Arrow Video 4K UHD Synopsis: Fresh from the success of the first two A Better Tomorrow films, in 1989 action maestro John Woo would unleash The Killer, a spectacular blend of explosive gunfights and dramatic performances, including the magnetic Chow Yun-Fat in one of his most memorable roles. Ah Chong (Chow Yun-Fat) is a hitman whose latest job takes a wrong turn when, during a shootout at a lavish nightclub, he accidentally blinds singer Jennie by firing his gun too close to her eyes. Racked with remorse, Ah Chong decides to retire from his life of crime and help Jennie get a cornea transplant. But when Ah Chong's rancorous former boss betrays him, Ah Chong receives an unexpected helping hand from hot-headed police detective Lee Ying (Danny Lee, City on Fire). An international sensation, The Killer put Woo on the radar of genre fans the world over and inspired waves of imitators, but none that could outclass it. (111 Mins)

 

Shout Factory 4K UHD Synopsis: John Woo's unforgettable classic, The Killer, arrives on 4K UHD with this stunning release! In this gripping tale of men, violence, and morality, Chow Yun-fat (Hard Boiled, A Better Tomorrow) stars as a jaded assassin who takes on what he intends to be his final assignment. When the contract with his employers turns into a double-cross, he must face off against criminals and cops alike, leading to an incendiary dance of death and vengeance. Bullets fly and bodies drop in a film that has been rightfully lauded as one of the most spectacular action movies ever made, and one whose influence on cinema is unquestioned. (111 Mins)

 

Hong Kong Rescue Blu-ray Synopsis: A righteous assassin (Chow Yun Fat), an obsessed cop (Danny Lee), and a beautiful night club singer (Sally Yeh) cross paths with the law, the triads and each other, in one of Hong Kong cinema's most celebrated bullet ballets. Filled with remorse for blinding an innocent bystander, Chow Yun Fat must complete one last 'job' to help pay for her eye surgery to clear his conscience. At the time of it's release Hong Kong was inundated with over-the-top action films, (many of them starring Chow Yun Fat) but The Killer, with it's iconic John Woo trademarks, has endured as a prime example of the 'heroic bloodshed' subgenre. With its high-octane action set pieces and melodramatic characterizations, director John Woo finally caught the attention of Western audiences (and Hollywood) and paved the way for his work in America in the following decade. (111/124/136 Mins)

 

T&G Vision German Blu-ray Synopsis: Jeffrey, an internationally paid hitman, accidentally injures a singer during his last job. His honour demands that he pays for the singer's eye surgery. To raise the money, he accepts a lucrative, dirty job from his agent. He is to execute the head of a drug syndicate and trigger a bloody power struggle among the survivors... As predicted, all hell breaks loose in the streets of Hong Kong. Open warfare ensues. When Jeffrey realizes that he is not only being hunted by the underworld but also by a government assassin, he understands that he has been lured into a deadly trap... (111 Mins)

 

Hong Kong Legends UK DVD Synopsis: A radical fusion of brutal and stylish gunplay, stunning visuals, and emotive drama, 'The Killer' is the ultimate tribute to the unique vision of Director John Woo and the perceptive, charismatic talents of leading-man Chow Yun-fat. Woo's most accomplished filmic exploration of the them of brotherhood is awash with reflections of film-noir in the style of Scorcese and Melville. A literal landmark in modern Action-Cinema, Woo unfolds his story about the bond between a moral assassin and an amoral policeman with incredible skill and precision, whilst still managing to overwhelm his audience with some of the most incredible action-sequences ever committed to film. 'The Killer' is the original inspiration for a whole new wave of Action-Cinema, including such modern classics as Tarantino's 'Reservoir Dogs' and 'Pulp Fiction'. Now enjoy the most famous and influential 'gunplay action-thriller' ever made, on this restored and re-mastered Special Edition DVD!! (107 Mins)

 

Hong Kong Legends (Magazine) UK DVD Synopsis: Regarded as the definitive 'heroic bloodshed' movie, John Woo's The Killer is a landmark in modern action cinema that inspired many Western film-makers, among them Quentin Tarantino. The Killer is the story of Ah Jong (Chow Yun Fat), a repentant assassin trying to quit his life of crime, and Inspector Li Ying (Danny Lee), a frustrated cop obsessed with tracking him down. When the two find themselves sharing a common enemy – mobster boss Wong Hoi – they form a strange friendship. Fusing brutal and stylish gunplay, stunning visuals and emotive drama, The Killer is a cinematic masterpiece. (107 Mins)

 

Made In Hong Kong UK VHS Synopsis: Haunted by guilt, driven by the need for vengeance, united by a bond neither understands, charismatic hit-man Chow Yun Fat and maverick cop Danny Lee find their destinies inextricably linked in John Woo's classic action-thriller. Opposite faces of a moral code with no place in Hong Kong's corrupt underworld, they are drawn inexorably together in this deliriously-shot fable, where Woo's abiding themes of honour, betrayal and redemption through violence find their ultimate explosive expression. A matchless masterpiece. (107 Mins)

 

Palace Pictures UK VHS Synopsis: The Killer is the greatest action-packed cop thriller ever to smash its way on to the screen. The ultimate hit man versus the ultimate cop. There hasn't been such an exciting pairing since Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte in 48 Hours. The Killer surpasses the brutal impact of Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry, Brian De Palma's Scarface and Lethal Weapon 2. Nothing exceeds like excess in this fast-paced and intense gangster thriller. The film climaxes in a spectacular, cataclysmic gunfight, the results of which must be seen to be believed. (110 Mins)

 

Views: If I can remember correctly, I had also seen the Tartan Video VHS release of John Woo's Hard Boiled (1992) and, as well as that, had caught the delightful Chow Yun Fat in 1987's Spiritual Love which was screened on Channel 4 one Xmas with a host of Hong Kong classics including Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain (1983) and Mr. Vampire (1985). It was the mid-90s, and although the Palace Pictures UK VHS release of The Killer had been on the shelf at my local video-shop for a long time already, it's packaging had never really called to me – an issue that is still talked about today by many fans of the genre. Aside from that, it was rated 18 and by 1994 I was just leaving high school although looked like I was only starting. Regardless, that same video-shop knew me well as I had hired and bought numerous kung fu and Hong Kong titles from them. So when I eventually questioned buying their release of The Killer, they were happy to make a sale – for the grand old price of 3 quid (the typical cost of most ex-rentals around this period). Now, with it's recent revival on 4K UHD from Shout Factory and Arrow Video, fans can rejoice in owning a genuine classic of action cinema, with the film looking the best it has ever done and both releases offering a plethora of bonus features! We all know the story of The Killer; Chow Yun Fat plays Jeff/Ah Chong, a mob assassin with a conscience. After he accidentally blinds a nightclub singer while protecting her from gunmen, Jeff decides to take on one more job to help pay for her surgery. But he quickly learns that he has been double-crossed and, with a small army of gangsters and assassins hot-on-his-heels, soon joins forces with a rogue cop who has also been after him, with both men eventually facing off against the enemy in a fight to the death!

 

While more polished than his previous 'heroic bloodshed' hit, A Better Tomorrow (1986), and less gun-ho than his mega-hit Hard Boiled (1992), The Killer has long been seen as John Woo's masterpiece by many – and it's easy to see why. Beautifully directed and wonderfully acted, the charm lies within the performances of it's two main stars whose interaction and connection are a highlight of the feature. When you think of the aforementioned three classics from John Woo, along with the wonderful Bullet in the Head (1989) and A Better Tomorrow 2 (1987), respectively – and some would even say Once a Thief (1991) – you just have to wonder why this highly celebrated and revered film-maker only had a handful of films that fans consider to be his best, considering what a lengthy career the man has actually had. Starting life in the industry as a small-time writer and bit-part actor in 1969, Woo spent a solid two years at the Shaw Brothers' studio working as an assistant director to the legendary Chang Cheh on films such as The Boxer from Shantung (1972), The Water Margin (1972), The Blood Brothers (1973) and more, before making his directional debut at Golden Harvest soon after with The Yong Dragons (1973) – a decent martial-arts adventure that saw a young Jackie Chan serve as the fight director. He would follow this up with The Dragon Tamers (1974) and The Hand of Death (1975) which would see him bring Jackie back for a starring role, working alongside Sammo Hung who also doubled-up duties as the fight-choreographer. The following few years would see Woo change direction and try his hand at comedy, most of which proved to be quite popular. These included films such as Follow the Star (1978), From Rags to Riches (1980), Laughing Times (1980), To Hell with the Devil (1982), and Run Tiger Run (1984) among others, which proved he had a knack for making people laugh. But John wanted action. He wanted to tell stories of brotherhood. Emotional drama and more. In between the comedy films, Woo turned his hand to wuxia and delivered a classic with Last Hurrah for Chivalry in 1979; a movie which I still love to this day. But it would be another 5 years before he tried again, this time with Sunset Warriors (aka) Heroes Shed No Tears (1984), a troubled action picture set during the Vietnam war that was instantly shelved until the success of A Better Tomorrow a couple of years later. From there, Woo kept things solid for the next 5 or 6 years before heading out to Hollywood where he kicked-off the next chapter of his career...

 

Truthfully, I've never actually enjoyed any of John's US-made productions but for Mission Impossible 2 (2000) which was just silly fun, but best complimented his Hong Kong style with Tom Cruise proving to be a suitable replacement for Chow Yun Fat. But really, most of his features there could have absolutely been made by anyone – often playing like an action feature that was inspired by John Woo's Hong Kong finest. Of course, not long after he became a household name, every other director wanted to deliver something very similar and soon, even Woo's own films seemed like watered-down versions of The Killer and Hard Boiled (1992). For this, Woo was backed by a strong production team starting with the prolific Tsui Hark as the producer. This would be the third film Hark would produce for Woo, although this same year would see him also produce Just Heroes of which John co-directed with Wu Ma in support of their mentor, Chang Cheh. But it would also be the last, with both titans of Hong Kong cinema clashing of creative differences that would eventually see John go out on his own. The great Tony Ching Siu Tung – a fight-choreographer that is more known for his stunning use of wire-work in the world of wuxia – returns to serve as the action-director of the piece, after doing the same job for Woo and Hark on A Better Tomorrow 2 in 1987, and impresses with some incredible shoot-outs and stunt-work highlighted even more-so by great visuals that look like they've been pulled straight out of a graphic novel. This is courtesy of two great cinematographers, namely Peter Pau and Horace Wong, with the former making his debut as DOP on this production. The talented Patrick Leung – director of films such as Somebody Up There Likes Me (1996), Born Wild (2001), The Twin Effects 2 (2004) and Wu Dang (2012) – aids Woo once again as the assistant director, going onto do similar for his films Once a Thief (1991), Hard Boiled (1992), The Crossing (2014) and Manhunt (2017), and had done for most of his productions prior. The Killer also benefits from a great score courtesy of Lowell Lo, complete with a wonderful theme song that's delivered beautifully by star Sally Yeh, all of which fits wonderfully into Woo's story.

 

Of course, the main focus while watching The Killer, is on it's incredible cast with the charismatic and always incredible Chow Yun Fat leading the way. Currently 70 years of age as I write, Yun Fat, who was once known as Donald Chow many moons ago, was born on Lamma Island in Hong Kong on May 18th 1955. Destined for greatness, he started making a name for himself in television shows such The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (1979) and The Bund (1980), before going into contract with popular film studio Goldig Films. Here, he would star in titles such as The Hunter, the Butterfly and the Crocodile (1976), Hot Blood (1977), and Their Private Lives (1978). He would then star in films such as Joy to the World (1980) with Cora Miao, Modern Heroes (1980) with the late Bruce Leung, share the screen with future co-star Danny Lee in The Executor (1981) alongside Ng Man Tat and Deanie Ip. But it would be his performance in The Story of Woo Viet (1981) just after, that would start his film career climbing. While the next few years would be somewhat of a roller-coaster for him, starring in the likes of Postman Strikes Back (1982), The Bund (1983) movie and it's sequel, Love in a Fallen City (1984), Hong Kong 1941 (1984) and more, a young John Woo was about to embark on a new groundbreaking gangster flick called A Better Tomorrow where he wanted take a chance on Chow as one of his leading men. Of course, this film was only 1 of 11 that Chow would star in throughout 1986, with this same business and workload continuing for the next 3 or 4 years. In The Killer, as Jeff/Ah Chong, Chow delivers one of his most memorable and exciting action roles to date – impressing on every level and proving why he was the perfect choice for the role as the assassin with a heart. Equally though, I feel that Danny Lee deserves as much credit. Even though he has played the role of a policeman since leaving his Shaw Brothers days behind him – and so much so that he is often considered to be an honorary officer by those in service across the city. While it is said that the studio (Hark) did not want Lee to play another cop role here in The Killer, Woo and Chow Yun Fat both demanded that was indeed the right man for the job, bringing them back together since their last classic performance in Ringo Lam's awesome City on Fire (1987) – not to mention Taylor Wong's Rich & Famous and Tragic Hero that same year, respectively. And they were right! Oddly, after completion, Tsui was unhappy with John's cut and wanted to re-edit the whole film to give more focus on Lee's cop-character. But as time was tight before it's proposed theatrical screenings, neither John Woo or editor David Wu were willing to make the changes. And when the film proved to be a huge success after premiering in Taiwan, rumours state that Hark was so furious he tossed things out of his office window. Needless to say, this would end their working relationship. The wonderful and late Kenneth Tsang, another Woo regular at the time, gets to fight on the side of good this time as Danny Lee's cop-partner that often finds himself in difficult positions while tracking down Chow and others. Likewise, the great Paul Chu is slightly cast against type, this time starring as Chow's double-crossing assassins aid, going onto star opposite Chow Yun Fat soon after in Woo's Once a Thief just 2 years later. Hong Kong cinema bad-boys Shing Fui On and Tommy Wong ramp it up as gun-toting gangsters aided by the likes of James Ha, Mak Wai Cheung, John Cheung, Jackson Ng and Dion Lam, while the late Lam Chung and Teddy Yip guest star as targets who each receive a bullet from Chow. It's also worth noting that writer Barry Wong, Lo Hung and Parkman Wong each appear as high ranking police officers. And then we have the lovely Sally Yeh; a popular Taiwanese singer who started her film career in 1980, going onto have a short but illustrious big screen career starring in films like Pink Force Commando (1982), Teppanyaki (1984), Cupid One (1984), The Protector (1985) and Aces Go Places 4 (1986), as well as Tsui Hark projects like Shanghai Blues (1984), Peking Opera Blues (1986), I Love Maria (1988), and The Banquet. In fact, her first film with Chow Yun Fat was five years earlier in Ronny Yu's ghostly comedy, The Occupant (1984), which no doubt helped their on-screen chemistry here in The Killer. As nightclub singer Jennie, Yeh does a fantastic job yet again and is a great distraction to the homo-erotic bromance that blossoms between Chow and Lee...

 

While many talk about how influential and trendsetting The Killer was and is to film-makers that came after it, the film has many moments and scenes inspired by the films Woo loved in his younger years. Dedicated to Martin Scorsese, the film was being shot while Chow was also filming some scenes for Tsui Hark's A Better Tomorrow 3: Love and Death in Saigon, with the actor jumping between each production to keep both bosses happy. But it's also a film that was threatened with a Hollywood remake for many years – originally with The Warriors (1979) director, Walter Hill, signed on to do so with Richard Gere and Denzel Washington cast. But it just didn't happen, with Hill later stating that Woo's original film was so perfect that there was no point in even trying. Interestingly, over 3 decades later in 2024, John Woo himself was convinced to take the helm – relocating the story of The Killer to Paris, swapping Chow Yun Fat for Game of Thrones (2011) actress Nathalie Emmanuel, and Danny Lee for Omar Sy – while casting the unlikeable Sam Worthington, Diana Silvers, Tcheky Karyo, his daughter Angeles Woo, and ex-footballer Eric Cantona in a very sad attempt to breathe new life into a classic that (as Walter Hill said) didn't need to happen. In fact, the remake in question is a film that I have tried hard to put out of my mind and doesn't even come close to giving us the experience that John Woo offered back in his prime!

 

On the 4K disc, along with the stunning new restoration from Arrow, we have the choice of 4 audio commentaries and for me, the go to is with John Woo and Drew Taylor. It's fresh, it's new, and I really couldn't listen to David West over this classic. Of course, there is the archival John Woo and Terence Chang one from 1992 and later John Woo one from 2000 which is actually quite engrossing to listen to. Along with that, we also get just under 12 minutes of deleted and extended scenes, again, starting with a note on the selected ones and explaining how Taiwanese cuts are often longer. These come in a range of aspect ratios and quality, but all subbed of course. But they're great to see. Next to that, we also get the alternate English credits – running just under 4 minutes – which was nice to see cleaned up. The trailer gallery gives us 4 trailers in total – 2 of the Hong Kong theatrical trailer, one in Cantonese and one in English – and 2 U.S. Trailers. And then we have an image gallery offering a whopping 78 images of glorious lobby cards, poster art, video covers and more. On disc two, the first Blu-ray, we start of with the hero of heroic bloodshed – the feature length documentary on john woo that sees a host of film critics and makers share their thoughts on the Hong Kong legend, including stunt-maestro Bruce law and John himself. This runs close to 75 mins and is an incredible bonus feature worth watching. In the interview section, we get another run of fantastic pieces including a 45 minute no-holds-barred interview with John Woo, a short and sweet 6 minute one with producer Terence Chang, and a fun 12 minutes with David Wu – editor of this and most of Woo's finest films. Aside from that, we get another entertaining episode of Hong Kong Confidential with Grady Hendrix – giving us another great story of how The Killer came about, as if he was on set himself. I love it! The archival interviews give us three more from the Hong Kong Legends DVD with the late Kenneth Tsang at 15 minutes; Sally Yeh also at 15 minutes (she's so beautiful), and finally with cinematographer Peter Pau, running about 14 minutes and all three delivered beautifully in English. All were great to see again after all these years. American Cinemateque 2025 Q&A, much like with Hard Boiled, sees a piece with John Woo filmed at the 4k premiere of The Killer in Hollywood in August of 2025. This one though, is an introduction where we see john helped onto stage again – I think by his daughter – where he then goes into a nice recap of the film and how it came about etc. It kinda hurt though to see him so fragile and almost unable to even get out of his seat! Following that we have a number of featurettes from 2001 made by French company Metropolitan Filmexport on director woo and producer Tsui Hark. The first is The Birth of a Romantic Killer, running just under 9 minutes. The second – The Loneliness of the Director is about 7 minutes, then Editing and Identification at almost 12 minutes, with The Influence of Jean-Pierre Melville finishing just under 5 minutes. All are presented in 4:3 DVD quality with Woo and Hark talking in English as clips, pictures and bits cut in. They're a nice addition and pretty much one big piece cut into four.

 

And finally, we have disc three – the bonus disc featuring the extended cut. Of course, not only do we get the 130 minute mandarin language preview version from Taiwan, which looks pretty good and has the extended scenes appear in slightly lower quality; but we also get the even longer 137 minute integral cut featuring scenes present in the HK version but missing from the the preview version – but features four additional scenes taken from the Taiwanese VHS release. Certain scenes have burnt in subs, some have subs replaced. But then we also get the Taiwanese preview version in its raw low quality version, taken from the 35 mm print with burnt-in Chinese & English subs, which was just cool to see – even after watching the 4k feature film! As it stands, the Arrow Video 4K UHD release is by far the greatest presentation of The Killer to date (complete with replication lobby cards, poster and book) and any true fan of the film and those involved deserve to have this classic sitting proudly on their shelf!

 

Overall: Beautifully made, wonderfully acted and still as impactful all these years later, The Killer is a genuine classic of Hong Kong cinema and well worth revisiting!

 

Arrow Video 4K UHD Blu-ray Extras: 4K Restoration, 137 Minute Extended Version, 130 Minute Extended Taiwanese Version, Audio Commentary with John Woo & Drew Taylor, Audio Commentary with David West, Archival Audio Commentary with John Woo & Terence Chang, The Hero of Heroic Bloodshed: John Woo Documentary, Interviews with Director John Woo, Producer Terence Chang, and Editor David Wu, Hong Kong Confidential with Grady Hendrix, Deleted & Extended Scenes, American Cinematheque 2025 Introduction to John Woo, Archival Interviews with Peter Pau, Sally Yeh & Kenneth Tsang, Four Archival Featurettes from 2001 with John Woo & Tsui Hark, Trailers, Image Gallery

 

Shout Factory 4K UHD Blu-ray Extras: 4K Restoration, Audio Commentary with John Woo & Drew Taylor, Audio Commentary with David West, Archival Audio Commentary with John Woo & Terence Chang, The Hero of Heroic Bloodshed: John Woo Documentary, Interviews with Director John Woo, Producer Terence Chang, and Editor David Wu, Hong Kong Confidential with Grady Hendrix, Deleted & Extended Scenes,Trailers, Image Gallery

 

Hong Kong Rescue Blu-ray Extras: 124 Minute Extended Version, 136 Minute Taiwanese Version, Audio Commentary with John Woo, Audio Commentary with John Woo & Terence Chang, Audio Commentary with Bey Logan, Image Gallery, Restoration Featurette, Archival Video Essay Introduction, Making of The Killer, Archival Interviews with Chow Yun Fat, Sally Yeh, Kenneth Tsang and Peter Pau, Deleted Scenes, Kill-count, Code of Bullets Featurette, Action Highlight, Taiwanese Promos, The Evolution of Gunkata Featurette, Crossings: John Woo, Moving Pictures Featurette, Jimmy Cage Retrospective of The Killer, John Woo's Trademarks Featurette, Sally Yeh MTV, Trailers

 

T&G Vision Blu-ray Extras: Extended Taiwanese Version, Alternative Deleted Scene, Trailer

 

Hong Kong Legends DVD Extras: Audio Commentary with Bey Logan, Interviews with Sally Yeh, Kenneth Tsang and Cinematographer Peter Pau, Deleted Scenes, Trailers