Hired assassin John Lee is asked by Chinatown crime boss Terence Wei to murder the young son of policeman Stan Zedkov. Lee has the boy in his sights, but his conscience gets the better of him, and he spares the child's life. Afraid that Wei will take revenge on his family in China, Lee seeks out expert forger Meg Coburn to obtain the passport he needs to get out of the country, but a band of replacement killers is soon on his trail.
Cinematography
Hong Kong style meets Hollywood budget: neon-drenched gun porn.
Acting
Chow Yun-Fat's smoldering silence vs. Mira Sorvino's chaotic energy.
Direction
Fuqua's debut: every frame screams 'I watched John Woo 300 times'.
Director
Antoine Fuqua
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
This was Chow's first American lead after Hard-Boiled made him a legend—Hollywood didn't know what to do with him yet.
The gun sounds were recycled from Hard-Boiled because Fuqua wanted that authentic Hong Kong punch.
US
