The Replacement Killers (1998) Columbia/Action RT: 88 minutes Rated R (language, strong violence) Director: Antoine Fuqua Screenplay: Ken Sanzel Music: Harry Gregson-Williams Cinematography: Peter Lyons Collister Release date: February 6, 1998 (US) Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Mira Sorvino, Michael Rooker, Kenneth Tsang, Jurgen Prochnow, Til Schweiger, Danny Trejo, Clifton Collins Jr. (as “Clifton Gonzalez Gonzalez”), Carlos Gomez, Frank Medrano, Leo Lee, Patrick Kilpatrick, Randall Duk Kim. Box Office: $19.2M (US)
Rating: ***
My first impression of The Replacement Killers was this: “Now this is how to make an action flick!” I stand by that statement. It’s an action movie done right. It’s short, violent and to the point. There are no deep psychological insights into the characters, drawn-out conversations or dopey romantic scenes. In other words, director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) leaves out all the unnecessary stuff and gives us an actioner that hits the ground running and doesn’t stop until the end credits roll.
The “hero” of The Replacement Killers is John Lee (Fat, Hard Boiled), a profession assassin who does jobs for Triad crime boss Terence Wei (Tsang, The Killer) as a way of paying off an old debt. He has one last job for John. Looking to avenge the death of his son at the hands of LAPD detective Zeedo (Rooker, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer) during a drug bust, Wei orders John to kill the cop’s 7YO son so he can experience the pain of losing a child. His conscience won’t allow him to do it, so he walks away from the job. Angered at being disobeyed, Wei orders his head lieutenant Kogan (Prochnow, Das Boot) to hunt down John and kill him. When that doesn’t produce the desired results right away, the crime boss brings in a pair of skilled hitmen- aka “replacement killers”- to complete both unfinished jobs.
John’s disobedience puts his family in Shanghai in danger as well. He needs to go to China right away to protect them. Because he can’t go through the usual channels to obtain the necessary forged documents, he goes to Meg Coburn (Sorvino, Mimic), a master forger who operates outside of Wei’s network. When Wei’s guys show up and destroy her workplace, she’s forced to go on the run with John until she can set him up with a passport. Their lives are in constant peril as Wei has eyes and ears all over the city. Everywhere they go, somebody tries to kill them. That’s about it for the plot.
The Replacement Killers is a slick, fast-paced actioner that succeeds because of its simplicity. It’s not your typical American production. It bears the distinctive earmarks of a Hong Kong action movie with its saturated color scheme, whooshing sound effects and stylish cinematography. Could it be because it’s produced by John Woo (The Killer, Hard Boiled)? The action scenes are well orchestrated with bullets and bodies flying with ballet-like grace everywhere. It doesn’t get bogged down by its plot or long conversations between Yun-Fat and Sorvino. It establishes their relationship and lets it evolve into something resembling love although Fuqua resists the temptation to have them jump into the sack during a lull in the action, not that there are any.
Fat, making his American debut, does fine work as a contract killer with a conscience. Once he understands what his final assignment entails emotionally, he simply cannot do it and tries to walk away at great risk to himself and his family in China. He’s a man on the edge, but you wouldn’t know it as his cool demeanor belies his fear and desperation. Fat allows a hint of sadness to sneak through the cracks of his tough exterior thus revealing a small measure of vulnerability. Sorvino is pretty good job as the Goth girl forger who makes it a rule not to get personally involved with her clients. Unfortunately, that’s not an option with John. Once he enters her lair, her anonymity goes out the window. She becomes a target too. She has no choice but to fight alongside John for her life, his life and a child’s life. The performances in The Replacement Killers are better than one might expect. It helps that Fat and Sorvino have good chemistry even if their relationship doesn’t extend beyond a meaningful glance or two.
The cinematography by Peter Lyons Collister is top-notch material. He brings texture to the movie. He makes it palpable. You can almost feel the cold steel of the guns and hear the bullets whizzing past your ears. One of the best scenes takes place inside a movie theater where Rooker’s cop and his son are watching a Mr. Magoo cartoon just before all hell breaks loose with John and Meg shooting it out with the two “replacement killers” played by played by Til Schweiger (Inglorious Basterds) and Danny Trejo (Machete).
The Replacement Killers isn’t the first American action movie to utilize the HK style of filmmaking. It is, however, one of the better ones. It ranks right alongside Hard Target and Broken Arrow (both directed by Woo). It’s stylish, exciting and entertaining. It doesn’t ask too much of the viewer. In fact, it doesn’t ask anything at all. Its only purpose is to entertain and it does just that.
