesome, kick butt, etc.,etc. and score brownie points for the unusal locations they're set in. There's one set in a car wash (While its running, not only is he dodging bullets, but hot wax as well!) another takes place in a movie theatre showing a Mr. Magoo cartoon and a video arcade, where SEGA product placement doth conquer all. The final shootout is also ultrabitchin' to watch, concluding with a who-can-reload-and-shoot-the-fastest-mexican-standoff between Chow and his ex-boss.And the photography and camera work in this movie is pretty damn impressive, meaning this is one good looking movie, whether the camera lingers on a Buddha statue or on a hood getting splattered in slow mo. Any problems? 'fraid so dear listener, while the gunfights make this movie worth watching, the performances range from Above average, ( Chow being a cool & silent Charles Bronson type) to cheesy (Jurgen Pronchow spouting off every cliched line in the book and coming up with a few new ones. ) However watching Sorvino doing a Dirty Harriet routine is fun. (Heck watching Sorvino is fun period! heh heh) and the actor who plays Mr. Wai has his moments. The script is predictable in parts but adequate enough. Overall, a good action pick to watch with a bowl of popcorn in your lap and that special someone sitting by you when you have and afternoon to kill.
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