Rent Bullet in the Head (1990)

3 friends from Hong Kong end up in the middle of the Vietnam War - Bullet in the Head review by Philip in Paradiso

When the film starts, it is 1967 and there is turmoil in British-administered colonial Hong Kong, as the local Chinese are demanding that British rule end. Three childhood friends, Ben, Paul, and Frank, belong to a local gang and they often clash with members of other gangs. When Ben becomes engaged to Jane, his girlfriend, Frank takes out a loan to pay for the wedding reception. Things soon go wrong and the 3 friends are on their way to Vietnam to do some business on behalf of their bosses in the gang. As soon as they arrive in the capital of South Vietnam, Saigon (today, Ho Chi Minh City), they find themselves caught up in the mayhem of the Vietnam War and, again, things do not pan out as hoped. The story develops from there.

At first, you would think the movie is going to be a conventional thriller taking place in Hong Kong. In actual fact, it is nothing of the sort and it soon turns into an action movie taking place in war-torn Vietnam, involving Chinese gangsters, the South Vietnamese army, the American troops and the Communist Vietcong forces. The spectacular scenes involving the 3 central characters, as they tackle a range of extremely violent and often desperate situations, are what you would expect in such a film and are memorable. Apart from the film score, which sounds a bit cheap at times, overall, the story works well, even if the shooting and killing is over the top. The way that the 3 central characters relate to each other and react to events is what makes the movie interesting, as this aspect of the storyline develops in relatively unexpected ways. So, a very good action movie, within the limitations of the genre, with a storyline that does not avoid (or seek to avoid) a number of predictable clichés.

When will Woo end? - Bullet in the Head review by CP Customer

This film is showcases some of the hallmarks of Woo's style that audiences have come to expect. The story develops the tale of three friends who regard themselves as 'brothers, as they naievely seek out success making quick and easy money through criminal means. Soon, plans go awry and the 'brothers' loyalties are increasingly tested. The plot maintains interest but, in typical Woo style, has about 2 or 3 different points at which the film could have ended...giving audiences an extra half hour of their lives back.