Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The film The Replacement Killers is like an elaborate dish concocted by someone who doesn8217;t know how to cook and to play safe throws in all possible ingredients. First-time director, Antoine Fuqua, tried to replace taut action by senseless fast movement of the camera. Chow Yun-Fat, touted as Hong Kong8217;s answer to Van Damme, plays John Lee hired gun to the underworld ruler Terence Wei. Lee has to pay back three debts in terms of assignments he does for Wei. But when told to kill the seven-year-old son of a police detective, he refuses, incurring Wei8217;s wrath. On the run, he goes to the tough-as-nails passport forger Meg Coburn played by Mira Sorvino.
Dressed like Madonna during her Desperately Seeking Susan days open buttons, bra straps et al Sorvino doesn8217;t provide visual relief as she is simply not that pretty. While her acting is efficient, the same cannot be said for Yun-Fat. It is amazing just how well he manages to pass himself of as a piece of furniture. The script is weak with nologic in the sequence of events. And the replacement killers, bought in to finish Lee are as scary as cardboard cut-outs. The saving grace is the clever editing and Foquian8217;s eye for colour which make for some really good visuals.
