As much as I do enjoy Asian cinema, it just pains me to my very soul whenever I get an Asian movie that has been released as an English dubbed version. And especially bad is it when the DVD doesn't even offer the option to change the audio track into the original language. And unfortunately "Contract Killer" (aka "Sat sau ji wong") is such a dubbed movie. And what perplexes me even more is that the dubbing voice actors never do a proper work. It is always done so poorly that it becomes laughable.
Anyone familiar with Hong Kong cinema will be thrilled to see Simon Yam, Eric Tsang, Gigi Leung and of course Jet Li in "Contract Killer". Simon Yam provides the serious acting, Eric Tsang provides the comical relief and Jet Li is of course doing the action.But they were being brutally butchered by a pathetic English dubbed audio track.
Story-wise then "Contract Killer" is very typical for the action movies that were coming out of Hong Kong cinema during the late 1990's. That being said, it is of course up to the individual viewer whether that is good or bad. I did find it entertaining enough for what it was, I just struggled to swallow that dubbing pill.
Aside from the dubbing horror, then the music in the movie was mostly very poorly selected; and here I'm thinking of the title track, the music played during the rather impressive elevator shaft fight scene and during the last fight scene.
"Contract Killer" appeals to anyone with a lifelong love romance with Hong Kong cinema. For newcomers there are far better Hong Kong action movies available. And as for it being a Jet Li movie, well don't get too excited, because it is not amongst his best work.
Anyone familiar with Hong Kong cinema will be thrilled to see Simon Yam, Eric Tsang, Gigi Leung and of course Jet Li in "Contract Killer". Simon Yam provides the serious acting, Eric Tsang provides the comical relief and Jet Li is of course doing the action.But they were being brutally butchered by a pathetic English dubbed audio track.
Story-wise then "Contract Killer" is very typical for the action movies that were coming out of Hong Kong cinema during the late 1990's. That being said, it is of course up to the individual viewer whether that is good or bad. I did find it entertaining enough for what it was, I just struggled to swallow that dubbing pill.
Aside from the dubbing horror, then the music in the movie was mostly very poorly selected; and here I'm thinking of the title track, the music played during the rather impressive elevator shaft fight scene and during the last fight scene.
"Contract Killer" appeals to anyone with a lifelong love romance with Hong Kong cinema. For newcomers there are far better Hong Kong action movies available. And as for it being a Jet Li movie, well don't get too excited, because it is not amongst his best work.