It has been a little over 24 hours since the first trailer for the remake of “The Killer” was released, and I am still unable to shake my reaction to it. Since its availability, I have watched it three or four times, but now I am too afraid to watch it again. Why? Simply because I am in complete denial that it is John Woo at the helm of this remake, so cheap and surreal in its imagery. We know that for a few years now, things haven’t been going well for John Woo; he has become a shadow of his former self, and it is even more painful knowing it is him we are discussing… John Woo, the master of action, the creator of gun-fu, the one who revolutionized action cinema, the one who created a unique style plagiarized and pillaged by the world, especially Hollywood, which claims to be his heir but falls short. John Woo is also behind “Hard Boiled” (Impossible to Stop in French), considered by many as the greatest action film of all time, featuring an absolutely prodigious 35-minute non-stop final action sequence. No, I refuse to believe that John Woo is responsible for this botched remake, tainted by wokism and easy money. Let us grit our teeth and dissect everything wrong with this trailer, meaning everything.
Upon viewing the 2024 trailer for The Killer, the first aspect that stands out is the photography. It must be acknowledged that the film’s visuals are truly disappointing. Observe the images; they resemble a typical French television production broadcast on TF1/France2/France3, stripped of any unnecessary elements. There is no merit to them—they are uninteresting and unpleasant, making even an upcoming series produced by TF1 seem more refined in comparison. In contrast to the original 1989 film, this remake fails to measure up in every way. The imagery, colors, lighting, and texture all lack the distinctive quality present in the original, giving it the appearance of a TV movie if one were to be frank…
ERIC CANTANA, THE BIG BAD GUY, WTF
Certainly, holding the head of production solely responsible for this failure is unjustified, especially if that were the only problem at hand; we would overlook it. However, there are clearly other issues, including a casting choice that instills anxiety. Omar Sy, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sam Worthington, and Eric Cantona… Eric Cantona, notably… Portraying the main antagonist who shoots people in a manner reminiscent of Robert DeNiro’s character in “Fuck My Wife,” complete with the catchphrase “The most dangerous man in Paris.” It is enough to induce frustration… Yet we are further surprised by the revelation that Tchéky Karyo, Said Taghmaoui, and Grégory Montel are also part of the cast. I hold no personal grudge against any of them; I simply do not believe Omar Sy fits well in action films. I have admired him in “Chocolat” directed by Rachid Bouchareb and in “The Wolf Song,” where he excelled, much like in “The Forgotten Prince,” where his performance was particularly poignant. However, he appears out of place in action movies. Perhaps it works in a comedic action film such as “On the Other Side of the Ring Road,” but when the tone requires seriousness and emotional engagement, whether through demeanor, gaze, or gesture, it falls short. Consider what Chow Yun-Fat exudes on screen to understand the disparity. Yes, I am aware that Omar Sy plays the role of a police officer rather than an actor like Chow Yun-Fat, yet the disconnect remains significant.
The role originally made famous by Chow Yun-Fat has been taken over by Nathalie Emmanuelle, a move one cannot easily fault her for, particularly given it is her first major role. While we might feel disappointed, our frustration should be directed towards John Woo and the casting director. Following in the footsteps of actors like Chow Yun-Fat, Danny Lee, Kenneth Tsang, or Shing Fui-on, who are known for their refined acting styles and distinctive cinematic presence, would indeed be a daunting task, especially for a Westernized remake of “The Killer.” From its inception, this project seemed destined to face challenges, as evident from the long-standing announcement since 1992, three years after the original film’s release. There was renewed interest in 2007 with South Korean director John H. Lee, but he eventually abandoned the project. It wasn’t until 2015 that John Woo confirmed his intention to direct the remake himself following the completion of “Manhunt,” a film met with poor reception. Despite this, Brian Helgeland is involved as screenwriter, having penned “L.A. Confidential” and directed “Payback” starring Mel Gibson and Lucy Liu, along with the enjoyable “Knight’s Tale” featuring Heath Ledger. While we know that the story has been altered from its original form, it remains to be seen if Brian Helgeland’s script can match John Woo’s earlier work. However, the trailer does raise some concerns.
JOHN WHERE ARE YOU?
For more than 24 hours since the first trailer for the remake of “The Killer” was released, I have been unable to stop thinking about it. To be honest, since its availability, I have watched it three or four times but now hesitate to watch it again. Why? Simply because I am in complete denial. Total denial that John Woo is at the helm of this remake with such cheap and surreal imagery. It is known that for several years now, things have not been going well for John Woo; he has become a shadow of his former self, which is even more painful to acknowledge given who we are talking about… John Woo, the master of action cinema, the creator of gun-fu, the one who revolutionized action films with a unique style that has been plagiarized and imitated worldwide, especially in Hollywood, despite their claims to be his successors. John Woo also brought us “Hard Boiled” (To Any Extremity in French), which is considered by many as the greatest action film of all time, featuring a 35-minute non-stop final sequence that is absolutely prodigious. No, I refuse to accept that this botched remake, tainted with wokism and motivated by easy money, could be from John Woo’s direction. Let us proceed to dissect everything wrong with this trailer, which quite literally encompasses every aspect of it…
In the 2024 remake of “The Killer,” it appears that director John Woo is merely imitating himself, albeit poorly, with scenes directly copied from his earlier works. For instance, Omar Sy grabbing a child in slow motion during a heroic moment closely mirrors Chow Yun Fat’s actions in “Hard Boiled” or Nicolas Cage’s in “Face Off.” The black motorcycles on fire are clearly borrowed from “Hard Boiled,” and also from “Hard Target,” featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme. To be honest, my favorite Western adaptation of John Woo’s style is “Hard Target,” where I find the original Hong Kong elements combined with Van Damme’s martial arts most compelling. However, returning to these scenes in the 2024 version of “The Killer,” they no longer resonate today. The slow-motion shots and overly orchestrated jumps do not align with contemporary expectations; realism and rawness are now preferred. Moreover, Trinity-style jumps appear outdated and seem even more out of place given Nathalie Emmanuel’s similar attire. Additionally, the gun-fu fighting style is too reminiscent of John Woo’s earlier work; we no longer live in the ’90s. It’s worth noting that Soi Cheang successfully adapted a 1990s Hong Kong spirit to modern standards with “City of Darkness,” demonstrating that such adaptations are indeed possible.
I am genuinely disappointed to see this result. I also hope that this trailer does not reflect what is to come in the film, but honestly, I doubt it. “Silent Night,” released earlier this year, was already quite poor, and I find it difficult to understand how John Woo managed to produce another work of similar quality. In any case, the film is scheduled for release on August 23 on Peacock in the United States and October 24 in French cinemas, and regarding its distribution strategy, it’s quite noteworthy. By then, all fans of John Woo will have had access to the film, either through a virtual private network or piracy.
