THE KILLER (2024) - Mark Reviews Movies

The Killer, Peacock

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Review by Mark Dujsik | August 23, 2024

Director John Woo's The Killer isn't a direct remake of his 1989 Hong Kong action film. It takes the very basics—the character types, the basic premise, the dichotomy of the central criminal-cop relationship—and creates a new story out of them. Unfortunately, the tale and Woo's execution pale in comparison to the original, while they're also generic in their own rights.

That's a shame, because the original film was so unique at the time and, with its propulsive action and sense of high melodrama, still holds up considerably well today. Watching it is to see a director come into his own, only a few years before Hollywood would come calling. Watching this new version is to witness Woo trying to regain some of the old magic, after enduring Hollywood, returning home, and, recently, attempting a comeback in the United States.

Some of the action here, of which there is plenty, shows the filmmaker still has a hold on his old tricks, while working on some new ones. There's little doubt the man knows what he's doing, and if the right material comes his way, he might prove there's still some fight in his style of stylizing all sorts of fights.

In the meantime, though, this cover version of one of Woo's breakthroughs isn't that evidence, even if there are flashes of inspiration to be found within it. One of those elements is a sense of humor about his distinct style, which can be seen immediately in this loose adaptation. We meet the new variation of the highly skilled and honorable assassin, named Zee and played by Nathalie Emmanuel, entering a deconsecrated church, taking a seat, and whistling, summoning forth a flock of doves and pigeons.

Those who know Woo's oeuvre know such birds are so prevalent in so many of his movies that their presence became a trademark and, eventually, an easy joke about his filmmaking. The moment here, then, becomes a calling card for the director, announcing that he knows that we know and he's in on the joke, too.

This variation of the previous film is distinctly funnier than its source material. The screenplay by Brian Helgeland, Joash Campbell, and Matt Stuecken almost seems to expect our knowledge of the original, if only so that we can note how much they've changed and in what ways they've altered it. Notably, this one doesn't take itself seriously, which some fans of the '89 film might see as a kind of betrayal, but at least the approach lets us know the filmmakers aren't simply copying what worked so well before.

It might have been a better idea to mimic some of it, though, if only because the resulting adaptation quickly starts going through the broader motions of a modern-day action movie. Zee is a professional killer, located in Paris and assigned targets by her Irish handler Finn (Sam Worthington). At the church, Finn orders Zee to murder a local gang, who recently stole lots and lots of heroin, and he does so by hiding two halves of a samurai sword in the straps of a bespoke dress. The sequence is clever, bloody, and, yes, silly enough that Woo seems to be on to something.

That feeling disappears soon enough, though, as the other fundamental elements of the original's story are introduced and mostly dismissed. The slaughter results in some collateral damage, namely singer Jenn (Diana Silvers), a seemingly innocent bystander who is blinded during the chaos. Zee takes pity on the young woman and doesn't kill her, and when Finn orders his assassin to finish the job, she finds even more sympathy with Jenn and decides to protect her.

The other major player is a cop named Sey (Omar Sy), who finds himself in the middle of investigating Zee's most recent killings and the heroin robbery no one will admit happened. In the original, the unlikely relationship between the cop and the killer became the core thematic conflict of what honor is and can be, as the two formed a mutual respect for each other in spite of their differences. In this version, Zee and Sey talk about crossword puzzles, sort of flirt with each other, and bluntly state that they're probably more alike than either might have considered. It's easier to digest, since the plot filled with betrayals and looking for the stolen heroin takes over, but it's a noticeable downgrade.

The whole of the movie is a downgrade, of course, but that's pretty much to be expected, especially once the characters become mere vessels for the plotting and the action. The former overshadows any depth of characterization and ideas within the story, but to be fair, the latter can be exciting and dynamic on its own. A shootout in a hospital pits the unaware cop-criminal partners against seemingly invincible and unconcerned-for-civilian-casualties henchmen. After some ludicrously staged and illogical nonsense with motorcycles in the adjoining cemetery, a final fight in the church feels like old-fashioned Woo, as characters leap and dive and shoot and fight.

The Killer does occasionally show that Woo still has it where and when it counts. Surrounding that action, though, is an inferior variation, not only of the '89 film, but also of the generic action template.

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