“Most things go in and out of style, that is, with the exception of war, of course,” notes chief villain Johnny Wong (Anthony Wong) in Hard Boiled, finally receiving the 4K UHD/Blu-ray treatment later this month. And few filmmakers have exemplified that better than John Woo. Indeed, nearly a quarter-century after its 1992 release, the Hong Kong action thriller still packs one almighty dazzling punch.
Concluding a remarkable run of homegrown films which included A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, and Bullet to The Head, the auteur bid adieu to the Far East with arguably his career masterpiece, a visceral amalgamation of hyper-kinetic violence, pitch-black humor, and erm, smooth jazz, which redefined his genre of choice.
Woo nails the gonzo tone immediately, its opening scene showcasing his stylized “bullet ballet” approach in all its glory while surpassing the body count of most Hollywood actioners in their entirety. Thanks to some impressive multi-tasking — see how he takes out an army of gangsters while simultaneously sliding down a stair rail — gun-toting cop Tequila (Chow Yun-fat) somehow leaves the gangster-occupied teahouse he’d been surveilling with his life intact. His partner, Benny (Bowie Lam), on the other hand isn’t so lucky, setting the wheels in motion for a tale that’s part-revenge flick, part-gangster epic, and part-unlikely buddy cop bromance.
Yes, Tequila finds an intriguing new partner-in-crime in Alan (Tony Leung Chiu-wai), an antisocial, origami-obsessed undercover policeman who he discovers has single-handedly taken down one Triad organization and is now infiltrating their fiercest rivals. And the pair subsequently join forces to prevent the new top dog from inflicting any more carnage, burrowing through a vault hidden beneath a local hospital which contains enough weaponry to arm a national military.
It’s here where Woo, who also briefly pops up as a world-wise bartender, truly goes for broke as everyone from innocent bystanders to gun-toting assassins are dispatched in brutal fashion. In fact, the hospital scene — which took 40 days to shoot, pushed the crew to near-exhaustion, and left Leung needing medical treatment for an eye injury — pretty much takes up the film’s entire second half, including an astonishing five-minute continuous take which elevates bloodthirsty cinema to new heights, along with the iconic escape in which Tequila jumps from a building with an adorable baby in tow.
But Hard Boiled certainly isn’t a case of style over substance. Both Chow and Leung give multi-layered performances as they attempt to navigate the city’s criminal underbelly without sacrificing their souls, their complex relationship also touching upon themes of self-identity, honor, and brotherhood. Meanwhile, Michael Gibbs’ playful jazz score — a refreshing alternative to the orchestral bombast usually favored — and an array of one-liners which briefly help diffuse the constant tension (“I’ve got more hostages than you’ve had hot dinners”) all add to the brilliantly organized chaos.
HOW WAS HARD BOILED RECEIVED UPON RELEASE?
Hard Boiled achieved respectable if not exactly earth shattering box office in Woo’s native Hong Kong, and only enjoyed a brief run in cinemas Stateside following its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. However, the film’s critical response was positively glowing.
"A very brisk, talented director with a gift for the flashy effect and the bizarre confrontation," noted The New York Times. The Los Angeles Times was just as effusive, arguing that the filmmaker “shows he is one of the premier orchestrators of large-scale mayhem ever to fill the screen." While The Philadelphia Enquirer was impressed by its blood-soaked bookending scenes, hailing them as "wondrously staged, brilliantly photographed tableaux."
WHY IS HARD BOILED IMPORTANT TO SEE NOW?
Well, the fact that Hard Boiled had been largely unavailable for western audiences since the late ‘90s is a pretty valid reason. Indeed, like the rest of co-producer Golden Princess’ back catalog, the classic spent several decades stuck in license rights limbo before Shout! Studios came to the rescue earlier this year. The film has since made its streaming debut, but this 4K/Blu-ray marks its first physical wide release this side of the pond.
Furthermore, it’s an opportunity to see a master of war at his best. Woo would depart for Hollywood pastures soon after shooting wrapped, where he found himself stifled by the powers that be: his Jean-Claude Van Damme-starring first effort Hard Target and nuclear weapon nonsense of Broken Arrow both suffered from studio interference. And although Face/Off and Mission Impossible II displayed an impressive audaciousness, they still couldn’t compete with the thrills and spills of his Hong Kong farewell.
WHAT NEW FEATURES DOES THE HARD BOILED BLU RAY HAVE?
Shout Studios! have done their best to make the wait worth it, providing 4K and Blu-ray copies of the freshly remastered film, both of which come with newly translated English subtitles and specially recorded audio commentaries from historian Frank Djeng, film writer Drew Tayler, and Woo himself: the latter also appears alongside critic Dave Kehr, director Roger Avary, and producer Chang on a separate commentary that first appeared on its Criterion Collection release in 1995.
A second Blu-ray meanwhile contains a whole host of further features including interviews with Wong, Gibbs, and screenwriter Gordon Chan, various extended and deleted scenes, and an image gallery.
Disc Breakdown:
- NEW 4K Scan From The Original Camera Negative (Presented In Dolby Vision (HDR-10 Compatible))
- Audio: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio Mono, English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
- NEW Optional English Subtitles Newly Translated For This Release
- NEW Audio Commentary With Director John Woo And Film Journalist Drew Tayler
- NEW Audio Commentary With Film Historian Frank Djeng
- Audio Commentary With Director John Woo, Producer Terence Chang, Filmmaker Roger Avary, And Critic Dave Kehr (Recorded By The Criterion Collection)
- NEW “Violent Night” – An Interview With Director John Woo
- NEW “Boiling Over” – An Interview With Actor Anthony Wong
- NEW “No Time For Failure" – An Interview With Producer Terence Chang
- NEW “Hard To Resist” – An Interview With Screenwriter Gordon Chan
- NEW “Boiled to Perfection” – An Interview With Screenwriter Chung Hang Ku
- NEW “Body Count Blues” – An Interview With Composer Michael Gibbs
- NEW “Hong Kong Confidential” – Inside Hard Boiled With Author Grady Hendrix
- NEW “Gun-Fu Fever” – An Interview With Author Leon Hunt
- NEW “Chewing The Fat” – An Interview Academic With Lin Feng
- Deleted And Extended Scenes
- Trailers
- Image Gallery
