Just Heroes

Yi Dan Qun Ying/Just Heroes(1987) is a very good action flick with tones of King Lear. Just Heroes(1987) was done between A Better Tomorrow 2(1987) and The Killer(1989). The film is really a parody of A Better Tomorrow 1&2. There is a character in the film who likes to recite lines by Mark of A Better Tomorrow(1986). John Woo even pokes fun at the famous guns in the flower pot scene by using it again.

This was one of two films that Danny Lee did not appear as a Police Officer(the other being City on Fire). The film opens and ends with some excellent gun play. Its about members of a Mob gang who scamble for control after the head is assassinated. Danny Lee is very good in the role of the confused Sou. John Chiang is good as the idealistic Wai.

Although not as brilliant as the best of John Woo, its still superior to three out of four films that he has done in the USA. Just Heroes is notable for the early appearence of Comedian Stephen Chow in a dramatic role. Deals with the themes of honor and loyalty. The movie shows that there are differences between the fantasied and reality of life as a Triad. Ti Lung has a short cameo that ties Just Heroes(1987) to the two A Better Tomorrow films.

Just Heroes(1987) has a lot in common with the similarly themed epic Tragic Hero(1987). Woman have a much bigger role here that is unusual in a John Woo film. More than one person directed this feature film. One of my favorite scenes is the flashback sequence with the gun battle. Another favorite scene is the shoot out at the deserted mine.

Like i say before the review this movie is a old fashioned Hong Kong action crime movie directed by John Woo with many familiar face of golden age of Hong Kong cinema like:David Chiang,Kuan Tai Chen, Lung Ti the holy trinity of kung-fu movie,Danny Lee from Woo masterpiece The Killer and surprisingly Stephen Chow whom used to play comedic role.It sometime get a little chessy with the dialogue,some homophobic aspect but the acting is good and some character actually very well written to the point that i really care about them in the end.The highlight of the movie still the John Woo violent shootout that you will see plenty of it although it not long and action heavy like Woo previous work but when it happen it very satisfied and awesome.Definitely not Woo best work but if you a fan of John Woo you will love it

Just Heroes is far from John Woo's finest hour, but even then there's a lot to love about this minor classic, with Woo's trademarked heroic bloodshed coming out in full force during the finale. Commissioned by Tsui Hark to raise retirement money for a broke Chang Cheh, John Woo's main influence and tutor, Cheh then spent said money on making another film instead. Woo only directed about 60% of this and his style is plainly obvious when compared to the 40% helmed by Wu Ma. It's the kind of film that desperately needs another 20-30 minutes to let all its ideas flow, it feels rushed which doesn't surprise me given how quickly it was thrown together, the pedestrian script could have done with some tightening up. Despite this, Just Heroes boasts a funky musical score, some great performances from David Chiang, Danny Lee and a young Stephen Chow and is packed full of intrigue even in a routine-like mob world with elements that feel like they belong to a Takeshi Kitano yakuza thriller.

What better summary line than the English title for the movie? I don't know if it is an accurate translation from the HK title, but more importantly: Why is there no release of this movie on a DVD yet? At least not in the western world and not an official one, as can be seen here at IMDb ...

Just Heroes is another Woo flick with his well known ingredients: Bloodshed, Heroism, loyalty and respect. The slow motion is thrown in there for good measure too! ;o) Of course it's something that a John Woo Film, can not be without! And although it might sound emotionless or apathetic, how I just list those things, the movie is a really good action film! It's not his best, but if you like his other better known HK offerings, you're gonna love this one too! :o)

"Yee dam kwan ying" (aka "Just Heroes") is a fairly generic late 1980s Hong Kong over-the-top action movie, for better or worse, from legendary action director John Woo.

Now, I wasn't familiar with "Just Heroes" before now in 2021, when I was presented with the opportunity to sit down and watch it. And of course I did so, given the fact that this was a Hong Kong movie that I hadn't already seen.

And I will say that "Just Heroes" proved to be adequately entertaining. It wasn't a particularly outstanding or overly memorable action movie though, as the storyline was a little bit cluttered and all over the place, which lead to the characters sort of drifting into one another and making it a bit hard to tell them apart.

The action sequences in the movie were nicely executed and there was a great abundance of action throughout the course of the movie - as it usually was with John Woo movies.

However, I must admit that the somewhat flawed and generic storyline made the movie suffer. My interest in the movie was slowly abating as the movie progressed and there seemed to be a stalemate in the movie's actual progression in story.

"Just Heroes", a title that absolutely makes no sense for this particular type of movie, nor serves any purpose in relation to the contents of the storyline, actually had a fair enough cast ensemble, with the likes of Stephen Chow, Kuan Tai Chen and Fui-On Shing.

Ultimately then "Just Heroes" was a watchable late 1980s Hong Kong action movie, but it was at the same time also a very forgettable movie as well. It just proved to be too generic and bland. As such, I am rating "Just Heroes" a very mediocre five out of ten stars.