| Hard Boiled (Two-Disc Ultimate Edition) | 
 enlarge | Actors: Chow Yun-fat, Kwan Hoi-shan, Cheung Jue-lin, Tsang Kong, Philip Kwok
Studio: Dragon Dynasty
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $4.40
You Save: $10.55 (71%)
New (61) Used (22) from $4.40
Avg. Customer Rating:  170 reviews
Sales Rank: 10486
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: Cantonese (Original Language), English (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Number Of Items: 2
Running Time: 247
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.7
MPN: WEID80192D
UPC: 796019801928
EAN: 0796019801928
ASIN: B000N4SHNK
Theatrical Release Date: 1992
Release Date: July 24, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: BRAND NEW FACTORY SEALED!!!!
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Product Description
Studio: Genius Products Inc Release Date: 09/16/2008 Run time: 126 minutes Rating: R
Amazon.com essential video
Masterful Hong Kong action director John Woo (The Killer, Face/Off) turns in this exciting and pyrotechnic tale of warring gangsters and shifting loyalties. Chow Yun-fat (The Replacement Killers) plays a take-no-prisoners cop on the trail of the triad, the Hong Kong Mafia, when his partner is killed during a gun battle. His guilt propels him into an all-out war against the gang, including an up-and-coming soldier in the mob (Tony Leung) who turns out to be an undercover cop. The two men must come to terms with their allegiance to the force and their loyalty to each other as they try to take down the gangsters. A stunning feast of hyperbolic action sequences (including a climactic sequence in an entire hospital taken hostage), Hard-Boiled is a rare treat for fans of the action genre, with sequences as thrilling and intense as any ever committed to film. --Robert Lane
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| Customer Reviews: Read 165 more reviews...
 The best action movie ever made December 4, 2008
Now, I haven't owned any other version of the dvd so I really can't play judge to the quality compared to the others but I can say this, this movie itself is a masterpiece. Not many people know, or even understand that this move help give birth to some of the widely popular action film style's that are used these day's. John Woo was using these styles in his films long before this one, but this was his breakthrough work, this was his first big hit in America. And beside the very artistic action, which non of this f-ing mother f-ing I've got an ak-47 with five million people trying to kill me I empty a clip while spinning in the air and hit them all B.S like most American films. All me and my friends agree that the action is this movie as a style all its own, the acting in this move is very good. Not just Chow yun-fat though he really gives you a great performance, but Anthony Wong, a very big big asian character actor gives a very powerful performance as the villain Johnny. And if that wasn't enough Tony Leung's character is very well done giving and he does a great job to bind all the characters together. Bullet time was first brought to the front with this movie as well. And please if you just start watching this movie think I mean time is almost going to stop and bullets are going to slowly move trough the air. I want to make this clear right now, THAT IS NOT BULLET-TIME! Bullet time does slow down the action a bit so you can see more vividly the littler action within the action, but it also works not to break with the pace of the film. This is why John Woo is a great director, the only thing I have to say against this movie is, if John Woo never made it, him and Chow Yun-Fat may never became big name american actors and they might still be doing movies of this caliber, not Mission Impossible II (Woo), and Pirate's of the Caribbean III (Yun-Fat).
Unbelieveable! November 26, 2008
This movie takes action to levels not seen before or since, The Tea house shootout will blow you away, After seeing this movie I have been hooked on Chinese action films and you will be too! Buy it.
In a Blaze of Glory.. September 19, 2008
As has been stated before, this was John Woo's last Hong Kong cinema work before going on to Hollywood. (In a way, I wish he'd stayed, his HK cinema flicks are masterpieces) This film rightfully takes it's place as one of the greatest action movie ever made. Woo tells the tale of a man working in the Hong Kong police department, Inspector Tequila. Tequila plays at the local Jazz Bar, and, having been dumped, spends a lot of time there. The movie begins with him playing a tune that acts as a sort of theme for parts of the movie. Tequila is on a case to find gun runners smuggling Chinese weaponry into the province, and ends up killing a lieutenant in the crime organisation, but not without loosing his partner. Embittered by his loss and inability to help more in the teahouse shootout, he proceeds to disobey orders to leave the case. Meanwhile, the other protagonist, a mob killer (won't say much, it spoils a major plot twist) makes a hit on a man who betrayed his boss, Uncle Hoi, to a major competitor by the name of Johnny Wong. Alan (the killer) will play a major role, and though the film may be rated by some as a stereotypical buddy cop action movie, it's nothing of the sort. Gunfights ranging from raiding a gun shop to saving a hospital make this an electrifying epic, and a fitting swan song to Woo's HK cinema flicks. I highly recommend this, but you might want to keep the kiddies away.
The best there ever was, is, and will be. . . September 14, 2008
A quick note on the new Dragon Dynasty edition: To me, the skewing of the aspect ratio was quite noticeable. I thought there was something wrong with my TV or DVD. Until I got on the interweb and found others were having the same issue. The people all appear to have gained 15lbs. (maybe they all just started college). And the use of the dubtitles is pretty bushleague considering it's a DD release. If you have either of the previous offerings there's no need to replace them with this one unless you must have the extras.
"Hard Boiled?" I think not. We simply like to refer to this film as "John Woo/Chow Yun Fat: Unleashed And Fully Funded". Because that is exactly what this film is. The Scorsese and DeNiro of Hong Kong come together for the single greatest display of cinematic action in the history of the medium. And they certainly had to go through enough to get there. "Once A Thief". Two "A Better Tomorrow" flicks. "The Killer". How many classics does one have to turn out in HK before they finally agree to just let you at it?
Either way, HB is a film that sees John Woo at the peak of his action powers. The action is so loose, so massive, and so intricate that it may never be matched again. What's funny to think about is that this film only has three action sequences. That's it. It just so happens that the first one is about the size of any other major action film's closing action finale. After that, they just get bigger. Once you get to the third one, you can sit back and just watch the genius unfold for over 30 minutes solid.
But there is more to this film than just the action. The story is pretty engaging. I've always thought "The Killer" had a bit of a silly story. The hitman doing one last job so as to pay for eye surgery was always a little cheesy (don't get me wrong, it is probably the movie that would be occupying the "greatest action movie" slot had "Hard Boiled" not been made). But the story of a rogue cop and an undercover cop playing cat and mouse and eventually coming together to set it right plays out brilliantly. Also, one thing I rarely see mentioned is just how excellent Tony Leung's performance is. *mild spoiler* When he has to kill his own guy in front of the boss to keep his cover, and walks toward his boss in slo-mo with the smile on his face and then, as soon as he passes the boss, instantly goes to the verge of tears, that is incredible. That is first-rate, all the way. No amateur or stock action star could pull off that performance. *end spolers*
While I've always thought that the action in "The Killer" had a little more artistry and grace to it than "Hard Boiled", HB's action is pretty much fueled by rage and testosterone. It's possible that there have been modern-era wars that had less shots fired than this film. But the action in this film has what must be the most creative "bullet ballet" sequences ever. It's one thing to just have big and long action spots. But the massive puzzle that John Woo assembles here is like a "how-to for gun-fu". The centerpiece of this all being the several-minute, uncut, hand-held single shot that follows our two protagonists through the hospital, into and elevator, up a floor, and out onto a new floor, all while firing guns, reloading, diving, grabbing more guns, dodging, co-ordinating, etc... It must have taken a week just to set that shot up and rehearse it. That shot should go down in the history books.
There's really nothing more to say than just buy it. Seriously. Do you like action movies that have people shooting at one another? Great. This is the best one ever made. When I dropped this movie on the arthouse dorks in my film school, even they had to admit that it surpassed any and all other action flicks ever committed to celluloid (or digital, nowadays). See, the fact that it's Asian and subtitled means you can slip it past your artsy friends. So it's a win/win for everyone. Oh yeah, and Chow has to work on keeping his girlfriend happy, too. So, it's a romance as well. Now you can watch it with your girlfriend, too. It's such a brilliant movie that everyone wins. See, how can you go wrong?
One last thing I forgot to mention, if you have a "Y" chromosome, it is mandated that you see this film. I heard a rumor that Jewish boys have to watch this after their Bar Mitvah to fully complete the process of becoming a man. Some African tribes send their boys into the wilderness with nothing but a spear and a portable DVD player with this film on it in order to attain the "rights of manhood". It doesn't matter how old you are or what you do for a living. If you haven't seen this, you're not a man, yet. I think you get the point.
Hard Boiled Delivers February 18, 2008
A great action movie. John Woo delivers in this film. Also check out The Killer.
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