The Replacement Killers

Plot synopsis:
During an orchestrated drug bust at a marine loading dock, Detective Stan Zedkov (Michael Rooker) kills Triad lieutenant Peter Wei (Yau-Gene Chan). Looking to exact revenge for his son's death, crime boss Terence Wei (Kenneth Tsang) sends for professional assassin John Lee (Chow Yun-fat). Paying off an old debt, Lee has already killed two targets for Wei, and the crime boss tells him that this third and final job will settle the obligation. However, Lee's conscience prevents him from completing his final assignment: to murder Zedkov's seven-year-old son Stevie (Andrew J. Marton) before the detective's eyes. Realizing that his actions will result in retaliation against his mother and sister, Lee prepares to return to China, enlisting the help of old friend Alan Chan, a monk in a local Buddhist temple, to make arrangements to have his family moved to a secure location. Infuriated by Lee's disobedience, Wei orders his head lieutenant, Michael Kogan (Jürgen Prochnow), to lead the hunt for Lee, and has his people in China begin the search for Lee's family.
No longer able to use the Triad network to get out of the country, Lee searches for alternative means outside Wei's sphere of influence, and looks to skilled forger Meg Coburn (Mira Sorvino) for a new passport. Before she can finish the job, Wei's men storm her office, destroying the computerized tools of her trade in the ensuing shootout. Lee escapes; Coburn is picked up by the police, unsuccessfully interrogated by Zedkov, and released as bait so the detective can see who comes after her. Meanwhile, Wei hires skilled out-of-town replacement killers to take over the hunt for Lee and the Zedkov contract.
Lee finds Coburn when she returns to her destroyed office. Having been made aware that the Triads are involved, Coburn wants out, but Lee forces her to finish her original task of creating a forged passport. Traveling with Coburn, with the two replacement killers, Ryker (Til Schweiger) and Collins (Danny Trejo), in pursuit, Lee gets pictures from a photo booth and phones Alan, who offers the use of his passport. When Lee arrives at the temple, he discovers that Alan has been tortured to the point of death. Alan tells Lee that his family was moved to Canton—but he told his torturers they were in Shanghai. Lee has little more than 24 hours before his family is found. The monk gives Lee his passport before dying in his arms.
Holed up in a hotel, Coburn finishes altering Allan's passport for Lee. The two exchange stories, and Coburn becomes sympathetic to Lee. Feeling compelled to stop the killing of Zedkov's son before leaving the country, Lee forces one of Wei's men to reveal the plan, which is to kill Stevie while he and his father are at a cartoon festival in a movie theater. Lee and Coburn, who insists on helping, arrive barely in time to prevent Ryker and Collins from killing the boy, and Ryker is killed in the subsequent gunfight. Concerned that Lee and Coburn will make their way back to Wei's base of operations, the crime boss makes plans to flee the country and hunt down Lee's mother and sister himself. However, when two guards open the main gate for Wei and his entourage to leave in a limo, Lee is just outside and launches a two-handed handgun assault. Coburn surfaces moments later, driving a truck through the melee, incapacitating Wei's Kogan, and later killing him. When Collins fires from a high perch on Lee and Coburn, Lee soon outflanks him, killing him from behind. Finally, Lee corners Wei on a fire escape platform. Though both men have emptied their guns, Lee is first to reload. Wei promises Lee that the boy and Lee's family will still die, but Lee replies, "Not in your lifetime," and kills him. Though Zedkov arrives before Lee and Coburn can get away, he lets them go, taking only their guns. Coburn reluctantly bids goodbye to Lee at the airport, presenting him with one last gift, passports for his mother and sister.

Tags: revenge, cult, neo noir, murder, flashback

Review:
so much of the goodness of this movie relies on Mira Sorvino's screen presence that it plays a bit like a bit music video -- it's just plain fun to see her on screen.
Chow Yun Fat is good, and this American Chinese boy (me) likes seeing a hybrid movie like this...
Every once in a while I wonder how a small time forger learned to fight and shoot like she does, but then I blissfully ignore it and just enjoy the movie.Great action scenes, wonderful relationship development and great acting by Mira and Yun-Fat Chow make this a movie I'm sure I'll see many more times..
His on-screen persona is just the finest and he is one of the best actors out there!But with other HK stars transfers to Hollywood - where the big wigs all claim that they know what is best - I was quite concerned for his debut.Replacement Killers actually plays quite well!Still carrying that 90's look, we are treated to 85 minutes of stylish Hong Kong wanna-be shoot outs and angles that sometimes overdoes the John Woo homages - some of which are pretty good, some that just ended up quite slow.Regardless, it was a great introduction to the US audience for HK's coolest actor, and an enjoyable film nonetheless!.
Wild and absolutely menacing thriller involving Chow Yun-Fat (in his American film debut) as John Lee, a quiet yet resourceful hit-man who along with a sarcastic forger, Meg Coburn (Mira Sorvino), become involved when Lee refuses to take out someone close to a cop (Michael Rooker), who shot and killed his mobster boss' drug-dealing son during a drug bust and in the process, Coburn and Lee are also targeted by his superiors.It's a brilliant debut for Yun-Fat and director Antoine Fuqua ("Bait", "Training Day"), both of whom show their skills with such respect.
I think of the movie as "Lethal Weapon" made like in the style of John Woo, who is one of the film's producers."The Replacement Killers" certainly hits the center of the bulls-eye with hair-raising accuracy..
I am a fan of the John Woo type of action movies and I must say that even he was just one of the executive producers, his mark is all over this movie!!!The result is very good : Nicely paced action sequences, more story and emotions than in your average Hong Kong action movie (But not as much story development as in an American production, but in this genre this just isn't needed that much, it would just slow down the pace), well acted , you kinda start feeling sympathetic for the leads and you'll certainly hate these villains.
I liked the way they made Chow Yun-Fats character to be caring person, not someone who goes around killing people for fun.
I'm sure this will be a great film for action fans to watch and also for you Chow Yun-Fat fans.
Even more upset, Wei sends in a duo of ruthless assassins, the replacement killers of the title, to kill both John and carry out his assignment.This is the first feature length film for a successful music video director so it probably doesn't look so hot, but don't be fooled: this is one terrific action movie.
The film's performances are also strong and while the action makes the film exciting, they make the film involving.The film is not to high on the originality scale as Chow Yun-Fat has played the self-conscious hit-man going against a ruthless underworld many times and the screenplay is for the most part predictable, but as an action movie it works very well.
I am a big Chow Yun Fat fan and although this is not on par with some of his HK films, it is better than the debuts of many other HK actors/directors (John Woo and THAT terrible Van Damme film anyone?).
Chow Yun-Fat stars as John Lee an assassin who bulks at killing a kid for a mobster (Kenneth Tsang) who becomes a target when the replacement killers come to finish his job, he teams up with a forger Meg Coburn (Mira Sorvino) while they run for their lives in this sub par and empty actioner.
Besides the almost nonstop action, it actually does have a plot with substance, and Fat and Sorvino work well together in adding feeling to the movie.
Those who are fans of Chow-Yun Fat and the Hong Cong action genre will be more than able to enjoy this more than decent American interpretation of the energetic direction of John Woo. However, those not familiar with the genre, (which is considered most people), will have trouble toning in to this action thriller due to the lack of a fully constructed plot.Now that I have written my critic consensus on the movie itself, I will give my personal opinion on this extremely underrated American take on most John Woo Hong Cong Action flicks.
Performance wise, I had never seen Mira Sorvino is any other films, but her performance was satisfactory due to her smart remarks and corniness, she also has great chemistry down the line with Chow-Yun Fat's character.
I also happen to be a fan of Chow-Yun Fat, who in most cases, gives his best performances in Hong Cong action flicks, but this performance is not to be overlooked, as he might not say much, but in this case letting the handgun do most of the talking is just fine with me.
Chow Yun-Fat is another good man I am looking after; he is like a professional in guns and shooting (very talented and skilled).
Chow Yun-Fat and Mira Sorvino are also an unlikely match, but their combined presence makes this an enjoyable film.
Chow Yun-Fat stars as John Lee (Such an original name) as an assassin who fails to carry out a mission that mobster Kenneth Tsang orders him to carry out, seems Lee doesn't want to kill a police officer's son and so he trades gunfire with the replacement killers sent in to kill him and the police officer's son.
He also finds welcome help from a document forger (Played by Mira Sorvino) in this stylish yet ultimately shallow and dull actioner which fails to live up to the expectations set by CYF's Hong Kong standards, in fact The Replacement Killers fails to live up to even Van Damme's standards.
THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS Aspect ratio: 2.39:1Sound formats: Dolby Digital / SDDS-8John Woo (who else?) co-produced this debut US vehicle for Asian superstar Chow Yun-fat (or 'Mr. Fat', as he's known to some careless movie fans), in which Chow plays a hired killer pursued by ruthless gangster Kenneth Tsang Kong (BISHONEN) after refusing to assassinate the family of a cop (Michael Rooker) who killed Tsang's son during a drugs bust.
For all its flashy visuals and explosive soundtrack, Antoine Fuqua's derivative film ploughs a well-worn furrow, slavishly imitating the Hong Kong action-thrillers which first brought Chow to Hollywood's attention, whilst completely disregarding the emotional/thematic resonance that distinguishes Asian cinema from its western counterparts.
Junk like 'The Replacement Killers' is one of many low-level thugs that get blown away by the heroes in their battle of wits/survival/pure fun.Compare Antoine Fuqua's MTV-style with John Woo's.
Chow Yun-Fat has the silky charm and coiled rage of a tiger, and Mira Sorvino has great legs, but they are both wasted in this dull, Hong Kong action flick-wannabe.
Flashy and colourful, noisy and shallow, "The Replacement Killers" is never as cool or as exciting as it could have been.There's one great sequence - a shoot-out in a car wash - and any film with Michael Rooker in it isn't completely worthless.
Having never seen an actual Hong Kong action movie, I can only guess they're better than "The Replacement Killers."  In any case, you'd be better off renting one of those..
i feel like the story did not end yet, i remember watching this when i was 23 and i'm now 42, this movie alone awakens a lot of sweet memories when i was in Russia and watched with my Russian classmates, no doubt an excellent masterpiece, i really hope the director could consider a second part or at least four parts, the only thing is are people have no good taste, they think the movie is boring, well, they only wanna watch a movie with sex shots i believe ..
If they made Mia Sorvino a hooker with a heart of gold to go along with CYF's killer with a conscience, then at least it would have been a unique combination of 2 totally recycled movie stereotypes.I wish they had spent even an ounce of effort on crafting a somewhat compelling setup/ plot, as it would have likely redeemed the movie as a slick, enjoyable actioner (which is exactly what I wanted to see.) I don't need life-changing character moments or Oscar-worthy roles, but throw me something!
Chow Yun Fat, in his first US role, plays a contract killer with a conscience (don't they all?) who goes on the run with Mira Sorvino after failing his mob boss.
Essentially, it's a long sequence of bullet-ridden action scenes in a style similar to John Woo's superior "Hard Boiled".Clearly hoping that US production values would improve the fast-paced martial arts movie, the director forgot one key ingredient: martial arts.
Those who focus on the violence and "character development" aspects of this movie miss what I consider to be the central strength and intent of "Replacement Killers" - its style and artistic ex- pression.I usually pass on what I consider to be violent action flicks, but this one made me stop and look past the violence to the contextual richness of the way in which this one was filmed.I'd like to see more from this director..
Replacement Killers is an attempt to bring the successful and more realistic action genre pioneered in Hong Kong to the mainstream movies of Hollywood.
After he betrays Mr. Wei, the ruthless crime boss who hired him to avenge his son's death, professional killer John Lee (Chow yun-fat) goes on the run.
International superstar CHOW YUN-FAT(John Woo´s Hard-Boiled & The Killer) makes his Hollywood debut with Oscar winner MIRA SORVINO(1995 best supporting actress for Mighty Aphrodite) in THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS, fierce and explosive action thriller from director ANTOINE FUQUA(Coolio´s gangsters paradise video).
This is not as good as Chow Yun-Fat´s The Killer, A Better Tomorrow and Hard-Boiled(all movies directed by John Woo) but it´s a good fast-paced, action-packed movie..
The Replacement Killers is not only the US debut of Chow Yun Fat, but also the first film project for director Antoine Fuqua.
Chow Yun Fat, Mira Sorvino, Michael Rooker, Jurgen Prochnow, Kenneth Tsang and Danny Trejo all give incredible performances that elevate the material beyond that of standard action fare.
Chow Yun-Fat plays John Lee, a contract killer working for Terence Wei, a ruthless Chinese mafia boss.
I'm not really a fan of Chow Yun-Fat but his performance in this film was pretty good, but i wish he had more dialogue..
While Chan's movies tend to be comic-action, Yun-Fat's films are dramatic action (The Killer, Hard Boiled to name a couple).
He only learned English a couple years ago, so when he speaks, it's a little hard to understand at times, but you understand what he's trying to get across.Yun-Fat plays John Lee, a hired assassin, who is hired to kill a cop's son.
Chow Yun-Fat dancing and rolling "en ralenti" with 2 guns in his hands is not enough to make a John Woo's movie.
Yes, there is some good action, good choreography, but at the end Fuqua is not Woo, Mira Sorvino is not credible and everything sounds like useless: even if Chow Yun-Fat is always a great actor, you can wash your face with this cold water, but soon it will be dried.
With good performances by both leads, stylish directing, cool action scene, and the sexy Miss Sorvino, The Replacement Killers is one cool flick..
I hoped to find an hidden gem,but all I got was a stylish shooter largely influenced by movies like HARD BOILED (John Woo is in fact one of the producers of TRP, and we have Mr.Cool himself, Chow Jun-Fat as the lead).
After viewing it again recently, my perception of the film remains unchanged.Even though John Woo gets a production credit, this film lacks the overall input of the HK action flick king.True to form, Chow Yun-Fat looks cool.
I'm not entirely sure what some people out there were expecting from a film called The Replacement Killers, but if you can spot the cunning suggestion of an hour and a half of manic gunfire and ridiculous slo-mo death scenes in place of a coherent plot up ahead then you're in for a treat.Basically it's just Mira Sorvino standing around looking gorgeous while Chow Yun-Fat spins all over the place pulling an endless succession of guns from his magic crotch holster, filling the bad guys with at least five times as many bullets as necessary, and it's great fun.
John Lee (Yun-Fat Chow) is a skilled killer.
John is in the wind and Wei brings in other professionals, the Replacement Killers.It's a very superficial action movie in the HongKong style.
It feels very much like a transplanted movie especially with Chow Yun-Fat's Chinese accent.
The stakes are upped when replacement hitmen are brought in to kill Meg, Zedkov's son and Lee.Already a global star due to the iconic films and choreographed violence of John Woo films, Chow Yun Fat came to America, had English lessons and was put in a film that copies the formulae that had made him a huge success.
No, it is just quite average for anyone who has seen any of the Woo/Fat collaborations from HK although for an American action film this is pretty good value for 85 minutes..
I like John Woo films, but there reaches a point where fantasy action scenes aren't enough.
Chow Yun-Fat is of course pretty fair as the family man blackmailed into a life of hired killing, Mira Sorvino's OK too as his sexy forger assistant, but the story is a little limp and the action clunks along somewhat.
The Replacement Killers is an average action movie.
I happened to like it a lot, but upon reflection, it is not the movie, but the stars, Chow Yun-Fat and Mira Sorvino, that make this movie so likeable.
I will see his other films (John Woo's "The Killer" is next on my list), but if nothing else, The Replacement Killers has introduced Chow to moviegoers, like myself, that have yet to see him act.
Mira Sorvino and Chow Yun-Fat are great.
The Replacement Killers is the American debut for the international action star Chow Yun-Fat.
I was a bit sceptical about Chow making ultra-violent action in America, but the movie turned out to be excellent.Chow Yun-Fat plays John Lee, a deadly assassin, who is pursuaded by a ruthless gangster boss, to do some killings for him.
But putting Mira Sorvino in the film was a misstep.She is NOT, nor ever will be an action star.My Grade: C DVD Extras: Commentary by Antoine Fuqua; Making-of featurette; Chow Yun Fat goes Hollywood featurette;4 extended scenes; 1 deleted scene; Alternate ending; Filmographies; Theatrical Trailer; Trailers for "the One" (so bad), and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (good).
The Replacement Killers is the first American movie of Hong-Kong superstar Chow Yun-Fat.
Lee is unable to pull the trigger, and must therefore run away from the killers sent by Wei. Chow Yun-Fat demonstrates what he does best in this movie, he kicks a#¤.
Cool new wave action extravaganza, you can wonderfully wile your 87 minutes away, easily, sees Asian superstar, Chow Yun Fat, (and this guy can act) break into the Hollywood market, but this movie doesn't do it for him, thanks to a not so original story.
In walking away from this job, he brings a whole ton load of trouble on himself, when the boss's associates come after him, weapons blazing, which makes for great action sequences, with Chow Yun Fat setting a new standard in coolness.
Chow-Yun Fat has made Movies, with John Woo, that are Classics.
One of Chow Yun-Fat's best and his first Hollywood movie.
I have seen many of Chow's movies, and I consider this one to be one of his best, so if you like John Woo Hong Kong action movies you need to watch this one and watch the sparks fly..
While I am not a huge fan of Anton Fuqua, I do believe he made a great feature with Chow Yun Fat's North American movie debut.
I was just watching the movie and was hoping to give it a second chance since I really love the action films directed by John Woo and enjoyed the works of chow yun fat.
Another faulty problem is the action scenes are really dull and boring compared to the rapid style like violence we see in John Woo's other films.
it's actually one of the movies that you can own, and watch over and over again when there is nothing on TV, which is actually almost always the case ?!.The acting is excellent, the chemistry between Yun-fat and Sorvino worked 100%.
A cool, Violent, bloody Action film with Chow Yun fat, this i one of my personal favorite films..
The story is exactly what you expect from an fast-paced action movie: 'good' killer vs.
I rented this film because I like Chow Yun Fat and other Asian action stars.
In the film, Chow Yun Fat plays an assassin.
This movie is full of shootouts and excellent action scenes, which are probably the best that I have ever seen in a film.
This was a great action movie w/ Chow Yun Fat and Mira Sorvino(who is pretty damn sexy when she acts bad-ass).
Place top stars like Chow-Yun Fat and Mira Sorvino and you have a major hit on the big screen.