The Replacement Killers (1998)

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t a thumping nightclub, a skillful assassin wipes out his target – and the cluster of bodyguards at surrounding tables. Meanwhile, a shipment of drugs at a dock is raided by an elite team of soldiers, led by LAPD Detective Zeedo Zedkov (Michael Rooker), resulting in the death of a well-connected Chinese gangster – the son of Terence Wei (Kennth Tsang). Demanding vengeance against Zeedo, Wei instructs his most trusted killer, John Lee (Chow Yun-Fat), to pull off this final assignment. But once Lee is hunkered down at an elevated position, with the cop in the sights of his sniper rifle, he hesitates. Zedkov has a wife and young son – an enviable family that the assassin can’t bear to destroy.

“There will be consequences.” On the run from betraying his boss, John arranges a meeting with expert forger Meg Coburn (Mira Sorvino, in a role on the opposite end of the spectrum from her Oscar-winning turn in “Mighty Aphrodite”), hoping to acquire a passport and other documents from a master criminal who isn’t on Wei’s payroll. His escape destination is to mainland China, but it’s a short-lived fantasy; within seconds after introducing himself to Meg, the local gangsters come for him. Or possibly for her. Either way, the bullets start to fly.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua (in his directorial debut, long before he would tackle crime dramas like “Training Day” and actioners like “The Equalizer”), the focus on mayhem and violence is foremost. No time is wasted before diving into the destructive adventure. Unfortunately, there isn’t as much care when it comes to the plot; it’s almost too simplistic in its efforts to put a proficient killer and a beautiful woman (with an exposed midriff in most of her scenes) together, pitted against wholeheartedly villainous opponents (including Jurgen Prochnow, boasting an unshakeable scowl). “You two make a cute couple.”

“Bring in professionals.” The fast-moving picture shifts from one set to the next, each one serving as yet another battleground for shootouts with weapons that possess virtually limitless ammo, like a John Woo epic (he actually serves as a producer here). There isn’t much to “The Replacement Killers” other than continual gunplay. Amusingly, however, Lee actually picks up bigger cannons, opting for greater firepower when the opportunity arises, rather than conspicuously abandoning them like in so many comparable endeavors.

Also impressive is Meg’s characterization, allowing her to be tough, independent, and snarky. Even when she’s outmatched, she’s confidently insolent. It’s unfortunate that Lee is such a one-note hero (silent, always glowering, sharply-suited, and posing with excellent posture), and that the endless assortment of black-leather-trench-coat-adorned baddies are similarly generic – even when one of them is Danny Trejo, arguably the most recognizable of ’90s Hollywood heavies. But acting aside, the lack of content continues to plague the happenings, especially when flashbacks to events from not that long ago eat up screentime. A string of action sequences, regardless of their intense editing and entertainingly annihilative qualities, isn’t memorable unless the characters and the reasons for their involvement have gravity. Here, the personas feel somewhat inconsequential. “The Replacement Killers” isn’t boring, but it could have amounted to a lot more, particularly as the final showdown is thrillingly chaotic and brutal.

– Mike Massie