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I'm a huge fan of CYF - for almost 30 years now. His on-screen persona is just the finest and he is one of the best actors out there!

But with other HK stars transfers to Hollywood - where the big wigs all claim that they know what is best - I was quite concerned for his debut.

Replacement Killers actually plays quite well!

Still carrying that 90's look, we are treated to 85 minutes of stylish Hong Kong wanna-be shoot outs and angles that sometimes overdoes the John Woo homages - some of which are pretty good, some that just ended up quite slow.

Regardless, it was a great introduction to the US audience for HK's coolest actor, and an enjoyable film nonetheless!

The soundtrack is killer for this movie, giving off an edgy yet sexy vibe that the whole movie relies on. The storyline is fairly well developed, the acting is pretty good, and the main characters have good chemistry. The action delivers well enough and keeps up through the whole movie.

i think this movie rocks -- it is the best place to watch Mira Sorvino be entertaining and hot.

i just bought the DVD in a bargain bin and i can't stop watching it. OK it's a bit of a TV movie script. but it's a year ahead of the matrix, and i dare you to watch it without making production comparisons. in fact, i can't watch the matrix any more. so much for movies with great scripts.

so much of the goodness of this movie relies on Mira Sorvino's screen presence that it plays a bit like a bit music video -- it's just plain fun to see her on screen. Chow Yun Fat is good, and this American Chinese boy (me) likes seeing a hybrid movie like this... well, it's fun to see the Chinese guy wear nice suits and kick some a$$ too. i can't watch any of the crappy hong kong stuff that the other users seem to think is superior to this. i can see how HK martial arts lovers wouldn't like this -- it's a very different, very American movie. personally, i'd rather see more clones of this movie than more jackie chan.

hey, did i mention Mira Sorvino is hot? i even like the relationship chemistry that develops here -- sort of like the David Carradine character wandering the desert in the Kung Fu TV shows -- he never even gets to kiss the pretty girl who falls for his decency, but the mutual respect is better that way. more movies need to take this route.

i'm not a Mira watcher -- i've only seen her aphrodite and some awful film school $hit i'm sure she wishes she never made, and her happy day on the Oscar alumni stage. as a Harvard guy, i'm not sure i want to see her in romy and michelle. this was simply a great role for a very underutilized actress at the right time in her life during the era of east-west action fusion. if i were producing movies, i'd kick myself for not watching this movie sooner and taking advantage of Mira Sorvino in her prime. it's not too late -- check our her recent IMDb pics. papa sorvino was right -- his daughter is great, and anyone who says otherwise should get a cap in his knee. this movie is the proof.

Crime thriller. The debut work of the famous American director Antoine Fokua, known to a wide range of viewers thanks to such films as "Training Day", "Olympus Fall", "Left-Handed" and two parts of "The Great Equalizer", and then he was an ordinary clip maker. As you can already understand, if you read my reviews, then I have a personal story connected with almost all the old paintings. Well, it will be the same here. This was the first time I watched this action movie on a VHC tape, oh, there were times, there was still no sense of the Internet, and not everyone had a video recorder, I literally had to cassette tapes, they often deteriorated, then scandals and so on. Oh sorry, I'm a little distracted. So, I don't remember exactly how this tape turned out to be with me (maybe I even begged it out), but I rubbed it into holes. Reviewed an unlimited number of times. In childhood, this picture seemed perfect to me. But now, having reviewed it already at a conscious age, with the look of a cynical beast who criticizes cinema, I realize that the picture is not so cool. There was no disappointment, I just remembered this action movie much better than it really is. And here is my brief opinion - A cool action movie from childhood. Despite a certain nostalgia, I intend to consider both the advantages of this picture, and the cons that are striking too persistently. Then let me get started! So, the pros: 1. Atmosphere - you will be surprised, but it is here, and even very solid. The closest analogue that comes to mind is "Without a Face", and early paintings by Guy Ritchie. The picture literally from the first frame makes it clear that in the next hour and a half we will find a cool and inconspicuous criminal action movie, where a cool hero will throw the adversaries with one left, protecting someone along the way. And, here's a surprise, the way it is! 2. Music - the well-known composer Harry Gregson-Williams who wrote very suitable music for this picture was responsible for it. There are Eastern motives, and sad ones, and pop music, which was playing from every teapot at that time. All this is very harmoniously combined, for each melody or song sounds out of place and does not have time to get bored. Unfortunately, there are no catchy tunes here, but this is purely my nit-picking. 3. Skirmishes - oh yes, it was because of them that I watched this picture countless times, and then imagined myself as the main character John Lee and played in the courtyard with the boys in the war. It was after watching this picture that I bought a gun with bullets for my pocket money. Oh, I'm sorry, I was distracted again, but it was just that. Oh yes, the shootings in this picture occupy almost eighty percent of the entire timing (plus or minus ten percent, but that's not accurate), and they were shot very soundly. Bullets whistle, adversaries die, blood spurts within reasonable limits, professionals work with professionals, in general - class! Do not think it wrong, the shootings here are not a masterpiece, but at one time the picture set a record for the number of shots, which says a lot. 4. History - the seasoned killer ruined the order, as a result of which he became a target, now he has to not only deal with the former employer, but also save several lives, including the life of an unexpected ally who was involved in this whole channel through him. The story for a criminal action movie is quite simple - and this is its plus. I saw a detailed scenario move, for example, in the film "The Crying Killer", "John Wick" and many others. After all, the militants are not looking for complicated stories with an unexpected turn, but for the shootings, fights and chases. The sad moments that reveal the characters of the heroes were also brought into history, thanks for which. Especially now I have watched an extended version of the picture, which added interesting and sometimes sad dialogs. The picture ends at the right moment, although in something sad. For this genre - just right. It is a pity that the picture failed at the box office. So cons: 1. Scenic holes - not without it. At the first viewing, they obviously will not catch your eye, and in childhood I did not notice them at all, but now. Let's just say that in several scenes the actions of both heroes and bandits defy any logic. Does this hit perception hard? No, not much. But when you think about it, you want to exclaim - "Juno, take you!" 2. Final - yes, I already said that it breaks off in the right place, but you know me, I'm a romantic damn! I want another finale, well, please! A little about the main characters: 1. John Lee, played by Chow-Yun-Fat, is a Chinese expat, a top-notch hitman working for a very influential crime boss. He ruined the task, as a result of which he became a walking target. A killer, but with his code of honor. Something like Leon. As a child, I tried to be like him, but I talked about this above. How does he really like a suit and pistols, which he skillfully uses. An unrealistically cool hero, which Chow perfectly embodied on the screen. which is not surprising, given his experience in Hong Kong action movies! Bravo Chow! 2. Meg Cowburn performed by Mira Sorvino is a casual acquaintance of John, whom he dragged into disassembly, and now bears responsibility for it, though the lady is not from a timid dozen, but is able to fend for herself no worse than her forced ally. True, they will not tell us about the acquisition of these skills that saddens. The Beauty of the World coped with this role perfectly, you can't argue. 3. Terence Way performed by Kenneth Zahn is John's crime boss. After the failure of the order, orders to eliminate the insolent. Typical bigwigs. Rich, domineering, and not forgiving. Kenneth just fit perfectly. Still here, cool guys such as Danny Trejo and Til Schweiger lit up. As a result, we have a good action movie from the nineties with a good atmosphere, excellent shootings, a simple but memorable story, charismatic heroes, high-quality music and excellent acting.

Sheesh! Chow Yun-Fat has the silky charm and coiled rage of a tiger, and Mira Sorvino has great legs, but they are both wasted in this dull, Hong Kong action flick-wannabe. The film, about a hitman (Yun-Fat) who refuses to kill a young boy and becomes hunted by mercenaries, is the cinematic equivalent of a fast-food restaurant's neon sign. Flashy and colourful, noisy and shallow, "The Replacement Killers" is never as cool or as exciting as it could have been.

There's one great sequence - a shoot-out in a car wash - and any film with Michael Rooker in it isn't completely worthless. Most of the film, though, is a cluster of pedestrian action scenes centred around a group of characters with no depth. Sorvino is on autopilot as the brash, hard-as-nails chick; the villains are instantly forgettable; and Yun-Fat only gets to glower.

To tell you the truth, I have no desire to write any more about this movie. Having never seen an actual Hong Kong action movie, I can only guess they're better than "The Replacement Killers." In any case, you'd be better off renting one of those.

The Replacement Killers is not only the US debut of Chow Yun Fat, but also the first film project for director Antoine Fuqua. Before his masterpiece Training Day, Fuqua was known for Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise" video and this film. Heavily influenced by John Woo's The Killer. The Replacement Killers is a very stylized, sharp looking and well acted action film. Of course, there is only one John Woo and this film is not nearly as good or as intense as his best work. Though somewhat restrained by comparison, The Replacement Killers is a solid action film in its own right and has an excellent cast. Chow Yun Fat, Mira Sorvino, Michael Rooker, Jurgen Prochnow, Kenneth Tsang and Danny Trejo all give incredible performances that elevate the material beyond that of standard action fare. The film looks great and the shootouts are abundant and high quality as well. In today's world this sort of film is nearly extinct. For what it is(straight up action), The Replacement Killers is well done and much better than most of the action films coming out recently.

This could have been a good movie with just a bit more thought and better plot. I get very tired of heroes that can gun down four bad guys (all shooting back with machine guns) with just a pistol. Mira Sorvino and Yun-Fat Chow wasted their talents creating believable characters in this.

I suppose this is actually a B movie, but there's something about this movie that keeps me coming back to see it again every few months. Maybe it's the rather unique (for Hollywood, anyway) relationship between Meg and John. I mean, they don't even so much as kiss each other and barely touch at all! But I think they make the screen sizzle, nonetheless.

I must admit I love the action in this movie, too. Every once in a while I wonder how a small time forger learned to fight and shoot like she does, but then I blissfully ignore it and just enjoy the movie.

Great action scenes, wonderful relationship development and great acting by Mira and Yun-Fat Chow make this a movie I'm sure I'll see many more times.

THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Sound formats: Dolby Digital / SDDS-8

John Woo (who else?) co-produced this debut US vehicle for Asian superstar Chow Yun-fat (or 'Mr. Fat', as he's known to some careless movie fans), in which Chow plays a hired killer pursued by ruthless gangster Kenneth Tsang Kong (BISHONEN) after refusing to assassinate the family of a cop (Michael Rooker) who killed Tsang's son during a drugs bust. Mira Sorvino plays the plucky con artist hired by Chow to provide him with forged documents so he can flee the country, only to find herself caught up in Tsang's lust for vengeance, as monstrous hit men Til Schweiger (DER BEWEGTE MANN) and Danny Trejo (BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT) arrive on the scene to exterminate both Chow and his immediate family. For all its flashy visuals and explosive soundtrack, Antoine Fuqua's derivative film ploughs a well-worn furrow, slavishly imitating the Hong Kong action-thrillers which first brought Chow to Hollywood's attention, whilst completely disregarding the emotional/thematic resonance that distinguishes Asian cinema from its western counterparts. Chow is OK, as usual, but the part doesn't require him to do very much, and the entire cast (including an underused Jürgen Prochnow) plays second fiddle to the slam-bang pyrotechnics. Routine stuff, with few redeeming features.

The Replacement Killers is notable for being the first feature film of director Antoine Fuqua and the initial American movie for international action superstar Chow Yun-Fat. It contains shootouts galore, piles of dead bodies, and minimal dialogue. The supporting cast is solid featuring plenty of familiar faces; some of whom were pretty popular in 1998 and a few more who would enjoy future success. Enhanced by techno music from the period and oozing with bloody violence the film should satisfy action enthusiasts.

The uncomplicated plot is a prime asset: John Lee (Chow) is a hitman employed by crime lord Terence Wei (Kenneth Tsaing); in order to provide security for his family in China Lee has made a deal to perform 3 tasks. He swiftly accomplishes the first two because they involve assassinating gangsters but he cannot fulfill the third: murdering the young son of police detective Zedkov (Michael Rooker). As a result Wei sends his army of gunmen after Lee and brings in replacement killers to complete Lee's task. Lee must survive long enough to escape to China and protect his mother and sister from more of Wei's goons. Along the way he acquires an ally in Meg Coburn (Mira Sorvino) whom he employs to concoct the phony travel documents required for his journey.

The setup for the film is the best part. Early scenes showcase Lee as an almost otherworldly assassin as he mows down thugs in a crowded nightclub which is followed by establishing Zedkov as an honorable cop forced to kill Wei's hotheaded son in a police raid. Wei is shown to be ruthless and unconcerned with the circumstances surrounding his child's death; he is determined to eliminate Zedkov's son as a reprisal. Meg is presented as a resourceful purveyor of bogus documents who lives by her wits and is one step ahead of the law until John Lee comes into her life. Unfortunately once Meg and Lee are thrown together the film devolves into an ever-escalating succession of increasingly ludicrous shootouts.

Director Fuqua cut his teeth as a music video director and that experience is omnipresent in his initial movie. The film is very episodic with clever camerawork, weird angles, slow motion action, and numerous techno songs to dileanate each violent set piece. Unfortunately the action becomes positively farcical in its excesses. There are endless shootouts with an infinite number of bullets being fired; most of which hit nothing but walls, windows, and furniture. The title characters in particular are two of the most incompetent assassins ever committed to celluloid. It would seem to me professional killers would be more careful with their ammunition, more subtle, and more stealthy; they certainly would avoid shooting up public places when they're only supposed to eliminate one or two targets. Even John himself never uses one well placed bullet when 8 will do. One particularly idiotic sequence requires a common automobile to absorb a hundred rounds of bullets and protect its occupants while remaining drivable. And of course my favorite trope permeates the story: supposedly professional gunmen can knock off every unimportant character with minimal effort but can never hit the heroes.

The Replacement Killers survives and endures on the charismatic performance of Chow Yun-Fat who demonstrates the kind of screen presence that made him a global superstar. He has minimal dialogue but clearly conveys every emotion his character has through body language and facial expressions. Of course, no one looks more natural handling a pair of pistols and Director Fuqua wisely incorporates some of Chow's iconic spinning moves when firing off rounds that he made famous in several John Woo films. He is most graceful in these moments and these action sequences achieve a balletic quality.

Chow receives able support from the cast. Mira Sorvino is particularly effective as Meg; she is both tough and vulnerable while looking like a natural with firearms. Her role is well-written and she is completely believable. Michael Rooker is hampered in his role of the noble cop only by lack of screen time as he delivers a compelling performance as well. Kenneth Tsang underplays perfectly as the thoroughly corrupt Terrance Wei while Juergen Prochnow conveys menace as Wei's top thug. The two title characters,Til Schweiger and Danny Trejo, look intimidating in their leather outfits and comically obvious as bad men while having perhaps 4 words of dialogue between them. Clifton Collins turns up in an abbreviated role as a small time hoodlum and hilariously overplays the part; it's a shame he didn't have more opportunities.

The Replacement Killers is a film that ultimately emerges as a bunch of music videos stitched together with a narrative thread that grows more tenuous as the show progresses. There are plenty of individual scenes that are compelling and action packed although in the context of the entire film they become ridiculously over the top and repetitive. All in all this movie will provide a fair amount of entertainment value and showcase action superstar Chow Yun-Fat in a representative role.

Extended Cut

A well-paced and highly glossy version of a Hong Kong action movie, just made in America, The Replacement Killers marks both the directorial debut of Antoine Fuqua and the international debut of the embodiment of coolness himself, Chow Yun-fat. Chow's unshakable cool presence is inescapable in the midst of a pretty barebones story, it isn't boring, but it could have amounted to a lot more, particularly as the final showdown is so thrillingly chaotic and brutal. No wonder, as the set pieces were all choreographed by John Woo, they shine amidst the chaotic production and how much this film was torn apart in the edit. With some great performances, especially Mira Sorvino and Chow, given he was learning English at the time and a darkly hypnotic synth-driven score by Harry Gregson-Williams (later getting him the job composing for Metal Gear Solid), The Replacement Killers manages to overcome its ho-hum narrative by just being good at what it does.

If you're looking for a basic action movie this may be for you. I think its a very underrated movie. It is stylish, fast paced, well acted, and has a reasonable plot. Most importantly for me its not pretentious. There is actually a pretty good character development too. The characters are actually quite believable and one can feel for the characters played by Chow Yun Fat and Mira Sorvino.

It is not a martial arts movie (see "Return of the Dragon" for that) and its not high drama (see "Leaving Las Vegas"). However for anyone who wants an action movie that is reasonably intelligent this is a good choice.

This movie, despite what you think it may be about, is really about gunfights. There are more gun battles in this film than there were in the Civil War. Pistols capable of shooting dozens of rounds without reloading, criminals who could not hit their target (even wounding it) despite blazing away with - oh let's say - a billion rounds of ammunition, and a hero that is capable of killing them by the dozens. Did you know that you cannot be shot if you drop and roll? Yes, it's true, the gangster shootout version of duck and cover during an atomic attack. Drop and roll deflects all bullets headed your way. So, if you like gunfights with automatic and semi-automatic weapons, and the only reason your life has meaning is to see gunfights with automatic and semi-automatic weapons, then this, believe me, is the movie for you.

Wild and absolutely menacing thriller involving Chow Yun-Fat (in his American film debut) as John Lee, a quiet yet resourceful hit-man who along with a sarcastic forger, Meg Coburn (Mira Sorvino), become involved when Lee refuses to take out someone close to a cop (Michael Rooker), who shot and killed his mobster boss' drug-dealing son during a drug bust and in the process, Coburn and Lee are also targeted by his superiors.

It's a brilliant debut for Yun-Fat and director Antoine Fuqua ("Bait", "Training Day"), both of whom show their skills with such respect. Some of the shoot-outs that take place in some areas that you wouldn't even think of (car wash, alley, movie theater, etc.). Plus, the cinematographer Peter Lyons Collister and composer Harry Gregson-Williams excell in making the movie even more entertaining. The scenery has a very colorful and artistic look to it and the music doesn't get too loud. I think of the movie as "Lethal Weapon" made like in the style of John Woo, who is one of the film's producers.

"The Replacement Killers" certainly hits the center of the bulls-eye with hair-raising accuracy.

This is a criminal and nail-biting drama of merciless killers with full of intrigue , unstopped action, tense , suspeseful , and lots of violence . John Lee (Chow Yun Fat) is the best hired hitman but a relentless vendetta emerges when he refuses to commit a murder because of a morally complicated target . However, the drug lord (Kenneth Tsang) has hired replacements (Til Schweiger, Danny Trejo) to finish the job , and kill the hitman . John then teams up with Meg Coburn to help him getaway these "Replacement Killers¨. Along the way , they're partenered to defend themselves and save a cop (Michael Rooker) and his seven year-old son . Both of whom will fight at whatever cost and they'll stop at nothing to get it , facing off Chinese bands and Triads chasing them , along with The Replacement Killers. Later on, things get awry more and more . Both , John Lee and Meg Coburn are drawn into a cobweb of violence , treason and deception. Kill or be replaced. When people need to disappear, they come to see Meg. When they're about to go, they never see John coming. Conscience has no place in the heart of an assassin. No law. No rules. No justice.

Slick and passable crime thriller in which two divergent characters , a Chinese hitman and a young Caucasian take on a war against hoodlums , rival bands and other underworld factions .Attractive action movie with thrills , action-packed , violence , betrayal and bloodletting shoot'em up . The movie has a John Woo style , there are amount of shoot-outs , frenetic action and running men while they are shooting . Chow Yun-Fat finally receives a Hollywood stardom that already had before internationally in Asia . Nevertheless , the action segments suffer in comparison to his work in John Woo films . While Mira Sorvino is fine as the tough forger and she showcases the talents that previously showed in other movies as Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite , Academy Award included. The thrilling script and interpretation are top-drawer , and there's crossfire enough to satisfy the average appetite for destruction. A good starring duo , Chow Yun-Fat as a troubled hitman who seeks aid from a forger to get papers and Mira Sorvino as the resourceful forger , both of them giving acceptable performances , being well accompanied by an appropriate support cast , such as Michael Rooker , Kenneth Tsang , Clifton Collins Jr , Carlos Gómez, Frank Medrano, Patrick Kilpatrick , Randall Duk Kim and Danny Trejo , Til Schweiger as the ring of hitmen and special appearance by the veteran German actor Jürgen Prochnow.

It contains an adequate and colorful cinematography by Peter Collister . As well as moving and thrilling score by Harry Gregson-Williams , composed by means of synthesizer and lots of oriental sounds . The motion picture was professionally directed by Antoine Fuqua , providing from his standout cast some decent interpretations . Fuqua originally did not want to do John Woo's trademark "Mexican Standoff" in this film , but producers begged him to include these kinds of rip-roaring scenes . This fine craftsman, director Antoine Fuqua , frequently deals with familiar conflicts set in N. Y , keeps the film slick and stokes up the race some , but this only accelerates the flick's deafening rush toward the top and ever over. Fuqua handles the explosive and the psychological undercurrents with equal assurance . Antoine Fuqua has made a lot of succesful movies , such as : The Magnificent Seven , Olympus Has Fallen, The Equalizer , Equalizer 2 , Southpaw , King Arthur , Training Day , Shooter , Tears of the Sun , Bait , among others. Rating : 6/10 . The yarn will appeal to Chow Yun Fat and Mira Sorvino fans.

This movie has almost no plot, and so it relies on an almost endless series of shootouts to make up its hour and a half length. Don't get me wrong, I like a good action shooter film, but this just isn't one of them. The trailers for the film touted Academy Award winner Sorvino, but her acting contribution is non-existent. This one isn't even worth a rental.

Those of you who desire a deep, thought provoking, plot. One which leaves you asking questions, after the movie is done. Well, guess what? This is not the movie for you. However, if you are seeking a high intensity, past paced, exciting, action-packed, drama, stay tuned because the ride has just begun. This is the second time I have watched this movie. I watched it when it first came out and then again just last night. I can't help it but Chow Yun-fat is definitely the Sean Connery of our eastern brothers.

I will admit that this movie is not for everyone. Then again, you can't make everyone happy all of the time. You can make some people happy some of the time. This movie made it's money's worth, so apparently it made most people happy most of the time.