Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Big Hit

....excellent movie from 1998. We watched it again this past weekend on occasion of Anders visiting, and I had forgotten how truly great and awe-inspiring it is. It's about a hitman - Melvin Smiley, played by Mark Wahlberg who works for a crime organization run by Paris (Avery Brooks). Melvin is in money trouble, as he is trying to live up to all expectations, and takes on a kidnapping job on the DL with some of his fellow hitmen. The kidnapping goes seriously south when the moonlighting job turns out to be a kidnapping of Paris' Japanese god-daughter, and the leader of the DL gang - Cisco (brillantly portrayed by Loe Diamond Phillips) is called into Paris' office and ordered to find and eliminate whomever would be stupid enough to kidnap the god-daughter of the head of the largest crime syndicate on the West Coast. Cisco, not being willing to "bus' some caps" into his own ass, frames Melvin Smiley, and the hunt is on.

The movie is directed by John Woo, and has most of the characteristics of a Hong Kong era John Woo production. The character Melvin Smiley - nice, kinda slow but able to kick ass - is a role that could've been played by Jackie Chan if "Police Story", any of the "Little Star" movies or "Dragons Forever" had been directed by John Woo.

Other memorable characters include Crunch (Bokeem Woodbine) who insists on making the other crew-members see the error of their ways: "Y'all need to make the SWITCH...for Real...to STRAIGHT JACKET", Vince the cross-dressing hitman (Antonio Sabato Jr), a snotty video store kid and Gump (Robin Dunne), who always f*cks up his gangsta rap and forgets key words or phrases, like in this little piece of dialogue:

Cisco: I don't want no f*ck-ups on this kidnapping, boy.
Gump: Oh, come on, yo. I ain't like that no more, kid. You know I gots my shits - ugh - ugh...
Cisco: Together! "Ya got your shit together," ya non-word-rememberin' motherf*cker!

The Big Hit is also a rare opportunity to see Lou Diamond Phillips in another setting than what he's usually typecast as - Chief Running Wolf, the reservation police or Native American number four from the left. Check out TBH if ya like Mark Wahlberg, John Woo or if you'd like to see some awe-inspiring technology like the Tracebuster, the Tracebuster-buster, or the Tracebuster-buster-buster.

11 comments:

Anders said...

Yeah, I can't believe I've forgotten this movie. But I did begin to recall it when it started. Good one! Especially Lou Dimaond Phillips. He should do more of these types of characters. Most be some of his best performances.

Wilhelm said...

Word up. LD to da P rocks da hizzouse in da big hit.

Hope I've gotten it by the time we get back to T-town.

Anders said...

Maybe we could see it with the french language settings the next time. All french, all the time...

Unknown said...

The movie is directed by John Woo

Tssssss
Kirk Wong !!!!

The first american movie of Master John is Broken arrow the Face off but never the big hit

Anders said...

Piggy-on: I think you are confusing this with the french movie Le Grandé Coup, directed by Jean Luc "Kirk" Wong (you know, everything french is w(r)ong), starring Pierre Wahlhergé as the hit man Mathieu Soubeyrand and Miou-Miou as blond girl #3.

John Woo was executive producer on The Big Hit. And the Big Hit (1998) came after Broken Arrow (Flèche Cassée, 1996) which wasn't John Woo's first film. Hard Target (Chasse à l'homme) came three years earlier, which John Woo directed.

Unknown said...

This is a JC "movie"
This one doesn't count

So you agree that Woo didn't directed the big hit (only producer)

Anders said...

JC? Who's JC (Jean Claude?)? And which movie? And which ones doesn't count?

I agree that Chasse à l'homme is directed by John Woo and made in the USA three years before Broken Arrow. If that is the question?

Unknown said...

no !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Big hit was not directed by Woo !!!

And yes chasse a l'homme is a mivie with Van Damme so it's not really a movie.
It's like saying wrestling is a sport !!!

Anders said...

Are you talking about The Big Hit or Le Grand Coup?

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Wilhelm said...

Tweetybird.....you're thinking of Le Grande 'it, which is another movie completely.

Plus; I'll have to warn ya- Anders' Google Fu is strong...