Actually, if you recall your 1920's American history, a single-man operated fully automatic gun did exist in that era. In 1919 the Thompson Submachine Gun, or Tommy Gun, was introduced, originally with a box magazine, not a drum clip. So, if the movie does take place in the 1920s, it's not anachronistic at all. Chow Yun-Fat's just very cutting edge.

Although Ka Wa-Fai did write and direct this movie, I'm surprised no one mentioned Chow Yun-Fat co-wrote the story, which is a unique footnote in his career.

It's true the fight scenes were a bit of a cop out, but Chow Yun-Fat's never really done any kind of highly choreographed fighting until Crouching Tiger anyway. He has never been known for his martial arts, but is well known for his appetite.

As for being caught up in making Chow "look good" well this isn't The Replacement Killers. Wa Ka-Fai does try to develop his characters, and Cecilia Yip shines through, and Chow Yun-Fat, well, he's the aloof Killer. Still, his comedic skills and subtle acting gestures are great. Like many HK movies, it's a mix of drama, action, romance, and comedy. However, the visual style truly sets it apart.

I also felt that there was something reminiscent of Wong Kar-Wai. It's probably due to the cinematography and blurring. However, this movie is much more energetic. Many of Wong Kar-Wai's characters remind me of French people, or Sartre-esque types, who are always walking very slowly or are either in slow-motion or hyper-frame-skip reality. Plus, this movie is much faster paced than Wong Kar-Wai films and doesn't have that improvised quality that permeates many of Wong Kar-Wai's works.

Overall, a decent fairwell, with a great reunion with Cecilia Yip of Hong Kong 1941 fame, and an all-too brief cameo of Ng Sin Lin who oddly appears in the last handful of Chow Yun-Fat's HK movies. Also if you are watching the two-tape VHS release, you also get a lesson in how to make Chinese broccoli. Dinner and a movie!