Funny, isn't it, how many of us are quite willing to allow for shortcomings in Asian films that we won't entertain in their Hollywood remakes? We all know to expect any emotional manoeuvrings on the part of the Asian filmmakers to be a little too overwrought and/or sentimental, and we let it go because it's a small price to pay for all those ultra-cool, blisteringly-paced action scenes. But when an American film is guilty of the same practice it really doesn't sit right and spoils the entire picture.
Well, that and the fact that someone gave Nic Cage the lead role (Nic Cage, probably, seeing as how he co-produced).
Cage is a slightly off-centre, slightly dishevelled hit-man, in Bangkok for an assignment, who forsakes his usual practice of using some street punk to do his running around for him then killing them when the job's done when he realises that young hustler Kong possesses both the speed of mind and body and street-smarts to be a worthy apprentice. At the same time, Cage falls for a young deaf-mute girl who works at the local chemist. Of course, allowing himself to become emotionally attached to others spells inevitable trouble.
Nicolas Cage is probably quite a decent bloke (unless you're Kathleen Turner), but there's something about that hangdog expression and puppy-dog eyes that really gets up my nose. The film still wouldn't be great whoever was in the lead, but for me Cage will always reduce the rating by a point or two. Couple him with a heavy dose of sentimentality – which gives him the chance to adopt the 'deep' mournful expression he wore throughout that dire remake of a German flick whose title escapes me – You know the one: he's an angel in black who doesn't say much, she's a numpty who rides her bike with eyes closed and arms stretched wide apart and looks surprised when she's splattered by a bus – and the film doesn't stand a chance.
Well, that and the fact that someone gave Nic Cage the lead role (Nic Cage, probably, seeing as how he co-produced).
Cage is a slightly off-centre, slightly dishevelled hit-man, in Bangkok for an assignment, who forsakes his usual practice of using some street punk to do his running around for him then killing them when the job's done when he realises that young hustler Kong possesses both the speed of mind and body and street-smarts to be a worthy apprentice. At the same time, Cage falls for a young deaf-mute girl who works at the local chemist. Of course, allowing himself to become emotionally attached to others spells inevitable trouble.
Nicolas Cage is probably quite a decent bloke (unless you're Kathleen Turner), but there's something about that hangdog expression and puppy-dog eyes that really gets up my nose. The film still wouldn't be great whoever was in the lead, but for me Cage will always reduce the rating by a point or two. Couple him with a heavy dose of sentimentality – which gives him the chance to adopt the 'deep' mournful expression he wore throughout that dire remake of a German flick whose title escapes me – You know the one: he's an angel in black who doesn't say much, she's a numpty who rides her bike with eyes closed and arms stretched wide apart and looks surprised when she's splattered by a bus – and the film doesn't stand a chance.