The Big Hit [Blu-ray]

Director: Che-Kirk Wong, Kirk Wong Che-Kirk Wong

Overview

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.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/07/2010
UPC:	0014381690958
Original Release:	1998
Rating:	R
Source:	Image Entertainment
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:31:00
Sales rank:	18,171

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Mark Wahlberg	Melvin Smiley
Lou Diamond Phillips	Cisco
Christina Applegate	Pam Schulman
Bokeem Woodbine	Crunch
Antonio Sabato Jr.	Vince
Lela Rochon	Chantel
China Chow	Keiko
Avery Brooks	Paris
Elliott Gould	Morton Schulman
Lainie Kazan	Jeanne Schulman
Robin Dunne	Gump
Sab Shimono	Jiro Nishi
Danny Smith	Video Store Kid
Joshua Peace	Lance
David Usher	Sergio
Hardee Lineham	Accountant
Gerry Mendicino	Slave Trader
Robert Vernon Eaton	Pimp
John Stoneham Sr.	Pimp
Nicola Jones	Blond
Alexa Gilmour	Aly
John Stoker	Sid Mussberger
Cotton Mather	Moe
Derek Peels	Windbush
Tig Fong	Kaya
Danny Lima	Aaron the Limo Driver
Morgan Freeman	Boy in Hotel Lobby
Giovahann White	Paris's Son
Bobby Hannah	Paris's Driver
Graeme Revell	Composer
John Eckert	Composer

Technical Credits

Ben Ramsey

Che-Kirk Wong	Director,Director
Ben Ramsey	Screenwriter
Wesley Snipes	Producer
Warren Zide	Producer
Terence Chang	Executive Producer
John Woo	Executive Producer
John Eckert	Executive Producer,Executive Producer
Kaz Kobielski	Special Effects
Lau Chi-Ho	Stunts
Roger Mussenden	Casting
John Stoneham Jr.	Stunts
Douglas Ganton	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

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.

All Movie Guide - Adam Goldberg