Directed by: Antonio Fuqua
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat
Mira Sorvino
Michael Rooker
Executive Producer: John Woo (and others)
Rated R for language and violence.

Movie-Fun Recipe with THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS
(makes several servings)

1 strong, silent type anti-hero
1 intelligent, reluctant heroine
4-5 unique characters
1 visionary director (preferably one who knows what he can extract from his actors)
A satisfying ending

Mix above ingredients with some pomp-and-spark special effects. And serve while relaxing with friends or by yourself.

John Lee (Chow) is a soldier of fortune, who is coerced into the assassination trade by Terence Wei, the head honcho of Chinatown. He keeps John in line by keeping a tight hold on a threatening-life line to John's mother and sister in Shanghei.

When John just cannot fulfill the last job in his commitment, he knows he's got little time to save his family. In his quest for a forged passport, he seeks out Meg Coburn (Sorvino). But before she can cook him one, Wei's men storm her place, destroying her home and her equipment.

Now, John and Meg team up to outsmart their common enemy, while Wei calls in the Replacement Killers (played with steely nonchalance by Danny Trejo and Til Schweiger). These cold-to-the-bone killers are in town to get rid of John and to finish the job he couldn't complete.

Seakoff (Rooker), the cop who has been after Wei for years, brings a flavor of stability to the irratic world of John and Meg, which makes the happy ending all that more satisfying.

Yun-Fat plays the strong, silent type with grit and jaw-flexing tension. He's got the moves of the classic action hero that Antonio Fuqua captures with slow motion, close-ups, and by inserting his tall, lean body into designer clothes.

And no role is more suited for Sorvino than this reluctant-hero small-timer. Her skill convinces us, by the way she handles a gun and confronts danger. Her independant character exudes an I-can-take-care-of-myself mentally that is consistent throughout the movie, which is exciting to watch. (Remember my stupid-heroine taboo!) And yet, in the next scene, she is capable of bringing tears to your eyes in a tender moment.

The director (Antonio Fuqua) extracts so much talent from these 2 stars that they eclipse the special effects of the shoot-em-up scenes, a la John Woo (one of the executive producers). Lots of bullets and sparks fly, sometimes in slow motion, from start to finish in this an action flick that cooks up mmm..mmm good.

Enjoy!

Chow Yun Fat: Other movies--ANNA AND THE KING/with Jodi Foster; THE KILLER/with Sally Yeh and Kenneth Tsang (and also written and directed by Jack Woo)

Mira Sorvino: Other movies--MIGHTY APHRODITE/for which she received numerous awards, including Oscar and Golden Globe; ROMY AND MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION/with Lisa Kudrow; FIRST SIGHT/with Val Kilmer

Micheal Rooker: Other movies--CLIFFHANGER/with Sylvester Stallone and Caroline Goodall; BACK TO BACK/with Ryo Ishivashi

Trivia: Call Chow Yun Fat 'Fat' because 'Mister' Chow is an insult in the Chinese culture. This was his first film in which he spoke English. He says that Sorvino helped him out a great deal during the filming, because of her knowlege of the Chinese language.