Sip si 32 dou

"Beyond Hypothermia" is an excellent movie. The plot: An assassin (Wu Chen-Lien) just keeps on killing until she meets a lonely noodle shop owner, Long (Lau Ching Wan). She wants to change her ways, but her employer won't let her. On top of that, another hit-man is after her.

What's great about this movie is that the romance and action fit perfectly. All the gunfights are well-staged and bloody, but it also has a heart. Lien and Wan put in outstanding performances.

The climax is very powerful and the only problem I had with the movie is the dubbing, but who cares. You'll be pulled in instantly.

I highly recommend this action-packed gem.

For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

Jacklyn Wu plays an assassin who has no memories of family, friends, or any sort of past to cling too. Her character is so detached, that killing causes no emotion or regret. The title of the movie "Beyond Hypothermia" refers to her body temperature which is 5 degrees lower then a normal human being. The only time this killing machine feels any warmth is when she is in the company of a noodle chef who makes her a gourmet bowl after each of her killings. He reminds me of the Chinese version of Benicio Del Torro. The two strike a friendship and eventual love for one another. But like most Chinese films, this love is doomed and tragedy ensues. I thought this was a better film then "Point of No Return" and "La Femme Nakita" However, there is one disturbing scene of violence which I truly detested and thought was uncalled for. On a personal note, Jacklyn Wu is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful actresses in the world. You can't take your eyes off her and her performance is mesmerizing!

This typical and yet unusual action film from Hong Kong belongs to the finest of its genre. It boosts breathtaking action, great drama and a catching story about a female killer, much more convincing than in the (theoretically comparable) much weaker "Naked Killer".

Outstanding cinematography add to the haunting atmosphere, and a strong melancholy touch makes the film even more impressive. Not to forget the splendidly choreographed action sequences that are staged like they do it only in Asia.

Easily on par with any of John Woo's masterly Hong Kong movies, this one is a must see for all admirers of Asian cinema and action in general.

A professional hit woman without past, name or recollection of her childhood is hired to kill Mafia leaders in Asia. In Hong Kong, she kills a powerful Korean mobster and his bodyguard is in disgrace with the gang. He promises to chase and eliminate the killer. Meanwhile, the assassin falls in love for a cooker of noodles, but afraid to expose him to her enemies, she avoids encountering him. But the bodyguard presses her partner to betray and set up her in a restaurant. Chased by the whole gang, the assassin needs to fight to survive.

"Sip Si 32 Doe" recalls the genre spaghetti-western, where everybody kills everybody and in the end there is no survivors. This kind of gore Nikita has a great choreography, lots of action and many shootings and blood, and entertains. It is funny to see the number of shots on the streets along the story and no police showing up. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil: : "Hipotermia" ("Hypothermia")

This is certainly one of the best made girl-assassin films that have formed a genre of their own in Asia over the past 30 years. Conforming to the conventions of the genre, we have an attractive young woman whose early experiences have led her to adopt the life of a cold-blooded killer for hire; we have her gradually grow aware of her own emotional emptiness; we have her meet a man she could really go for if she didn't always have to remain ready to kill just about anybody; we have the betrayal by one of her few trusted associates; and we see her develop a plan for resolving all the dilemmas these situations present her with. In short, very little new in the story.

What's new is the manner in which it is all handled. The girl-assassin genre picture is typically handled in a rather over-the-top action film style, because the basic premise of the genre is really pure fantasy. I'm not saying there aren't female assassins in real-life; but they certainly don't share either the luxurious payoffs, the existential dread, or the romantic longings that we find in girl-assassin movies. In fact they're lives are probably little different from that of the male mob or government killer. We just want them to be different because they're women; and the girl-assassin film plays to this.

The present film certainly starts off in this direction, but very gradually, but at last inevitably, turns our expectations on their head. The guy our girl-assassin falls in love with here isn't very smart, but he is certainly very ordinary. The big-pay-offs for her killing never seem to bring her any luxury. And her romantic longings are doomed about half-way through the picture when she has to shoot a five-year-old girl who has witnessed one of her hits - and does. From this point on, we know she's doomed; she may never be caught or killed, but she can never live with herself after this.

Along with these twists undercutting genre convention and audience expectations, the film's visual style also gradually becomes increasingly realistic as it goes along. At the end, we're no longer in the same glitzy universe most girl-assassins inhabit, but a dead-end street looking very much like one we might ourselves wander down, but for the grace of whatever divinity watching out for us.

But there's no divinity watching after this film's girl-assassin. And the ending is probably the most down-beat of any film in the genre. But it is perfectly true to the situation.

Very dramatic, well-performed, nicely put-together - but, be warned: very depressing.