Hitman (1998 movie)
Encyclopedia
Hitman also known as Contract Killer in the United States
, is a 1998
Hong Kong
martial arts
action film
directed by Tung Wai, and starring Jet Li
, Eric Tsang
, and Simon Yam
. The plot deals with a rogue assassin known as the "King of Killers", and a bounty placed on the Angel's head being pursued by an ex-soldier played by Li.
The film starts with a brief recollection of the "King of Killers", a dangerous assassin that has been operating in most of southeast Asia
. The King of Killers has no known accomplices or colleagues, is not affiliated with any government, religious, or criminal organization, and to this date their true identity has still remained secret. The King of Killers is believed to be responsible for 6 murders of criminals.
The King of Killers' most recent killing became the well-publicized assassination of a notorious ex-yakuza
crime boss. Working swiftly, the King of Killers is able to overcome the criminal's defense systems, quickly incapacitating the boss's bodyguards and isolating his target. In a fit of desperation, the crime boss promises to triple whatever fee the King of Killers is being paid to kill him, then goes on to warn the vigilante
that there is a massive revenge fund set to avenge his killing. Ignoring his pleas, the King of Killers silently kills the crime boss.
Meanwhile, Fu (Jet Li), a contract killer, became a small-town gang member who lives an extremely simple and modest lifestyle. It is revealed that Fu is very kind and has trouble killing innocent people, a trait that causes him to be disliked by the other low-rent triad members. When Fu's boss reveals that there is now a $100 million US bounty on the King of Killers' head for the slaying of the yakuza boss, Fu is quick to volunteer for the job, but is instead insulted.
Fu then attempts to enter the building where the crime boss's lawyers are discussing the terms for the revenge fund, but is detained at the entrance and ushered out by security guards. In self-defense, Fu incapacitates the guards, which draw the attention of Ngok Lo (Eric Tsang), a seedy contract booker and loan shark
, who comes to Fu's aid by pretending that he is an agent and Fu is his actor. Thanks to Lo's smooth talking, the pair is able to sidle into the meeting.
The meeting however, comes to a halt when H.K.P.D. agents, led by detective Chan (Simon Yam), raid the building in search of known criminals who are meeting there. Chan, a leading detective, has been working tirelessly to expose the King of Killers' true identity for years. Meanwhile, the slain crime boss's grandson, Eiji Tsukamoto (Rejni Sato) takes over as the head of the Tsukamoto family, motivated by power.
Fu and Lo get acquainted, revealing that Fu is an ex-soldier from mainland China
, part of a special, world-famous unit known as the "Golden Soldiers". When Lo asks for a demonstration of Fu's skills, he is able to rapidly take down several ruffians simultaneously, but falters when he is confronted by a woman. Lo then explains the deal with Fu, and they head for an amusement park to assassinate the first person believed to be the King of Killers. However, when they get there, it is revealed their target is a simple family man, and instead of killing him, Fu saves his life by killing his other assassins, the low-rank triad members he formerly lived with.
Fu and Lo are then arrested, but they are bailed out by Lo's daughter, Kiki (Gigi Leung
), an intelligent and successful lawyer fed up with her father's scandalous ways and criminal connections. Fu moves in with Lo now that he has no place to stay, and they quickly become friends, Lo claiming he used to be an infamous hitman known as the "Killing Tank" but proving he has no real combat skills or experience.
The next day, Fu and Lo travel to a nursing home
, in search of an old acquaintance of Lo's known only as "Uncle Leung". Unbeknownst to them however, Tsukamoto's agents have already traveled to Leung's home. While searching his apartment, a third assassin arrives, an explosives expert. The three parties have a standstill in the hallway when Uncle Leung suddenly appears. Chaos erupts as the explosives assassin blows up the apartment, and Fu and Lo immediately take Leung and start running, pursued by both the grenade-using assassin and Tsukamoto's agents. Eventually Fu and Lo are confronted by the third assassin, and he tries to kill Leung with a hand grenade
, but Fu kicks the grenade back blowing up the assassin with his own grenade. Before they can escape, however, they run into Tsukamoto's lead bodyguard, known only as "the Tall Guy" (Raul Rapovski), who is guarding the entrance. The Tall Guy and Fu have a battle, where Fu gains the upper hand before the Tall Guy uses finger and shoe-mounted light-emitting devices to blind Fu and beat him down. With Fu defeated, the three are quickly surrounded by the rest of Tsukamoto's agents, as well as Tsukamoto himself. Desperate, Lo quickly shakes Uncle Leung, telling him to tell the others Lo's innocent, but the old man emits only one word, a Cantonese obscenity, before he dies. Frustrated, Tsukamoto shoots the dead Leung in the head before turning his gun to Lo, but the Tall Guy says to leave them, advising that killing innocents will only attract more unwanted attention, and Tsukamoto and his agents leave.
Back at Lo's apartment, the two are alive, but visibly shaken. Kiki and her fiancee, David, then arrive, to finish moving out Kiki's belongings, as she is moving in with David. Noticing Fu and Lo's battle-scarred appearances, Kiki takes Fu to an ice rink
, questioning him as to what her father is up to again, but eventually warming up to him and the two become fast friends. When Fu returns to the apartment, Lo explains his story, and why he was searching for Uncle Leung.
A few years prior, Lo had met Leung at an antique shop, where the old man had been attempting to sell some war notes. Feeling pity for the elderly man, Lo befriended him, and learned that the old man's entire family had been slain by a Japanese criminal. Since the notes were in truth worth a lot of money due to their historical significance, Lo told Leung to keep them, and only cash them in in the event that this Japanese criminal is killed. Unknown to Lo, this criminal was actually Tsukamoto's grandfather, and when he was assassinated by the King of Killers, Leung really did cash in his notes and forward the money to Lo. Now there is a paper trail leading to Lo as the King of Killers, which is why he was trying to find the old man and exonerate himself.
As they are watching the television, there is suddenly a news report of an apartment fire. Lo is visibly shocked, and when questioned, he reveals that the inflamed apartment was actually where Lo lived a few years back. Before the two can escape, however, the power goes out, with a team of hitmen infiltrating the complex. Fu manages to kill the assassins and manages to escape with Lo.
The pair make a quick stop at Kiki's engagement party, where Lo apologizes to Kiki for being a bad father, and in advance for what he is about to do. The two are also confronted by detective Chan, and Fu guesses that Chan is actually the real King of Killers, and Chan admits it. Fu remarks that he could kill Chan instantly and win the $100 million US bounty, but Chan replies accurately that Fu is not that kind of person, and should not be a hitman.
Fu and Lo then arrive at Tsukamoto's complex, where Lo admits to being the King of Killers, and Fu then pretends to shoot him. However, it is revealed that the revenge fund's lead lawyer has arranged a deal with Tsukamoto, so that no matter who kills the King of Killers, it will be Tsukamoto who gets the bounty. The two are in trouble as Tsukamoto's agents close in, but then detective Chan, arrives, and starts killing the gang members. After an extended series of fight sequences, Fu manages to kill Tsukamoto, the Tall Guy, and all of Tsukamoto's bodyguards and henchmen.
As an ending to the movie, there is one last scene where all the survivors gather for a business meeting. Arranged by the revenge fund's lawyer, the bounty has been split between Fu, Chan, and Lo. Fu and Chan then have a conversation, where Chan states that he is getting too old for the business, and is going to give up the mantle of the King of Killers. He wants Fu to become the new King of Killers, recognizing not only his skills but also his inability to hurt the innocent and exact justice on evil. Fu's reply ambiguous, the credits roll.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, is a 1998
Hong Kong films of 1998
A list of films produced in Hong Kong in 1998:.-1998:-External links:* * Hong Kong films of 1998 at...
Hong Kong
Cinema of Hong Kong
The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...
martial arts
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
action film
Hong Kong action cinema
Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. It combines elements from the action film, as codified by Hollywood, with Chinese storytelling and aesthetic traditions, to create a culturally distinctive form that nevertheless has a wide transcultural...
directed by Tung Wai, and starring Jet Li
Jet Li
The fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
, Eric Tsang
Eric Tsang
Eric Tsang Chi-wai , MH is a prolific Hong Kong actor, film director, film producer and television host best known for hosting the Super Trio series on TVB over the course of 10 years.-Biography:Due to his popularity, he is often the MC in events organized by TVB, and is nicknamed "the Prize Master"...
, and Simon Yam
Simon Yam
Simon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....
. The plot deals with a rogue assassin known as the "King of Killers", and a bounty placed on the Angel's head being pursued by an ex-soldier played by Li.
Plot
The film starts with a brief recollection of the "King of Killers", a dangerous assassin that has been operating in most of southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. The King of Killers has no known accomplices or colleagues, is not affiliated with any government, religious, or criminal organization, and to this date their true identity has still remained secret. The King of Killers is believed to be responsible for 6 murders of criminals.
The King of Killers' most recent killing became the well-publicized assassination of a notorious ex-yakuza
Yakuza
, also known as , are members of traditional organized crime syndicates in Japan. The Japanese police, and media by request of the police, call them bōryokudan , literally "violence group", while the yakuza call themselves "ninkyō dantai" , "chivalrous organizations". The yakuza are notoriously...
crime boss. Working swiftly, the King of Killers is able to overcome the criminal's defense systems, quickly incapacitating the boss's bodyguards and isolating his target. In a fit of desperation, the crime boss promises to triple whatever fee the King of Killers is being paid to kill him, then goes on to warn the vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
that there is a massive revenge fund set to avenge his killing. Ignoring his pleas, the King of Killers silently kills the crime boss.
Meanwhile, Fu (Jet Li), a contract killer, became a small-town gang member who lives an extremely simple and modest lifestyle. It is revealed that Fu is very kind and has trouble killing innocent people, a trait that causes him to be disliked by the other low-rent triad members. When Fu's boss reveals that there is now a $100 million US bounty on the King of Killers' head for the slaying of the yakuza boss, Fu is quick to volunteer for the job, but is instead insulted.
Fu then attempts to enter the building where the crime boss's lawyers are discussing the terms for the revenge fund, but is detained at the entrance and ushered out by security guards. In self-defense, Fu incapacitates the guards, which draw the attention of Ngok Lo (Eric Tsang), a seedy contract booker and loan shark
Loan shark
A loan shark is a person or body that offers unsecured loans at illegally high interest rates to individuals, often enforcing repayment by blackmail or threats of violence....
, who comes to Fu's aid by pretending that he is an agent and Fu is his actor. Thanks to Lo's smooth talking, the pair is able to sidle into the meeting.
The meeting however, comes to a halt when H.K.P.D. agents, led by detective Chan (Simon Yam), raid the building in search of known criminals who are meeting there. Chan, a leading detective, has been working tirelessly to expose the King of Killers' true identity for years. Meanwhile, the slain crime boss's grandson, Eiji Tsukamoto (Rejni Sato) takes over as the head of the Tsukamoto family, motivated by power.
Fu and Lo get acquainted, revealing that Fu is an ex-soldier from mainland China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, part of a special, world-famous unit known as the "Golden Soldiers". When Lo asks for a demonstration of Fu's skills, he is able to rapidly take down several ruffians simultaneously, but falters when he is confronted by a woman. Lo then explains the deal with Fu, and they head for an amusement park to assassinate the first person believed to be the King of Killers. However, when they get there, it is revealed their target is a simple family man, and instead of killing him, Fu saves his life by killing his other assassins, the low-rank triad members he formerly lived with.
Fu and Lo are then arrested, but they are bailed out by Lo's daughter, Kiki (Gigi Leung
Gigi Leung
Gigi Leung Wing-kei is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress.-Biography:Given the name Leung Bik-Zi at birth, at the age of 7 her mother changed her name changed to 'Wing-Kei' for superstitious reasons; as a child, Leung suffered from frequent asthma attacks and it was believed a change of name...
), an intelligent and successful lawyer fed up with her father's scandalous ways and criminal connections. Fu moves in with Lo now that he has no place to stay, and they quickly become friends, Lo claiming he used to be an infamous hitman known as the "Killing Tank" but proving he has no real combat skills or experience.
The next day, Fu and Lo travel to a nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
, in search of an old acquaintance of Lo's known only as "Uncle Leung". Unbeknownst to them however, Tsukamoto's agents have already traveled to Leung's home. While searching his apartment, a third assassin arrives, an explosives expert. The three parties have a standstill in the hallway when Uncle Leung suddenly appears. Chaos erupts as the explosives assassin blows up the apartment, and Fu and Lo immediately take Leung and start running, pursued by both the grenade-using assassin and Tsukamoto's agents. Eventually Fu and Lo are confronted by the third assassin, and he tries to kill Leung with a hand grenade
Hand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
, but Fu kicks the grenade back blowing up the assassin with his own grenade. Before they can escape, however, they run into Tsukamoto's lead bodyguard, known only as "the Tall Guy" (Raul Rapovski), who is guarding the entrance. The Tall Guy and Fu have a battle, where Fu gains the upper hand before the Tall Guy uses finger and shoe-mounted light-emitting devices to blind Fu and beat him down. With Fu defeated, the three are quickly surrounded by the rest of Tsukamoto's agents, as well as Tsukamoto himself. Desperate, Lo quickly shakes Uncle Leung, telling him to tell the others Lo's innocent, but the old man emits only one word, a Cantonese obscenity, before he dies. Frustrated, Tsukamoto shoots the dead Leung in the head before turning his gun to Lo, but the Tall Guy says to leave them, advising that killing innocents will only attract more unwanted attention, and Tsukamoto and his agents leave.
Back at Lo's apartment, the two are alive, but visibly shaken. Kiki and her fiancee, David, then arrive, to finish moving out Kiki's belongings, as she is moving in with David. Noticing Fu and Lo's battle-scarred appearances, Kiki takes Fu to an ice rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
, questioning him as to what her father is up to again, but eventually warming up to him and the two become fast friends. When Fu returns to the apartment, Lo explains his story, and why he was searching for Uncle Leung.
A few years prior, Lo had met Leung at an antique shop, where the old man had been attempting to sell some war notes. Feeling pity for the elderly man, Lo befriended him, and learned that the old man's entire family had been slain by a Japanese criminal. Since the notes were in truth worth a lot of money due to their historical significance, Lo told Leung to keep them, and only cash them in in the event that this Japanese criminal is killed. Unknown to Lo, this criminal was actually Tsukamoto's grandfather, and when he was assassinated by the King of Killers, Leung really did cash in his notes and forward the money to Lo. Now there is a paper trail leading to Lo as the King of Killers, which is why he was trying to find the old man and exonerate himself.
As they are watching the television, there is suddenly a news report of an apartment fire. Lo is visibly shocked, and when questioned, he reveals that the inflamed apartment was actually where Lo lived a few years back. Before the two can escape, however, the power goes out, with a team of hitmen infiltrating the complex. Fu manages to kill the assassins and manages to escape with Lo.
The pair make a quick stop at Kiki's engagement party, where Lo apologizes to Kiki for being a bad father, and in advance for what he is about to do. The two are also confronted by detective Chan, and Fu guesses that Chan is actually the real King of Killers, and Chan admits it. Fu remarks that he could kill Chan instantly and win the $100 million US bounty, but Chan replies accurately that Fu is not that kind of person, and should not be a hitman.
Fu and Lo then arrive at Tsukamoto's complex, where Lo admits to being the King of Killers, and Fu then pretends to shoot him. However, it is revealed that the revenge fund's lead lawyer has arranged a deal with Tsukamoto, so that no matter who kills the King of Killers, it will be Tsukamoto who gets the bounty. The two are in trouble as Tsukamoto's agents close in, but then detective Chan, arrives, and starts killing the gang members. After an extended series of fight sequences, Fu manages to kill Tsukamoto, the Tall Guy, and all of Tsukamoto's bodyguards and henchmen.
As an ending to the movie, there is one last scene where all the survivors gather for a business meeting. Arranged by the revenge fund's lawyer, the bounty has been split between Fu, Chan, and Lo. Fu and Chan then have a conversation, where Chan states that he is getting too old for the business, and is going to give up the mantle of the King of Killers. He wants Fu to become the new King of Killers, recognizing not only his skills but also his inability to hurt the innocent and exact justice on evil. Fu's reply ambiguous, the credits roll.
Cast and characters
- Jet LiJet LiThe fame gained by his sports winnings led to a career as a martial arts film star, beginning in mainland China and then continuing into Hong Kong. Li acquired his screen name in 1982 in the Philippines when a publicity company thought his real name was too hard to pronounce...
- Fu, the main character, an extremely skilled melee fighter, but also a naive and inexperienced hitman-in-training - Eric TsangEric TsangEric Tsang Chi-wai , MH is a prolific Hong Kong actor, film director, film producer and television host best known for hosting the Super Trio series on TVB over the course of 10 years.-Biography:Due to his popularity, he is often the MC in events organized by TVB, and is nicknamed "the Prize Master"...
- Ngok Lo, a self-proclaimed "rat bastard" who makes the rent by any means necessary and is a notorious liar and cheater - Simon YamSimon YamSimon Yam Tat-Wah , born March 19, 1955, is a Hong Kong actor and film producer.-Background:The son of a former police officer of Shangdong heritage, his father was a Hong Kong Royal Police ship captain who was murdered by his colleague....
- Officer Chan Kwan, a capable and determined detective who is actually the dangerous vigilante King of Killers alter ego - Renji Sato - Eiji Tsukamoto, a ruthless and focused gang member who seeks the bounty on his grandfather's killer
- Gigi LeungGigi LeungGigi Leung Wing-kei is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress.-Biography:Given the name Leung Bik-Zi at birth, at the age of 7 her mother changed her name changed to 'Wing-Kei' for superstitious reasons; as a child, Leung suffered from frequent asthma attacks and it was believed a change of name...
- Kiki, Lo's daughter. An intelligent and beautiful lawyer who is exasperated with her father's misdoings - Paul Rapovski - The Tall Guy, Tsukamoto's lead bodyguard and a skilled, if not cheap, fighter
- Yip Kwong-Kim - Kim, a lawyer in charge of the revenge fund who is not above lying to make a profit
- Hideri Meiken - unnamed JapaneseJapanese peopleThe are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
karateKarateis a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
-practitioner who is Tsukamoto's bodyguard - Kenji Sahara - crime lord Tsukamoto, a sleazy and notorious ex-yakuza boss who is assassinated by the King of Killers at the beginning of the film
- Timmy Ho - unnamed detective in charge of finding and exposing the King of Killers
- John Ching - Kau, a small-town triad lieutenant who was briefly Fu's boss
- Ng Chi Hung - a father who was erroneously believed to be the King of Killers