A remake of John Woo’s genre-defining heroic bloodshed classic has been on the cards for decades and eventually dropped last year with little fanfare and ultimately helmed by the man himself. While there will no doubt be many who will write it off straight away and have much to say about remaking the original, ‘The Killer’ mark 2 isn’t that bad and sees Woo going for a lighter, frothier version of his action classic.
Essentially the same set up: renowned assassin (Emmanuel) accidentally blinds a caught in the crossfire bystander/club singer (Silvers) during a bullet riddled hit and thus befriends/protects said singer due to guilt, while an honest cop (Sy) pursues and then ultimately teams up with Emmanuel’s assassin to take on a larger threat for an epic action showdown. This time proceedings are relocated to Paris, the action less intense (though still copious), and the tone lighter, making for a fun remix.
Woo’s original ‘The Killer’, released back in 1989, is still an endlessly watchable genre classic, a near-perfect blend of (melo)drama and relentlessly intense gunplay action. It was highly unlikely a remake, whether made in Hollywood or by Woo himself, would ever top the original and this version doesn’t. Yet as a fun and breezy redo, Woo’s remake of his own film is a fun actioner (if one can leave the incessant need to compare and criticise behind) that entertains thanks to its location, assassin gender swap, and some finely staged action.
Woo seems to be having fun setting this version in Paris and working with a substantial French cast, giving proceedings a picturesque and lighter tone with Omar Sy particularly effective taking on the role as the French cop hot on the trail of Emmanuel’s Assassin. She is also great as the killer of the title, handling leading and action duties with fresh energy. In fact, these two, along with the Paris setting and some decent action screens, make the film fun and watchable as the fairly predictable narrative unfolds. We know where everything is heading, certainly if you’ve seen the original, but the leads and setting put enough of a spin on this remake to make it worthwhile.
There is a fair amount of action too, and while not nearly as intricate, sustained, or mounted with as much bloody verve as the original, it’s still decent stuff: Woo mixing up proceedings with gunplay, vehicular mayhem, and a fair amount of hand-to-hand combat. The action isn’t as bullet-riddled this time but there’s an impressive shoot-out in a hospital and the action blow-out (once again set in an abandoned church) of the finale is some action-soaked fun. Emmanuel’s one-on-one with Aurelia Agel’s equally deadly killer is a doozy.
At the age of 77 and after a long and successful career, Woo shouldn’t be expected to still be working at the height of the likes of the original ‘The Killer’ and ‘Hard Boiled’ but he’s still got enough creative energy in the tank to deliver entertaining films and if you can go with the fun, French, and sometimes silly vibe of his ‘The Killer 2.0’, then there is some entertaining action fun to be had.
- The Killer - July 11, 2025
- Fierce Cop - June 30, 2025
- The Shadow Strays - June 14, 2025
