This remake of The Killer is a bit of a surprise. I mean, that it finally got made. There were plans as early as 1992. I have honestly no idea why it took them so long to get to this point. And while I personally can't get enough of John Woo returning to his roots, this one simply falls short.
In the finale, John Woo demonstrates to still be the master of highly choreographed bullet ballet. But it's everything else that is a let-down. I know that there are people who don't like over the top melodrama. And yes, sometimes that can be difficult to watch. Except when it is in service of the characterization and the action. The original The Killer and Hard-Boiled are masterpieces in large part because John Woo managed to give you high octane action that was magnified because of the emotional impact that came with it. In this remake, he completely forsakes the drama and humour. Even the story is a watered down affair compared to that of the original. That one was simple too. But it had a wonderful bromance between Chow Yun-fat and Danny Lee that elevated the story significantly. There was also the friendship between Ah Yong and Sei. Sei had betrayed his old friend, but out of loyalty, he would make it up to him and fetch the money Ah Yong had earned. This mission is met with a lot of resistance, but every shot matters, since it's here where Sei demonstrates how far he is willing to go for his friend. That whole sequence was immensely powerful and important. None of that is in this film. In this remake, people are getting betrayed left and right. Only people aren't as bothered as they should, which is rather odd if you ask me.
The pacing is awful. There are too many slow parts that bring you a predictable story. One would think that with this remake they would take some risks, add a twist or two. Unfortunately, no dice! But like I said before, the finale makes it worth your while. Here you are shown what John Woo should have brought you from the start. Why this hasn't happened is a mystery to me. The casting is also a bit peculiar. Sam Worthington as a villain? I like him, but he can't really act. Omar Sy is dependable. Nathalie Emmanuel is adequate, but I honestly struggle to see how her portrayal is fresh. She does bring her A game in the finale. I only wished they would have let her do more of that.
Overall, The Killer is disappointing. The finale makes up for a lot of the shortcomings. But I would still recommend for people to watch the original. It's superior in every way!
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