The Big Hit [Blu-ray]

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Kirk Wong directed this comedy actioner about mild-mannered, beleaguered hitman Melvin Smiley (Mark Wahlberg), who very much wants to be liked. However, the naive Mel is being taken advantage of by both his girlfriends and associates (who cheat him out of his bonuses). Mel and his "Odd Squad" -- Cisco (Lou Diamond Phillips), Crunch (Bokeem Woodbine), Vince (Antonio Sabato Jr.), and Gump (Robin Dunne) -- work for Paris (Avery Brooks), head of an international crime cartel and a contractor for hit jobs. Mel's mistress Chantel (Lela Rochon), who views him as a meal ticket, lives rent-free in his house, misspends his money, and is continually thinking of ways to get more from him. Her latest scheme is concocting tales about overdue mortgage and car payments, but she really wants the money to run away with her lover Sergio. Mel and his team head into a big shootout to waste some rival mobsters. One person kills the electricity; the others don night-vision goggles. Melvin handles most of the action, including shooting while bungee-bouncing near a staircase, finally making a spectacular bungee-exit from the top floors of the building just as it explodes in flames. A quick and easy weekend job backfires when their kidnap victim, a rich industrialist's teenage daughter Keiko Nishi (China Chow), turns out to be the godchild of their boss, crime czar Paris. When Cisco, mastermind of the plan, is summoned by Paris, he manages to shift blame to Mel. Meanwhile, Chantel absconds with Mel's earnings just as the disapproving parents (Elliott Gould, Lainie Kazan) of Mel's fiancee Pam (Christina Applegate) are due for a visit. Since Pam gave her parents $50,000 from Mel's bank account, they're on their way to thank him and hopefully benefit from another financial windfall. As his professional and domestic woes collide, Mel finds himself dodging bullets while trying to impress his potential in-laws. Throw in an overzealous video-store clerk demanding the return of an overdue tape (King Kong Returns), and it's not long before Mel's life starts to unravel. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: A
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Features:
  • Seamless menu navigation
  • Commentary by director Che-Kirk Wong and executive producer Terence Chang
  • Commentary by screenwriter Ben Ramsey

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Mark Wahlberg - Melvin Smiley
       Lou Diamond Phillips - Cisco
       Christina Applegate - Pam Shulman
       Avery Brooks - Paris
       Bokeem Woodbine - Crunch
       China Chow - Keiko Nishi
       Antonio Sabato, Jr. - Vince
       Lainie Kazan - Jeanne Shulman
       Elliott Gould - Morton Shulman
       Sab Shimono - Jiro Nishi
       Robin Dunne - Gump
       Lela Rochon - Chantel
       Danny Smith - Video Store Kid
       Joshua Peace - Lance
       David Usher - Sergio

• Director:

  Kirk Wong, Che-Kirk Wong

• Producer:

  Wesley Snipes, Warren Zide

• Screenwriter:

  Ben Ramsey

• Cinematographer:

  Danny Nowak

• Composer (Music Score):

  John M. Eckert, Graeme Revell

• Editor:

  Pietro Scalia, Robin Russell

• Production Designer:

  Taavo Soodor

• Art Director:

  Craig Lathrop, Andrew M. Stearn

• Co-producer:

  Roger Garcia, Victor McGauley, Craig Perry

• Executive Producer:

  Terence Chang, John M. Eckert, John Woo

• Costume Designer:

  Margaret M. Mohr

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Douglas Ganton

• First Assistant Director:

  Jeffrey Steven Authors

• Casting:

  Roger Mussenden

• Stunts Coordinator:

  Lau Chi-Ho, John Stoneham Jr.

REVIEW:

• In The Big Hit, director Kirk Wong and executive producer John Woo combine American sensibilities with the Hong Kong martial arts film. Wong and Woo do indeed create a Hollywood Hong Kong action caper, making no excuses for their indulgent action sequences and utterly absurd plot. The muddy narrative combines slapstick comedy with nonstop action. While the farcical scenes aren't nearly as engaging as the high-octane explosions, the film still remains entertaining throughout. Mark Wahlberg gives a solid performance as a lovable hit man, displaying a perfect amount of muscle and vulnerability. After a heart-stopping opening segment, Wong spends a lot of screen time focusing on the striking dichotomy between Wahlberg's ruthless hit man and his sensitive personal life. Audiences seeking standard actioner gunshots, explosions, and car crashes should be satisfied with The Big Hit. However, those with a greater understanding of Hong Kong cinema will appreciate this disorderly celluloid bulletfest more than the average moviegoer. ~ Adam Goldberg, Rovi