À toute épreuve

Perfectionniste, éclipsant tous les autres films d'action. Il semble presque impossible qu'un film aussi long et bourré de fusillades ne paraisse pas surpayé et contraint, et qu'il ne s'ennuie pas après un certain temps. Et pourtant, c'est tout le contraire. La dernière demi-heure est la preuve que John Woo n'est pas de cette planète. (11/11/2003)

Neat action and cool lines. Both John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat are on their best form here. Technically almost perfect action scenes, ingenious and still surprises after all these years. I’m telling you, this movie suited me down to the ground. Tequila’s apt remarks were really to my taste. A classic that I plan on watching again soon. (26/01/2014)

A pioneer of the action genre, with amazing camera and editing work, revolutionary shooting sequences, long shots without cuts, breathtaking stunt work. Before all the modern Hunts, Bonds, Bournes, and Wicks, there was a detective with a cigarette in his mouth and two guns on his belt who set the direction for what action films would look like decades later. (13/02/2005)

At my age, a person usually already knows what brings them joy and what they should avoid. However, it doesn't hurt to confirm one's priorities and prejudices from time to time. A film in its genre rated as top quality should serve for that. Action films are not my cup of tea, but why not try one of the highest-rated films in its category for a change? Well, I won't lie, in a way, it was quite a spectacle. Action completely devoid of any dependence on physical laws, guns with eight rounds that fire fifty times in a row, a simple story without any elementary logic, flat characters that fit perfectly into their boxes, fighters who take out ten opponents without even breaking a sweat - and so forth. Thank you, I have confirmed all the negatives I feel toward such productions, and if I ever feel the need to be distracted by an action film in the future, I'll watch The Bourne Identity. Practically no genre is as overrated on FilmBooster as East Asian action films. In any other genre, whether it's horror, fantasy, sci-fi, or anything else, there are enough naysayers who can tarnish the enthusiasm of uncritical fans. Surprisingly, it doesn't work like that in this group. Hard Boiled is a one-dimensional film without any significant impact, but it is filmed with professionalism and actors who behave with absolute certainty within the confines of the script. Overall impression: 25%. (24/04/2010)

Tequila slammers, toothpicks, babe in arms, hundreds of smashed tiles and thousands of spent rounds. A perfect piece, down to the smallest detail, from John Woo, Fat and everybody else involved. This ode to action is incredible not only for a John Woo movie. Especially the brothers’ finale in the hospital is inimitable and unmatchable. If you are used to politically correct American productions, you will be shocked by the mass shooting of civilians or the brutal action overflowing with visuals typical for John Woo. Often in his pictures the action element plays just a supporting role to a drama involving two men, and here it is the same, although that motif takes much more of a back seat here. Even the scenes with kids, which elsewhere would be superficially cheap, are handled perfectly here. The entire movie gets by without any humorous element, with the honorable exception of two “sorta" snappy lines at the very end. The only negative aspect of this movie is the rather too disruptive music. One of the zeniths of Hong Kong “gun" movies. (25/04/2005)