THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS

US, 1998, 88 minutes, Colour.
Chow Yun Fat, Mira Sorvino, Michael Rooker, Kenneth Tsang, Jurgen Prochnow, Til Schweiger, Danny Trejo, Clifton Collins Jr.
Directed by Antoine Fuqua.

Hollywood vehicle for popular Hong Kong star Chow Yun Fat, borrowing from Hong Kong police plots and action and bringing in Mira Sorvino as the equivalent of Maggie Cheung and the tough Hong Kong leading ladies. Directed with music video panache, it is mainly lots (and lots) of shooting, some gangster characters and more shooting, some touches of sentiment as the assassins target is a policeman's little son and then some more shooting. Shooting spree.

1. The popularity of this kind of action film? The star in his native Hong Kong? The transition to Hollywood films? This film in the Hong Kong tradition?

2. The Hong Kong locations, hit-men, the police, forgers? The plot? The style, the violence – for a US audience and western audience?

3. Panavision and colour, the dark shades of the film, the panache of the photography, the angles, the editing and pace, the musical score?

4. The re-creation of a violent world, guns, heroes, heroics, hit-men changing heart, villains, justice? Sentiment?

5. The prologue, establishing John Lee as a hit-man, his personality, indebted to Mr Wei? Mr Wei, his hold over John, his demands? The policeman and his son, vengeance by Wei, John having to kill the policeman – and unable to pull the trigger on his son? His moral dilemma?

6. The police work, the raid, the funeral, the son surviving, the attack?

7. John, a killer, his refusing to kill the boy, his participation in shoot-outs, his knowing that there would be replacements, his trying to get the better of them, the setups? The theatre?

8. Meg Coburn, her reputation for forgery? Her personality? Getting the passports, the shoot-outs, the gun? The clash with John, the bond? Their working together? The bar, the ambush, the apartment? Buying the guns? Her being taken by the police – and released? The passports, saving the boy – and the prospect of a happy ending?

9. John, his being wounded, family, his changing heart, his attack on the replacement killers, a sense of right?

10. The assassins, their skills, Wei and his commands?

11. The background of business, Michael Kogan and his role with Mr Wei? The spectacle?

12. The other characters, Mr Wei, Stan Zekof, Ryker, Collins, Loco? Their contribution to the plot, characters? Action and violence? Villains and heroics?

13. The blend of the Hong Kong and American style – how well did it work? The values behind the film?