Hitman Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Hitman Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 4, 2023

Stephen Tung Wai's "Hitman" a.k.a. "Contract Killer" (1998) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary by critics Mike Leeder and Arne Venema; archival interviews with cast members; vintage promotional materials; and more. In Cantonese or English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Note: The text below was initially used for our review of Kam & Ronson Enterprises' release of Hitman in 2011.

A Japanese tycoon is assassinated by a professional killer. Shortly after, the world’s top hitmen gather in an expensive hotel in downtown Hong Kong. The tycoon’s lawyer informs them that the head of the killer is worth $100 million. Whoever delivers it and reveals the identity of the party who hired the killer will receive the money via a Revenge Fund established by the late tycoon.

Amongst the hitmen are Norman (Eric Tsang, Infernal Affairs Trilogy, Metallic Attraction: Kungfu Cyborg) and Fu (Jet Li, Hero, The Warlords). Norman is a small-time hustler who has run out of luck and having problems with his beautiful daughter (Gigi Leung, Fat Choi Spirit, Full Throttle). Fu is a Mainlander who has never killed, but is ready to do whatever is necessary to take the reward back home.

What Norman and Fu do not know is that the tycoon’s son (Keiji Sato, Love On A Diet) is also interested in the reward. After the search for the killer begins, he bribes the lawyer and receives crucial information that allows him to get ahead of the rest of the hitmen.

Meanwhile, officer Chan Kwan (Simon Yam, Sparrow, Election) takes over the murder case and launches his investigation. Norman and Fu are at the top of his list of suspects.

Stephen Tung Wai’s Hitman a.k.a. The Contract Killer is a simple film that should appeal primarily to viewers who enjoy straightforward action-comedy affairs. Jackie Chan fans, in particular, are guaranteed to appreciate its elaborate fights and shootouts.

Jet Li is billed as the star of the film, but it is actually Eric Tsang that impresses the most. Excluding the action sequences where he predictably delivers big, the former looks surprisingly stiff in front of the camera, especially when he attempts to be funny. (The only sequence that works well is early into the film, where he is seen cooking and then cheating one of his naïve neighbors). The latter looks relaxed and confident, always full of energy and willing to improvise (his fight with the geisha, for instance, is short but terrifically choreographed).

The supporting cast does not disappoint, but it does not impress either. Gigi Leung, for instance, has a limited amount of time in front of the camera and is basically used as a litmus test of sorts -- her interactions with Jet Li and Eric Tsang’s characters highlight their strengths and weaknesses. Simon Yam appears only in a couple of key action scenes.

Stephen Tung Wai’s direction is confident and effective. From start to finish, there is a good sense of balance between the action and humor, which is why the film never stumbles. The finale, however, could have been a tad more elaborate.

Arthur Wong’s (Crime Story, Iron Monkey) lensing is modest but appropriate. Cheung Ka-Fai’s (A Better Tomorrow II) editing is also competent. Stephen Ma (Running on Karma), Johnnie To’s special effects wizard, has kept a relatively low profile, but his touch is still easy to recognize during select scenes from the second half of the film.

*In 1999, Hitman was nominated for Best Action Choreography Award (Wei Tung) at the annual Hong Kong Film Awards.

Hitman Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Hitman arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

In 2011, we reviewed this release of Hitman from Kam & Ronson Enterprises, which was quite disappointing. It was sourced from an old and very shaky master with plenty of obvious limitations. This release is sourced from a recent master and offers a vastly superior presentation of the film. Indeed, there are easily recognizable improvements in every single area that we scrutinize in our reviews, plus the entire film looks a lot healthier. However, while delineation, clarity, and depth are much better, there is still room for meaningful improvements. For example, in some indoor and darker areas, fine nuances can be better. In several areas, highlights can be managed more convincingly as well. Color balance is stable. However, it is pretty easy to tell that saturation levels are not always optimal. (For what it's worth, there are some pretty significant discrepancies between the color schemes of the previous release and this release, and in some areas the less than convincing saturation levels on the new release tend to exacerbate or create issues with select highlights). As a result, the dynamic range of the visuals are not as convincing as they could be, too. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is very good. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Hitman Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are six standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release. For the Hong Kong Theatrical Version: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Cantonese LPCM 2.0, English LPCM 2.0 Mono, and English LPCM 2.0 Stereo. For the International Version: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and English LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I started viewing the Hong Kong Theatrical Version with the Cantonese 5.1 track and then switched to the English Stereo track. The 5.1 track is unquestionably the best option. It has a very nice dynamic range and the dialog has a natural flow. The English track is a minor disaster. I sometimes find these dub tracks quite entertaining, but the English track that was created for this film is just bad. The tone of the dubbing often does not match the emotions that are displayed by the actors, plus dynamic balance is uneven. I did not encounter any dropouts, crackle, pops, or distortions to report in our review.

Hitman Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• International Version - presented here is the International Version of Hitman. In English. 1080p. (100 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Mike Leeder and Arne Venema. I find these guys very entertaining and informative -- often even more informative than Bay Logan was when he was recording commentaries -- and, perhaps most importantly, quite fair. For example, after they point out that Hitman is the only Hong Kong film in which Japanese actors speak Cantonese (really?), they mention that some of the English dubbing is off. I completely agree and will even go further and say that it is very poor. Also, they rightfully mention some ridiculous plot details that easily could have been addressed, as well as some of the unexpected delights in the film, like the small funny moments that are actually rather big. As always, there is plenty of information about the careers of the various actors that made the film and its publicity and reception.

• Jet Li Interview - in this archival interview, Jet Li discusses his background in martial arts and transition to the film industry. Also, there are some interesting comments about his working methods. In Mandarin, with printed English subtitles. (12 min).

• Simon Yam Interview - in this archival interview, Simon Yam recalls his transition from the modeling industry to the film industry, the type of characters he plays, the universal language of cinematic action, etc. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Keiji Sato Interview - in this archival interview, Keiji Sato discusses his martial arts background, initial encounter with Jet Li, and involvement with Hitman. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Opening Night Footage - presented here is archival footage from the premiere of Hitman. Without English subtitles. (12 min).

• Trailers -
  
  1. Hong Kong trailer (3 min).
  2. International trailer (3 min).
  3. UK DVD trailer (2 min).
  4. "Contract Killer" trailer (2 min).

• Booklet - an illustrated booklet featuring new essays by Simon Abrams and David Desser, as well as technical credits.

Hitman Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While not one of Jet Li's best films, Hitman is definitely worth seeing. I personally find Eric Tsang's hilarious improvisations far more attractive than everything Li does, but the film is clearly built around the latter and he leads as expected. This release from Eureka Entertainment introduces a new, quite nice remaster of Hitman, with a good selection of new and archival bonus features. It is included in Heroes & Villains: Three Films starring Jet Li, a three-disc box set. RECOMMENDED.