# Replacement Killers, The (1998)

### reviewed by
George Wilcox

    CLICK ON CAROLINE.
    Dear Caroline Film Reviews:
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    The Replacement Killers

    Dear Caroline --

For fans of Hong Kong action star Chow Yun-Fat, the greatest anticipation is for his first English words in a Hollywood film: "My condolences."

In a premiere showing, the crowd cheered. All hail the king! Chow, who attended the premiere, said he was so nervous his first day on the set, that he was unable to get the words out. It didn't help that he was without a gun in each hand.

For those who haven't heard of Chow, he is one of the biggest names in Asian cinema rivaled only by Jackie Chan. Chow made his debut in director John Woo's "A Better Tomorrow" (1986), which became the top-grossing film in Hong Kong history. Since Britain relinquished its sovereignty over Hong Kong last year to China, it was only a matter of time before Chow crashed our shores.

Like "A Better Tomorrow," he's done it with a bang in a slick, action thriller, "The Replacement Killers," directed by first-timer Antoine Fuqua and co-produced by Woo and his long-time partner Terence Chang. Woo made his Hollywood debut with "Hard Target" (1993) and more recently helmed "Face/Off" last summer.

Chow stars with Mira Sorvino as two toughies on the run from the Chinese mob in L.A. Sorvino is an un-Romylike loser, who helps forge a passport for assassin John Lee (Chow) after Lee becomes a marked man for refusing an assignment. Sorvino, the girlfriend of gun-happy director Quentin Tarantino, is the toughest bad girl since "La Femme Nikita." Tarantino, a long-time admirer of Chow, used HK Chow films like "City on Fire" and "A Better Tomorrow III" as the inspiration for "Reservoir Dogs."

"The Replacement Killers" features an impressive debut by Fuqua, shot by cinematographer Peter Lyons Collister and includes a thrilling score by Harry Gregson-Williams. Ken Sanzel wrote the script, rewritten especially for Chow.

Fuqua was wise in trying not to copy Woo's over-the-top directing style, given the fact that the master actionmaker stood nearby as a producer. Woo and Chang were wise to let Fuqua develop his own visionary mayhem.

Fuqua's influence is from the Bruckheimer School of Film, named after the producer of "Beverly Hills Cop" and "Top Gun" where visuals are everything and plot comes later. Early disciples from commercial TV included the Scott brothers, Ridley and Tony, and Adrian Lyne ("Flashdance"). The current generation of former music video directors consists of Michael Bay ("Bad Boys," "The Rock"), Simon West ("Con Air") and Alex Proyas ("The Crow," "Dark City"). The fast-paced action is furious, shots last milliseconds before edits, the camera is constantly moving and the lighting is always in contrast between dark shadows and warm blue hues, usually with dry ice from somewhere filling up the screen for atmospheric reasons only.

Fuqua gives "The Replacement Killers" a slick, quick-edit look, especially during the opening shootout in a nightclub. The scene concludes with Fuqua's version of the famous mirror shot from Robert Clouse's "Enter the Dragon" with Bruce Lee. It's an example of why Fuqua's debut stands out. With Collister's assistance, he has created his own visual style, while also adding a few tributes from Woo's masterpiece, "The Killer," such as slow-motion walks, the sliding gunslinger and using a church or temple as a headquarters for the hero signifying peaceful tranquility in a violent world.

Given Chow's limitations due to learning English, Fuqua sticks with what Chow knows best. Minimal dialogue with plenty of hail Mary gunfire. A shootout at a car wash is on par with some of HK films' best shootout scenes such as the opening teahouse massacre in Woo's "Hard-Boiled" or the concluding raid on a warehouse in Ringo Lam's "City on Fire."

"The Replacement Killers," the title refers to the assassins brought in to kill Lee, goes into motion early on when Detective Stan Zedkov (Michael Rooker) breaks up a drug shipment involving the son of crime boss Terence Wei (Kenneth Tsang). After Wei's son is killed by Zedkov, Wei seeks revenge. Jurgen Prochnow stars as Wei's second in command.

The film will take your breath away, that is when you have time to come up for air between all the blazing gunfire.

Rating: *** 1/2 (Three-and-a-half stars)

    Thinking of you,
    Geo. M. Wilcox

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