Full Time Killer (2001)

WOW

This movie is incerdible!!! It is typical "over the top" foriegn action film movie with other stories going on at the same time. You will not tire from watching this. November 26, 2007

It's not the best movie, but I like the style

Full Time Killer is the best kind of derivative, unrealistic, and violent action movie--a [..] derivative, unrealistic and violent movie. Charting the course of a personal and professional rivalry between two very different but equally deadly Asian hitmen--the reserved, accomplished O and the flashy, reckless up-and-comer Tok--it clearly owes a heavy debt to John Woo's now-legendary Hong Kong canon, with its heavily stylized shootouts and its focus on crime as an occupation and a way of life. At the same time, the film's stereotypically Hong Kong emphasis on style over substance is filtered through Quentin Tarantino's hipper-than-thou, pop-culture-referencing postmodernism to create a sort of best-of-both-worlds hybrid. Not only do you get all the imaginatively over-the-top bloodletting you'd expect from an HK action film (complete with an eye-gouging, an assassination by nicotine, and of course a few dozen shootings), you get clever dialogue and cinema references aplenty, none more enjoyably gratuitous than Tok's penchant for paying tribute to Patrick Swayze's character in Point Break by picking up women and doing hits in a Bill Clinton mask. The movie isn't all breakneck speed, as it does occasionally slow down and give those involved some opportunities for reflection, but when it gets going it hits with the momentum of a 250-pound, steroid-enhanced linebacker about to blindside an unsuspecting quarterback. The plot doesn't make a great deal of sense, but it is plenty busy, with a pair of relentless cops, a super-cute video-store clerk who moonlights working for O, and Tok's epileptic older brother all being dragged into the escalating shooting war between the two principals. Besides, as is usually the case with such films, the plot is largely incidental, mostly providing an excuse for a succession of lovingly staged action set pieces. The inevitable final shootout is actually a bit of a letdown (especially given that it's set in a fireworks warehouse, which provided limitless possibilities that were only partly delivered on), but given much of what preceded it that's not necessarily a bad thing. And at any rate, this movie is definitely worth a watch or two for all fans of hyper-violent cinema. May 12, 2007

Fulltime Killer...

Interesting Movie. It's definitely "out there," but I liked it! Four stars... February 3, 2007

So Close To Being Great

I really liked this film but I also see the flaws in it more and more every time I see it. The film revolves around two assassins and both have a little bit more in common than they think they do. They both are actually quite sloppy assassins when you think about it, they kill in broad daylight with there face exposed to the world. The main character named O is the best assassin in Asia but he now has a new rival named Tok that not only wants the amount of money O gets for his jobs but also his rank as top assassin.

Tok sends O challenges by showing up at his Job's but of course O keeps trying to figure out how Tok knows his every move. After a while when everything comes together you pretty much figure out that Tok is a little smarter than O just for the fact that for most of the film he had the upper hand. Tok is literally a psycho, he has no problem telling people what he really does and is always comparing the moments of his life to assassin films he's seen.

The film has a great ability to keep the viewers attention because it has great gunplay scenes and the two leading actors are ok but I feel Andy Lau outshines everyone. There are a few problems with this film one being that the subtitles are awful at times, they're white and the films picture is bright enough so the words run in with the picture and you miss what is being said. If that wasn't bad enough everyone in the film switches languages every few scenes, first they're speaking bad English then it's something else. Full time Killer is not based on one culture and takes place everywhere in Asia, some of the characters are said to be Chinese, some Japanese and some are others.

I don't know if Takashi Sorimachi (O) plays his character with little feeling or if he just played the part that way because he is supposed to be on top but only shows that when it comes to executing a job. He seems to have a hard time keeping his life together as you will see as the film goes on. It could be the fact that every time I get a chance to see Full Time Killer it's in the wee hours of the morning or because I just love films about assassins like Tok. I explained many flaws in the film in this review but still this film is entertaining and you can't stop watching it until you know the truth about everything. I truly believe that Andy Lau, his character, and the cool action scenes hold this film together. His mind frame reminds you of Gary Oldman in the professional but a little happier and he compares the films total situation to the 1995 film Assassins. In the end this movie is worth watching at least the first time it will impress you and give a dull night an exciting mood. January 8, 2007

Good movie, not great

Now this flick gets started off with a serious bang but never really capitalizes on it.

The story is about 2 assassins and 1 girl who we learn more about the whole movie. Just like going about their assassinations in totally diffrerent ways, they also go after the girl in very diffrerent ways. Andy Lau plays the reckless one while Sorimachi gets the job done cleany every time. When I say they go about getting the girls in diffrerent ways, this part could not be more extreme. Lau's presentation of himself was totally unbelievable but it did actually fit his character quite nicely.

The constant English dialogue from Simon Yam and many others was very distracting. Yam's English is horrible and they also spoke a lot of Japanese which didn't hurt the film.

The end I thought was very poorly done though it does have one of Johnny To's exressions of art in the final shoot-out. To doesn't completely fail, but I still found even a movie like A Hero Never Dies more enjoyable. Any Lau has a great line that sums it up the best-"even a crappy movie can have a great trailer".

The extras on the DVD include a 25 minute making of that was made before the movie was released and a 23 minute behind the scenes showing you how they shot the scene. September 26, 2006

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