el_nickster So you have read the plot synopses people have left. This film is about two hit men. O is Japanese, and he has a samurai approach to life. He is disciplined, clean, detached, and efficient. He kills without remorse and he kills without relish. Tok is an up-and-coming hit-man of a very different sort. He is wildly showy. He has style. He loves overkill. He loves his work, and he hates his rival, O. O is the top hit-man on the East side of the Pacific Rim, and Tok wants his title.Some have commented that this is the same old hum-drum from the Hong Kong studios. I have to disagree. "Full Time Killer" is slick and polished in a way that most of the New Wave of HK action films are not. "Full Time Killer" does follow the common formula of two rivals hunting each other and hunting the same girl, but it is not the story that I thought set this film above others of the genre. Andy Lau gives a memorable flamboyant performance as Tok, a joker and a devil at the same time. O's repression and sense of honor make him the sympathetic rival, particularly when it becomes clear that he isn't restrained from engaging his enemy, but rather he doesn't know how to act on his own behalf.Plus, you have to love how the lead flies in those gunfights.I hope I didn't read too much into this film, but I recommend it to everybody. For 102 minutes I had a 10/10 experience.

ewa-3 It is the story of two professional assassins who live to kill. Both are act without remorse or second thoughts, are highly effective and completely relentless. Takashi Sorimachi plays O, the Japanese killer who is considered the best in his (admittedly limited) field. He kills efficiently, dispatching the target, his bodyguards and anyone who could identify him. He is quick, clean and much in demand by those who employ him. Andy Lau is Tok, a Chinese killer who wants to replace O but who is considered too showy and flamboyant. When O executes a hit he simply walks away and disappears into the crowd. Tok escapes on a stolen motorcycle while a police station explodes in the background.They are brought together by Tok's envy of O and Tok's desire to replace him as the most sought after assassin in Asia. While they stalk and spy on each other, they are also linked by Miss Chin, played by the gorgeous Kelly Lin. She is O's housekeeper and Tok's girlfriend. Simon Yam is Inspector Lee of Interpol who leads a team going after both of the killers and who (literally in one case) are always just a step behind them.There are references galore to other movies: El Mariachi and Desperado, Blood Simple, Hard Boiled, Point Break, The Godfather, Samurai and probably plenty of others that I missed. Even the Warner Brothers cartoons of Chuck Jones are referenced—one of the more outrageous assassinations by Tok has "Largo Factorum" from The Barber of Seville accompanying the action, in much the same way that Bugs Bunny committed mayhem to the tune of Mozart, Wagner or Rossini.The action scenes are excellent. There are cars that blow up when shot, pistols that are accurate at 500 yards and huge shotguns that appear from beneath short leather jackets but even with these clichés the action set pieces created by Johnny To are exciting, fast paced, very violent and seamlessly shot and edited.Sorimachi is properly dour and brooding, almost phlegmatic. His understated acting personifies the loneliness and isolation of his character. Lau, in keeping with his character, has a much more florid style—Tok could be a full time smirker as well as a full time killer.While not exactly a return to heroic bloodshed—there aren't any heroes here—Fulltime Killer uses many of that genre's conventions. Very much worth seeing and recommended.

margolin-3 In this film the director stays well ahead of us, pulling us into the baroque plot with a grin. Andy Lau and Takeshi Scaramachi are anti-heroes within a sexually charged subplot with Kelly Lin, cool and sexy with or without glasses. They work in the same field: assassination and soon they are seeking each other out for final termination. As with some stylish thrillers, ellipsis must be accepted. Oscar Wilde once said "The first purpose of life is to adopt a pose. The second purpose has not been discovered yet." This film revels in poses and extraordinary set pieces that are passionately beautiful. Beware how much you revel in the violence, stylized and chic as it is--even an assassin can feel sickened by his work. In some ways, the film parallels John Woo's "Face Off." A must see.

Mattias Petersson I would call this a playful mix of different influences. Of course there is always a downside to making a mix between already existing movies, you get the feeling you have seen all of it before. But this is still entertaining."O" (Takashi Sorimachi) is the coolest hit-man in Asia. If you need a professional hit done you call him for a clean and professional execution. Tok (Any Lau) is the new kid on the block fighting to become the best hit-man. He is becoming more and more irritated always hearing about how great O is. Soon the two assassins have a vendetta going.There are many obvious references and nods to other movies in "Fulltime Killer". And much of the movie is more or less stolen from already existing movies. But it's always done tongue-in-cheek and Tok even comments on what movies he like and how much he wants to be like a movie star. That's why this feels so playful, the film-makers never try to hide that they are inspired by existing movies.The action-scenes are well made and most of the time beautifully shot. The two main actors are both good and the assassinations are well thought-out and entertaining. Also the climax of the movie is quite original. So this is recommended for people who don't mind influences and are hooked on movies about hit men. I rate it 6/10.