The Replacement Killers

The Replacement Killers (1998)

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Writer: Ken Sanzel

Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Mira Sorvino, Michael Rooker, Kenneth Tsang, Jürgen Prochnow, Til Schweiger. Danny Trejo, Clifton Collins Jr., Carlos Gomez, Frank Medrano, Leo Lee

Synopsis:

John Lee (Yun-Fat) is a hitman in the employ of notable Chinese gangster Terence Wei (Tsang). John is asked to avenge the death of Mr. Wei's son at the hands of police detective Zedkov (Rooker) by striking at all he holds dear. When the moment of truth comes, John cannot follow through on his given task. Knowing that his disobedience will anger Mr. Wei, John seeks the help of small-time documents forger Meg Colburn (Sorvino) to create fake travel documents so he can get to Shanghai to protect his mother and sister from Mr. Wei. Unfortunately, things don't go according to plan, and Mr. Wei's second in command, Mr. Kogan, tracks down John and Meg, who must go into hiding, avoiding both Wei's men as well as a pair of replacement killers hired to finish the job John declined to do. However, time is short as John only has a few days before Mr. Wei's men locate his mother and sister. Violence ensues.

First Impressions:

I was in my early 20s when this film was released and was a big fan of John Woo and his frequent collaborator, Chow Yun-Fat. So, naturally, I caught this movie in the theaters and enjoyed it a great deal. It's certainly a film in the same vein as a Woo action film but not entirely of the same caliber. However, I thought the action sequences were well done, and the story had enough urgency to keep me entertained. It's been quite a while since I've watched it, so let's jump in and see how it holds up.

Story/Direction: 

"So you didn't want to kill a kid. welcome to the human race."

As I mentioned above, the story in this film creates a sense of urgency that helps it jump from action set piece to action set-piece. I'm not going to lie. It's not the highest concept or sophisticated story, but it's an action film, so it doesn't need to be (in fact, it's often better that way). The film marks the feature film debut of Antoine Fuqua, who was known mostly for music videos at the time. Fuqua took many cues from John Woo in creating this film (probably because Woo was listed as a producer). As a result, there are a lot of parallels between The Replacement Killers and many of Woo's cinematic outings. For one, Fuqua makes good use of slow-motion photography to accentuate the action scenes, though not to the same degree as Woo does. A temple or church also plays a prominent role in the film, as a refuge for John, a trope often used by Woo. Of course, Chow Yun-Fat is the key connector here, though, as John Lee is very much a character in the same mold inspector Tequila from Hard Boiled or Ah Jong from The Killer (more on that later). 

As far as story flow goes, the film is paced very well. The audience does not have a ton of exposition dumped on them and is really only given what they need to follow the story. We're not even told outright what city in the U.S. the story takes place in (my guess was L.A.). Fuqua gives us just enough background on the characters through regular conversations using only a sentence or two, which leaves more time for the action (which is why we're watching the film, am I right?). We're even spared the traditional tacked-ion love story that I loathe so much. While I'm sure the exclusion of such a plot point was more than a little bit racially motivated, it makes sense given the short time in which John and Meg know each other and the extreme circumstances of their meeting. That being said, the film does show the pair beginning to care for each other, which seems a lot more organic than what many other action films tend to give us. Anyway, there's not much more to discuss as far as the plot or story goes. It's enjoyable, and it fits in with the action presented. Not much more to say, really.

Acting/Characters:

I am, and will always be, a big fan of Chow Yun-Fat, and it's a shame he didn't quite take off in the west as a leading man. I've always thought he was one of the coolest action heroes of the 90s. He was the perfect counterpoint to a character like John McClane, who's always in over his head. Yun-Fat's characters, especially John Lee, always seem in control and are never phased by much of anything. Sure, it's not terribly realistic, but we're watching an action movie, not a documentary. Anyhoo, top marks for Yun-Fat for a solid performance as the hero.

Mira Sorvino also deserves some credit; she was at the height of her career when cast in this film, having recently won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in Mighty Aphrodite. As seems to be the case in Hollywood, you start doing action movies once you get an Oscar. I like what Sorvino did with Meg. She's clearly been on the wrong side of the law for most of her life and is a loner that doesn't want or need help from anyone, certainly not some dude off the street. She gives the film a snark that provides a few laughs in a fairly dark film. 

The rest of the cast is solid, with a solid turn from Jürgen Prochnow (who never fails to be a creepy bastard) as Wei's primary henchman Mr. Kogan. The ever-delightful Clifton Collins Jr. also has a small role as Loco, a local gangster that drops a dime on the fleeing pair and Danny Trejo even makes an appearance as one of the titular replacement killers. But, of course, more Danny Trejo is never a bad thing.

Visual/Special Effects:

Pyrotechnics clearly made up the bulk of this film's SFX budget, as there are a ton of explosions and gunfire. However, there's not much to say about that, which hasn't already been said, so instead, I'll focus on the look of the film. In each scene, Fuqua gives the audience different and exciting looks. For example, we're taken from a neon-bathed club to a dark and foggy port during the opening scenes and then an alleyway lined with Chinese lanterns and lights during the finale. It's touches like this that can make a film with smaller budgets appears visually interesting. 

Score/Music:

Harry Gregson-Williams composed the music for this film which was decent if unremarkable. The music shifts depending on the background of the scene. The more quiet moments are punctuated with the standard plucking strings that you'd get with many Asian themes, but there's also more aggressive music, including thumping club music and rap songs. It's not necessarily my cup of tea music-wise, but it fits the movie's setting.

Action:

Oh my, does this move have action. The opening scene sees John calmly walk into a dance club and gun down a group of gangsters in a firefight that sets the tone for the rest of the film. There's also a very interesting gunfight in a car wash/chop shop. Really, there are just a lot of gunfights in general in this film, but they're all choreographed well and are varied and enjoyable to watch. The final showdown is exciting as it gives a verticalness to the sequence that really sticks out...in a good way.

Final Verdict:

I like this film. While it doesn't hit the upper-echelon of great actioneers like Die Hard or Lethal Weapon, it's still a solid romp and an entertaining movie to watch on a Friday night. Fans of John woo or anything John Woo-adjacent should check it out, as should action fans in general.