Contract Killer

I watched this movie a few times. It is my introduction to the Jet Li character. The movie is based on an improbable theme: find the person who killed a Japanese guy messily with a shotgun, and get a $100 million reward. I can't feel too much sympathy for the Japanese person: he shoots two women dead in the first few minutes of the movie. His death seemed deserved.The introduction of Jet Li is slow and bumbling. We hardly think of or view him as a martial arts master. He's more like a nice guy who just isn't certain of the next steps. He isn't theres to stop a crime, or rescue others, he is not really on a mission. His search for the King of Killers seems accidental.The one good part of this film is where he meets the girl. Ahhh! She likes him, and he likes her! Unfortunately the chance of a tender romance that develops into a marriage is thrown away. That is the most disappointing thing about the movie. It was a great opportunity. Failing to develop it hurts the movie.I find it very hard to believe the martial arts moments in the movie. Most of Jet Li's moves are shown in slow motion, and this hurts the film, because it makes the moves hard to believe. The most believable character is Eiji rather than Jet Li. Clearly, he can handle a sword. The action is so manufactured and made to order...but really difficult to believe.An overall better performance is given by the two men who star in "The 7 Grandmasters", especially the older man. There is absolutely no doubt that he is a martial arts master in his own right...no slow motion or fancy staging needed. The same applies to the younger man -- I think Yi Minh Li stars in that role. Another totally believable star is Dragon Lee. He really does have exceptional skill and is a focused, believable movie star.

There are few experiences in movie-watching more insufferable than when there's a character in the movie you absolutely cannot stand and can't wait to see die, but the writer clearly adores him and keeps him alive to the end of the movie. Such is the case here. Like most Hong Kong actioners, it has amazing stunt work and fight sequences. Unfortunately, it also has a blustery, cowardly comic relief sidekick straight out of a 1940s movie. Seriously, he's like a Chinese Lou Costello. Every second he was on screen was like nails on a chalkboard, and he's on screen for almost the whole movie. I kept praying he would die, but I knew he wouldn't, because characters like that never do. I've never found them funny, just incredibly annoying, but apparently, some people like them. Whatever. Your mileage may vary. Also, like many Chinese movies, it's very anti-Japanese.

i despise rap. and those people that like rap. but the movie wasn't too bad. sure thousands of bullets missed the good guys. the good guys did get hurt a bit. they weren't totally unreal. the biggest problem was this didn't turn into a series.

"Hitman". Also known as "Contract Killer". Dubbed by Dimension Films for home video back when Jet Li And Jackie Chan became super popular in the U.S. It's a fun film with a bit of comedy and mystery. Loaded with some amazing action choreography as well, of course. The highlight for me is the King Of Killers massacring the Yakuza. There's always this cool Metal/Rock piece playing in the background when ever he shows up which I thought fit the scenes. All the sound fx, music, editing and credits were redone for U.S. home video. I'll never understand why films are butchered when ever they're brought to the U.S. They still do it, but thankfully it's to a lesser degree now. Even in it's dubbed form, Contract Killer is still a great 90s Hong Kong action flick.

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This is a good movie with the usual spectacular moves. The plot has some comedyand a bit of character building and is fairly polished. The one thing that is enough tolose a star is that the English dubbing and the voices just do not fit the characters. At leastI suppose it is dubbed. If they actually do sound that way this thing is a two star movie.

So entertaining!The words were probably way better in English than the original Chinese. Even the growls were dubbed which made it even funnier.The Jeo Pesci/Lou Costello voice and attitude of Jet Li's partner stole the show.Great choreography on the elevator flip flop scene, many Jackie Chan like MacGyver moves with whatever is at hand no matter how unsuited for combat (Imagine the process: Hmmm... what would be funnier? Using a banana or a squirt bottle of ketchup?) The final combat scene was hilarious.I loved it. One of the most entertaining movies I have seen in a very long while.Stop bashing the purity of his moves and his character development.This is a bash em up ironic comedy where they tried really hard to use Western values and expectations to dub over a Chinese movie, and because of, not just in spite of, the incongruent mannerisms they managed to put out a very funny movie.Kudos!

Jet Li often played willfully emasculated tragically nerdy near-mute man who has an awful way with women. He's a highly trained fighter with a stunted emotional intelligence. It's an odd characterization that is on terrible display in this film that has more light romantic comedy scenes than actual smart fighting. Jet Li's characterization plays up a white Western European and American stereotype of Asian manhood that is never trotted out in the venerable martial art films of the Shaw Brothers. In fact, Jet Li is a seasoned, highly intelligent, strong man and I wish his more mainstream films showcased his enormous emotional as well as physical intelligence. There were times when I just wanted to hit the hit men in this oftentimes cartoonish film full of buffoons, clowns, and also-rans. But, it's a warm hearted diversion with a ridiculous plot straight out of a weird screwball comedy mishmash of Japanese gangster flicks, kung fu flicks, and light romantic comedy.

Hitman is a highly entertaining martial arts/action adventure film starring Jet Li and Eric Tsang. The film throws you right into the action, and keeps up the pace throughout, with an intriguing storyline of vigilante justice and contract killing. Whilst with most martial arts films, the acting is never really the focus, the action and choreography are excellent, and some of the comedy courtesy of Eric Tsang is literally side splitting. This film has the lot, martial arts, gunplay, comedy and a good story. I highly recommend this title to add to you collection.

Great action scenes in this film even if the storyline is absurd, Jet Li plays an assasin with a heart in a country where everyone and his dog is a hitman or other type of criminal, even the cops are all crooked however it is ok to watch and i quite liked it even though the story can be difficult to comprehend

NOT UP TO JET LI 'S USUAL STANDARD

Excellent film.

Turned it off after 15 mins, thought it was pretty poor for Jet Li.