The Big Hit

Plot synopsis:
Melvin Smiley (Mark Wahlberg) is a hitman leading a secret life and maintaining two relationships, one with the demanding and demeaning Chantel (Lela Rochon), who does not accept his work, and another with Pam (Christina Applegate), who knows nothing of his job. Melvin is somewhat of a pushover, trying to appease all of Chantel's demands, even her most expensive wishes, as well as rolling over whenever one of his co-workers takes credit for his achievements. Perhaps as a result of his helplessness in asserting himself, throughout the early scenes Melvin is often seen drinking Maalox to relieve a developing ulcer.
Feeling underpaid for their work for mob boss Paris (Avery Brooks), the assassin team of Smiley, Cisco (Lou Diamond Phillips), Crunch (Bokeem Woodbine), Vince (Antonio Sabato Jr.) and Gump (Robin Dunne) take an independent job, kidnapping Keiko Nishi (China Chow), the teenage daughter of local electronics magnate Jiro Nishi (Sab Shimono), for a hefty ransom. Unfortunately, the team does not realize that Nishi has recently gone bankrupt over his failed foray into films and furthermore, their boss Paris is the girl's godfather. Enlisted by the group to hold Keiko, Melvin has to hide the bound and gagged schoolgirl on his property, attempting to keep her presence hidden from Pam and her parents, who are coming for dinner.
Melvin feels sorry for the girl and relieves her from her bondage. In the ensuing hours they build up a rapport preparing dinner together, an act which leads into a love scene reminiscent of the pottery scene from Ghost, but which is cut short when Keiko attempts to escape.
Ordered by Paris to discover the kidnappers of his goddaughter, a panicked Cisco kills Gump, but not before coaxing him into also implicating Melvin for the kidnapping.
A team of assassins crash Melvin's dinner with Pam's family, leading to a shootout during which Melvin realizes Pam was going to break up with him under pressure from her stereotypically Jewish mother (Lainie Kazan). Melvin and Keiko's feelings for each other lead them to form an awkward romance, and she and Melvin attempt to escape from the fiasco, pursued by Cisco. In the chaos, Melvin happens to run into Chantel and finally takes the opportunity to stand up to her and end their relationship.
A fight ensues between Cisco and Melvin, culminating at a video store where the ever-honest Melvin stops to return an overdue tape. Melvin kills Cisco by stabbing him in the chest, but not before Cisco arms an explosive device. Melvin leaves the building and is confronted by Keiko, her father and Paris. He re-enters the building, which explodes.
Paris and Nishi, believing Melvin to be dead, call off the manhunt. Soon Melvin is revealed to have survived, sheltered from the blast by an enormous solid gold film stand-up made for the flop that destroyed Nishi's career. Melvin and Keiko are reunited and ride off together, while Nishi recoups his losses by making a film out of the story of his daughter's kidnapping.

Tags: violence, comedy, action, murder, flashback

Review:
This movie is about a day in the life of a hit man played by actor Mark Whalberg.
Melvin (Mark Whalberg) has good life thanks to his talent as a hit man, but has very working class mentality going about his life.
But none of the girls he associates with shares his work ethics, but just sees him as a cash cow, and a guy to dump all their troubles on to, until Cisco (Lou Diamond Phillips) kidnaps a Japanese mogul Jiro's (Sab Nishi) daughter Keiko (China Chow) and dumps her on to his lap.
Keiko is the first to sympathize with Melvin and hits it off with him.There are three stories going on simultaneously in this movie: One with Cisco and his boss Paris (Avery Brooks) who's a friend of Jiro's and wants the guy who kidnapped Keiko dead (not knowing that it's actually Cisco who did it).
The riot is seeing all the other materialistic people around Melvin all trying to take advantage of him showing how nice of a guy he is despite his choice of profession.Was this movie great ?
Sure, if you expect a serious, realistic action movie, The Big Hit isn't the movie for you.
Indeed Mark Wahlberg is a bit cack in most of his films, but The Big Hit is a masterpiece of comedy.
I had absolutely no idea that this movie was supposed to be a silly, spoofy action film when I saw it at the theater.
Wahlberg plays a contract killer who wants no more than to be liked in "The Big Hit"; a solid three star flick which features good action, stunts, pyro, CGI, camera work, etc.
Feasting On a Diet of Scenery and Ham. The Big Hit is a nice fast paced black comedy where a whole lot of actors get to chew the scenery without getting in the way of each other's diets.
Everyone looks like they're having a great old time in making this film.A team of four hit men who we first meet doing a job for boss Avery Brooks decide to do a little weekend moonlighting into kidnapping.
Next to LDP, Kazan and Gould are the best thing in the film also playing their ethnic stereotypes with relish and ketchup on the side.Believe it or not, it all works out in one crazy way for poor Wahlberg, but you'll have to see and enjoy The Big Hit to find out how.
The Big Hit assembles a cast of familiar players who all look like they're having a great old time, burlesquing their own images and feasting on a diet of scenery and ham.
When a group of hitmen kidnap the goddchild of their boss all hell breaks loose.This is plot for this awesome comedy/action thriller starring Mark Wahlberg, Christina Applegate and Antonia Sabato, Jnr.This is a high-octane comedic look at hitmen - and what would happen if you double-crossed your boss.
Turn up the sound on this one, sit back, and be amazed.It's movies like this that show how good an actor Mark Wahlberg really is.
It mixes the humor with the action so well and the story is just plain nuts.The movie takes new directions all the time and it never stops to surprise you.
The main characters gets involved in the most redicolues dilemmas you have ever seen and I guarantee that you will laugh many times.This movie also has some very violent scenes and some bad language.So it is not for kids.
In the main roles you will find  Mark Wahlberg,Christina Applegate and Lou Diamond Phillips which is my best friend Ole Martin's favourite actor.So if you are looking for a laugh and some great action then this is the movie for you..
When you watch this movie,you can't return it to the videostore because it's great.This is an action comedy and it will laugh you to death.
There is enough action and humor in this movie,and great actors but still,...I don't know what but there something missing.If you see Pulp Fiction,you will know what I'm talking about.Melvin Smiley, a successful young hit-man, is living a normal all-day life for his Jewish fiancé Pam, but kills for money in Paris' organization.
It has great action and comedy, is sexy and just a rollicking good time.
If you want to watch a movie with some friends and just have a good time, this is the one..
Where GPB works subtly and gives us an amoral antihero trying to pretend to be good, The Big Hit gives us Melvin Smiley, a basically good guy who tries, and occasionally succeeds, to be bad.Running gags like the kidnapping victim who keeps getting away, the turncoat "friend" who just won't die (played with wonderful reptilian zeal by Lou Diamond Phillips), and Elliot Gould's "prune juice," the nasty video store clerk (reminiscent of the "two dollars" kid from "Better Off Dead," and Bokeem Woodbine's love affair with his hand, keep the whole thing fun.This movie will never win an Oscar.
It was fun to watch, good for a laugh, had a lot of action, and the nice guy wins out in the end.
Besides, Mark Wahlburg and China Chow are about the two best-looking people on the planet, so even if you don't like to movie you can still enjoy it..
Mark Wahlberg was terrific as the compassionate hit man, the movie's worth seeing for his performance alone.
My opinion is that "The big hit" is a combination of action and a lot of funny remarks and events, like the "trace-buster" and the "trace-buster-buster" and Aly's suitcase with a fragile content(which were treated with care even if the owner were dead).
I like their movies and we need more directors like them.I strongly recommend that you take the time and see "The big hit".
But as always,there are differences.Martin Blank looks like a 30-year old teenager while Melvin Smiley is a hunk.MB is a classy hitman while MS is the new-age killing machine.Unfortunately,a hunk like MS has to live with a geekish name.And while both are nice guys,poor MB is disillusioned while MS looks unfazed.Both movies are black comedies.GPB is pure black comedy while tBH is an action-packed black comedy.Where GPB tackles the absurdities of its plot, tBH tackles the the absurdities of situations in the movie itself.tBH is more colourful than GPB, has a kick-ass soundtrack and more attitude to boot.So if you want to watch hitmen movies with wittier,mature stories, get GROSSE POINT BLANK.
If you want more adrenaline in this kind, watch THE BIG HIT.But,seriously,you should watch both because they are funny,fun & strangely charming.It's all up to you.Either of these two may suit your fancy so watch either at your own risk.You have been warned.
The thing is, you should take this movie for what it REALLY is: a GREAT cartoon full of laughs and action, very much like "True Lies" actually, where the idea behind watching it is simply to have FUN.
He takes the "aw shucks" nice guy attitude to the nth degree in THE BIG HIT, and we really root for him.This is not a movie for film "criticism."  It would totally fall apart under scrutiny, whether for logic, continuity or artistry.
Not far behind him was Mark Wahlberg, making an unbelievable combination (hitman with a heart of gold?) actually work.This could easily have been a wasted script if the actors didn't have the right chemistry.If you're an average Joe, you won't mind the crude language and adult humor a problem and will really like this comedy.A cult classic in the making..
The Big Hit is the funniest movie I have seen in a long time.
The melodrama and obvious attempts to make certain scenes humorous can be somewhat annoying at times, but it's the sheer in-your-face crazy behaviors of each of the unique characters that makes this movie a must-see.
Lou Diamind Phillips is definitely superb as a bad guy and I somehow get the feeling that his performance in this movie will be overlooked.
you think you're watching the usual self-referential, ironic modern action movie, one with a sense of humor but that's all...
It's a refreshing change from the average overdone action films that try to make you take things like people outrunning explosions, ludicrous amounts of destruction and nigh-invulnerable heroes seriously.
A Big Hit. Along with the sadly underknown Mark Dacascos film "Drive", this is one of only two US-made films that are good and true disciples of the Hong Kong action film tradition.
If you're looking for a serious, moral, and realistic action film, this isn't it (although you're pretty much out of luck with any Hollywood film anyway), but if you want to see something funny, clever, and -- for a US film -- highly unusual, then "The Big Hit" is certainly worth a shot..
I had been wanting to see The Big Hit for a long time before I finally picked it up at the video store, despite bad reviews.
I was pleasantly surprised at this film, it was thrilling, exciting and thoroughly entertaining.Mark Wahlberg plays Melvin Smiley, who, despite his standing as a lethal, two-timing hitman, is a far cry from the type of character he played in Fear and Boogie Nights.
And just to placate his vicious, unscrupulous partner (Lou Diamond Phillips), he gives up his well-earned bonus for what has a spectacular job.The Big Hit was cruelly underrated, I cannot see why people didn't enjoy it.
Although this movie has its problems, sometimes lots of them, it is still an enjoyable film with kick-ass style.I rate The Big Hit 7 out of 10..
It might have tried to parody hit man movies in general with the cheesy dialogue and out-of-the-blue romances between overly-cliched characters.
How funny is it supposed to be that Mark is a hit-man who DESPERATELY wants people to like him?
Any film that has the movie King Kong Lives as a major gag is worth watching again and again!!
Anyway, alongside with Cisco (Lou Diamond Phillips), Vince (Antonio Sabato Jr.) and Crunch (Bokeem Woodbine), Smiley and company are responsible for dispatching a certain amount of bad guys for a hefty sum...and bonuses are included too!Realizing that they have been manipulated and cheated by their bosses and the agency, the four contract killers have decided to kidnap the daughter of a prominent Japanese entrepreneur.
Plenty of violence and energy help keep this film moving at an adequately vigorous pace.Inventive action sequences includes Mark Wahlberg break-dancing while taking down an army of gunmen with his ambidextrous skills!
THE BIG HIT also shows how one man must learn to juggle so much in his life, including his job working for the agency, his obligations with dealing with his boss, his commitment to his "true love," and all of his financial encumbrance as well.While the film may be weird and simply strange at times, THE BIG HIT is no doubt entertaining with hip characters who add more dimension with their sardonic performances.
There is plenty of over-the-hill laughs and you may cringe at Lou Diamond Phillips trying to act *ghetto* but THE BIG HIT remains fun on a personal level.
This however, was only the tip of the iceberg, as I was left sitting in front of my television completely dumb-struck by what looked like Mark Whalberg break dancing AND shooting bad-guys.After the first "action" sequence I had to collect myself and wonder "What is going on here?" Is The Big Hit a sick joke?
I've seen tons of action and horror flicks where people come back to life after being virtually mutilated, but this movie takes the cake.The characters are completely one-dimensional, and not the least bit interesting.
I can also say, he was one of the reason why I chose this movie....I really liked the first action scene, where Wahlberg did all the worked...it was an awesome scene.
This film has it all: action (in the usual John Woo style), comedy, car chases, gun fights, martial arts and even romance.
Mark Wahlberg and Lou Diamond Phillips are great as hitmen, each one having a completely different personality.
I think this movie was trying to be a comedy with action also thrown in and that is probably a hard combination to do.
Okay so the plotline is wafer thin, some situations are ridiculous but if you can waste and hour and a half of your life away being entertained, by a faced paced, often funny, overblown action flick without feeling the need to pick it apart scene by scene, you're in for an unashamedly fun film..
But if you want to have an hour and a half of fun and laughs, try The Big Hit next time you rent a video.
I recently saw THE BIG HIT and altho it definitely wasn't Mark Wahlberg's best (ie Boogie Nights) It was indeed enjoyable.
Even though Big Hit is a good movie, I have to watch it now and then to remember what its like.Could Watch Again - 1.
A good action/comedy movie.
The Big Hit is a funny and good Action / Gangster Comedy.
Wahlberg's "I just want everybody to like me" kind of got old, but this movie isn't about character or plot or dialogue, it's about ACTION and FUN, and LOTS OF IT!
I thought The Big Hit was a great film, it showed what every action movie over the last ten years has showed - impossible action, but this is done in a way that makes the viewer laugh.
The particular style of john woo is evident, not in the drama, but in the action, as the young characters Melvin, Vince, Crunch and Cisco show the are physical as well as emotional actors.Most people who look to this movie as being dramatic and believable will be disappointed, but those who watch the Big Hit for pure entertainment purposes should love it..
Very good movie with lots of action and comedy.
It's the perfect mix of a movie, a Romance/Comedy/Action that the whole family will enjoy!
I thought the beginning was great with the action scenes, I loved the filming on that one.
And I love the best buds turn enemies type movies, it adds a lot of character to the film.
The here and there comedy moments add ons they shot in the movie ended up being great laughter, in fact VERY good laugh, the acting is great no doubt, everyone played a nice role in a great story too, Mark Walberg and Lou Diamond Phillips were most certainly the best off course, great decision to put those 2 in the same movie and work together they make a great team, this movie deserves an 8 and not a 5, so give it a chance and shot, you will love this forsure, This is Mark Walberg at his best..
Applegate Gets Sweezed In. Great Drama, Comedy and plenty of slap stick killings with Mark Wahlberg, Lou Diamond Phillips.
If you waste time looking for details, it wont be fun, but if you sit back and just enjoy the film its wonderful- there are several hilarious scenes and the actors have great personalities..
I wonder what some people from "The Big Hit" must have done to annoy the film gods (reviewers)?This movie is probably the most underrated, forgotten and sloppy reviewed movie of 1998: it features a fun (silly with a lovely spin) story that has an ironic view behind the curtain of Hollywood action films...
When you laugh too long you'll miss the next joke!The cast is gorgeous with Mark Wahlberg, China Chow, Christina Applegate, Lou Diamond Phillips and Avery Brooks (honory note) and many more!The story: a contract killer has problems with his job because he wants to be a nice guy (HAHA!) and his name is Melvin Smiley (!!).
it's plain and simple a high class comedy.The action sequences are great and stylish like John Woo's best scenes in other movies.
I wondered why an action movie with Mark Wahlberg had managed to slip beneath my radar?
Firstly, I would like to say that "The Big Hit" is one of my favorite films of all time.
It's fun to watch, the comedy is original, and it's NOT supposed to be a serious action film!
One of the worst movies of 1998, The Big Hit is a saturated action flick with some lousy humor.
The mixture of action and comedy does not work well in this movie.
If anyone wants to see a good action flick with some black humor then I recommand the film, Fudoh:The New Generation(1996)..
I am beginning to come a fan of Mark Wahlberg's work now that I have seen Boogie Nights, The Basketball Diaries and The Big Hit. This is probably his most underrated film.
I've been reading that "The Big Hit" is a great movie if you "take it as it is".
If you want a light, fun, action movie with some interesting characters, give this film a try.
DO YOU WANT TO SEE ONE OF THE BEST ACTION MOVIES OF ALL TIME?
He's a great actor (he showed that in last year's hit movie "Boogie Nights") and does VERY well in "The Big Hit".
This movie does not make the attempt to be anything more than a fun action-packed wacky comedy.
The Big Hit is exactly what it intends to be a action comedy.
The action scenes are the best I have seen which makes this movie one you'll want to watch over and over.
I suggest that you atleast rent this movie because some people won't like the content of the film but this is definitely a must-see..
Well, if you want to be watching a thought provoking film with gobs and gobs of meaning, don't see this movie to try and get that.
On the other hand, if you want to see some great action sequences and some funny lines, then this is the movie for you.