BIG HIT (UMD/PSP/WS 1.85 ANAMORPHIC/2.0/ENG-FR-SP-PO-CH-KO-TH-SUB) DVD

The Big Hit
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, All Movie Guide

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

Crew Andrew M. Stearn - Art Director Craig Lathrop - Art Director Roger Mussenden - Casting Craig Perry - Co-producer Roger Garcia - Co-producer Victor McGauley - Co-producer Margaret M. Mohr - Costume Designer Jeffrey Steven Authors - First Assistant Director Kirk Wong - Director Robin Russell - Editor Pietro Scalia - Editor Terence Chang - Executive Producer John Woo - Executive Producer John M. Eckert - Executive Producer Graeme Revell - Composer (Music Score) Taavo Soodor - Production Designer Danny Nowak - Cinematographer Warren Zide - Producer Wesley Snipes - Producer Douglas Ganton - Sound/Sound Designer Lau Chi-Ho - Stunts Coordinator John Stoneham Jr. - Stunts Coordinator Ben Ramsey - Screenwriter

The Big Hit
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, All Movie Guide
 

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General Specifications: Language Options: English Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish, Por, KO, TH Sound Processing: Additional Features: Full-length movie Widescreen presentation DVD picture quality DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 90 min