Chow Yun Fat is the man, no doubt about it. His performance makes this movie one to remember. The movie obviously does not have the budget of a big, Hollywood production, and some of the cinematic quality and production editing suffers as a result. The story line is fairly decent, but the police bureaucrat and mob boss antagonists were so over the top and underdeveloped that they seemed silly. The assassin friend, played by Chu Kong was both well-written and performed; it's too bad he didn't get more screen time. The dubbed version isn't all that bad. The recurring theme song is about as enjoyable as Chinese water torture; luckily there's always the fast-forward button.

Rajeev Kuruppu (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I have recently purchased the Critereon Version of John Woo's The Killer. I spent 65.00 on one DVD. An amazing price, but a small sacrifice. This movie truly got me addicted to John Woo. My friend Thang who deserves some credit for this first notified about John Woo and let me borrow his video tape of the Killer. From that day forward there has never been nor will their ever be a greater action movie. The slow and almost trance like action this film has with the amazing double gun action and Chow-yun fat's wit and charm make this picture perfect in every shape and form. The ending of this movie truly does justice to the whole film. If I were a real critic, this movie would be considered one of the greatest cinematic achievments of all time. I am a hardcore John Woo fan, but my opinion is not subjective. When I first saw this movie I was used to the american definition of action the big brawny action star like Arnold. I had also just recently started to indulge in Jackie Chan films, but the Killer blew me away. I believe that this movie critically is a damn good picture. I would recommend trying ebay or any other auction site to try to find the critereon edition, oh yeah I was lucky with $65.00, expect to pay at least $200.00 this DVD is no longer made, but if you liked the Killer there is no substitute.

John Woo & Chow Yun Fat...nuff said! (Rating: 5.00)
Review : The Killer is the perfect example of cinema in its most powerful form. Expression...every bullet, every conversation & every scene just flows so beautifully & expressively it just blows me away. Unexplainable. Very deep & mythological story, unlike anything ive ever seen! U just have to see it. & see it. It will make u think to yourself, "what the hell is the average Hollywood budget gettin wasted on?? Promotion!!?? " John Woo on the other hand does not need $100,000,000 to truley express himself, hell, he doesn't even need the highest quality celluloid to make his films stunningly beatiful.. The Killer is no exception, John Woo is such a masterful director, no wonder why Hollywood have been ripping him off long before they invited him to join 'em!
& unlike most action films of mindless "invincibilty" plots & stupid reasons for massive shootouts, this has a cause for every piece of stunningly choerographed action...& consequences to join the equation.
If youve only seen Chow Yun Fat in his American films (Replacement Killers & Bulletproof Monk e.t.c), you really havent his true styles & capabilities. Get THE KILLER, & youll know why Hollywood have copied J.Woo's style of genius direction more times than a photo-copier has copied paper!
This is John Woo at his purest form, & Chow in his true style.
The John Woo & Chow Yun Fat combo is like the Sergio Leone & Clint Eastwood combo= Classics!
Get this if u like a deep, moving story, awesome acting, & action that sychronizes perfectly. (Also check out other J. Woo classics, Hard Boiled, A Better Tommorow 1 & 2, & Bullet in the Head!)
.....Nobody does action like Honk Kong...Nobody does Honk Kong like John Woo...

The body count says it all.... =) This movie gets 5 bodies (Rating: 5.00)
Review : Just like the first Die Hard in the states began the whole genre of action flicks back in 1987, John Woo's cinematic masterpiece The Killer sets the stage for this genre of movies in the east back in 1989 and is a continual inspiration for moviemakers even now and will to come. The combination of John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat is a lethal one - Woo's knack for visual story-telling in his own unique manner of angles, manipulation of motion, use of religious icons or even just plain silence brings a new dimension of technical excellence, coupled with Chow Yun-Fat's execution of his character with poise, charisma, heart and style results in an excellent tale about an assassin with a conscience, a tortured soul who is trying to redeem himself. The action scenes are incredible, carefully executed and choreographed in a visual-stunning way. Woo is definitely the man. So many Hollywood movies try to rip this style off, actually Woo even rips himself off in his American movies. (especially Mission Impossible 2 which was a definite flop for Hong Kong fans). Forget Cruise and bring in Chow. That's the winning combination in the long run, not some American wanna-be action star. Chow just has the charisma needed to give life to the character and Woo knows how to exploit that into a meaningful story. Regarding the audio and video quality of the DVD, the audio, though recorded in mono back in 1989, could have been digitally remastered looking at today's technology and turned into Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, albeit somewhat emulated. The video transfer is pretty well done. High quality, if you think about material made from 1989. Nice transfer. And there is a nice menu. Decent extras. Overall this is a great value for collectors everywhere... Go out and get you one today! If you're not a John Woo/Chow Yun-Fat fan, you're sure to be after you see this movie!!!!

Best...action movie...ever! (Rating: 5.00)
Review : Filled with grit, emotion, and psychological depth, not to mention lots and lots of blood, "The Killer" is the kind of passion play that is seen all too rarely in any style of film, let alone the action genre. In fact, John Woo's Hong Kong shoot-'em-up masterpiece resembles nothing so much as Shakespeare with thousands of bullets flying around. In this case the role of the tragic hero is assumed by Jeffrey, played in career-defining fashion by Chow Yun-Fat. Jeffrey is an amiable enough sort, who also just happens to be a fearless, unstoppable assassin with a steely glare and a deadly accurate shot. But when he accidentally blinds a lovely torch singer named Jenny while mowing down about a dozen criminals in a crowded bar, Jeffrey finds some new meaning in his life by assuming responsibility for the woman, even going so far as to try to get her a vision-restoring cornea transplant. However, everything is far from hunky-dory for Jeffrey and his ward: after committing one last job to get the money for Jenny's operation, Jeffrey finds himself pursued by a small army of thugs as well as Chang and Li, two relentless detectives. Oh, and his best friend and associate Sidney has (temporarily) betrayed him. With all that's going on, the stage is set for a struggle on an operatic scale, with Chow giving his character just the right mix of warmth and gravity.

As one would expect from a film directed by Woo, with Chow in the starring role, "The Killer" contains more than its fair share of shootouts and chase scenes, all filmed with Woo's signature frenetic visual style. However, it's what happens when the movie slows down that sets it apart from the pack. "The Killer" is as much a drama as it is an action yarn, and it's a mighty good drama at that. There are a bunch of scenes here that got my adrenaline flowing, but even more impressive, some moments practically moved me to tears (emphasis on the word "practically"). Behind the constant action is an often-moving tale of devotion, honor, redemption, and friendship in the unlikely setting of the criminal underworld. The lines between good and bad, right and wrong, cop and criminal, are all blurred in a haze of moral ambiguity and divided loyalties. While Jeffrey and Sidney attempt to restore trust after Sidney's betrayal, an unlikely bond forms between Jeffrey and Li as the detective and the assassin realize they're not that different after all.

As the story unfolds, building toward the inevitable confrontation, the tension and the emotional stakes only rise along with the body count. Woo manages to elevate the crime drama to poetry, whether during a taut action sequence or a subdued conversation scene. The movie's deservedly legendary finale, involving a crazed gun battle inside a church, is the only appropriate conclusion. The viewer certainly needs some catharsis after such a harrowing journey, and Woo more than delivers the goods. "The Killer" is one of the few movies of its ilk that can legitimately be called art.

=====Respect Hong Kong Cinema ======= (Rating: 5.00)
Review : ===========Hong Kong action and John Woo should be greatly respected by Hollywood b/c most of his movies like THe Killer, Hard Boiled and The Better Tomorrow Series are being ripped off by Hollywood directors such as the movie "DESPERADO," "RESEVIOR DOGS" and etc. The Hong kong cinema should be credited by hollywood.====================

"BULLETS,BEAUTY & MAYHEM" (Rating: 5.00)
Review : This is Mr Woo's best film,period. A foriegn film that has inspired countless imitations,this movie has it all! Like his influences Leone,Peckinpah & Scorsese this film hosts a "ballet of bullets" that while violent is also captivatingly beautiful! Fans of Chow Yun Fat who have only seen his US releases "replacement killers" & the corrupter w/be in for a real treat w/this classic! Same can be said for Mr. Woo's stateside fans of face/off & hard target (& the awful broken arrow) see woo's triad=killer hard-boiled & better tmw! dubbed or sub-titled it doesnt matter,just view this masterpiece. Points of interest to fans of genre: DESPARADO by rodriguez has a virtual remake of the gunfight scene(including the saving of innocent child ) from the Killler. And the score to the dubbed version is the same as that of 48hrs w/Nick Nolte.Also MR.Woo even used the Catholic Church shoot out from the KILLER in Face OFF(including the doves).RUN DONT WALK & GET THIS FILM NOW!