John Woo's final ode to Hong Kong Cinema contains some of the director's most exhilirating, hyper-violent action sequences to date. Chow Yun-fat and Tony Leung Chiu-wai turn in fantastic performances as the 2 leasds, while Shaw Brothers veteran Philip Kwok (who also serves as action director) is great as the ultra slick mob henchman. The final 45 minute, no-holds-barred hospital assault contains more action than many Hollywood films in their entirety. This violent masterpiece has yet to fail whenever I try to introduce my friends to the Hong Kong movie world, which is an acheivment in itself, since many of those silly bastards refuse to view anything that is not from the Hollywood factory. Required viewing for any serious HK movie fan.

Rating: 10/10