John Woos The Killer is often considered one of the best action movies of all timeand a Hong Kong crime epic that made director and lead actor Chow Yun-fat famous. Now that the 1989 action film has been reissued and is available for streaming to anyone with a Peacock subscriptionit got me thinking about what other classic Woo films I would like to see remade.
Apart from his various American action films such as In the face/out, Mission: Impossible 2 and finally silent NightWoo is responsible for some of the most influential films of the last 40 years. That said, it would be a lot of fun to see the famous action director revisit some of his earlier titles, either by making faithful remakes or massive reimaginings, as he did with the new version of The Killer.
Hard Boiled (1992)
John Woo’s Hong Kong Swan Song (or Song of the White Dove) Hard boiled meets all criteria to be one of the best action movies of the 90sand it’s packed with one iconic scene and one action set piece after another. As in his other classics, Woo turns to Chow Yun-fat, who takes on the role of the alcoholic and rule-breaking but deeply committed Inspector “Tequila” Yuen Ho-yan, who does everything in his power to track down those responsible for his partner’s death.
Yes, it would be difficult to achieve what Woo and Yun-fat achieved in 1992 with this almost perfect film, but a Hard boiled The remake could be very entertaining. I would be in favor of both a more traditional remake and one where the gender of the main character is swapped, like the 2024 remake of The Killer.
A Better Tomorrow (1986)
A few years after the unleashing The Killer into the world, John Woo wrote and directed A better futurea blood-soaked gangster film about two brothers – Sung Tse Ho (Ti Lung) and Sung Tse Kit (Leslie Cheung) – on opposite sides of the law. With a complex story about counterfeiters, the high price of crime and broken family ties, the film contains all the hallmarks of Hong Kong cinema and would influence the action genre for years to come.
Although there have been several remakes of A better future over the years, John Woo has not been involved in any of them. Still, I would go crazy if Woo remade one of his most important films, but I would also not mind if he helped someone like Gareth Evans, the creator of the Raid Franchise or Timo Tjahjanto from The night takes us Fame takes over the mantle.
A Better Tomorrow II (1987)
Published one year after its predecessor, A Better Tomorrow II raises the stakes in every way imaginable. It is longer, more complex, bloodier, and has what could best be described as the greatest gunfight ever captured on film. It takes place several years after the events of A better futureThe story begins with Sung Tse Ho (Ti Lung) coming out of prison and working with Sung Tse Kit (Leslie Cheung) to bring down his former gang from within.
Chow Yun-fat, whose character died in the first film, returns as his long-lost twin brother (seriously, I’m not kidding) and kicks all kinds of butt along the way.
I don’t know how the final shootout could be topped (John-Wick 4(the Paris section came close), I would love to see Woo or someone the filmmaker chose give audiences a new take on the iconic villa scene. Seriously, if you have nine minutes to spare, take a break and Watch the epic scene unfold.
Bullet in the Head (1990)
Definitely one of John Woo’s longer and darker Hong Kong action films. Bullet in the head is a powerful Vietnam War film which follows three friends (played by Tony Leung, Jacky Cheung and Waise Lee) as they try to profit from the conflict by smuggling supplies into the war-torn region. But as we know all too well, there is no easy money, and this trio learns that the hard way. What follows is an action-packed but heartbreaking story about friendship, greed and what happens when someone chooses one over the other.
While I think other films on this list would be best remade as a movie, Bullet in the head could honestly be a great limited series. This could be one of the best shows on Peacock if the streamer would pick it up after seeing Woo’s The Killer New edition.
Once a Thief (1991)
A year after making a film with a more dramatic tone, John Woo took a more comedic route with the 1991 crime thriller. Once a thief. In this film, Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung and Cherie Chung play three thieves who have been trained since childhood to carry out miraculous art thefts. But when their latest job goes wrong and they are betrayed by the man who trained them, they hatch a plan to get revenge.
It seems only natural to make a remake of Once a thief after hearing Woo’s new version of The Killeras both are mainly set in Paris. I’m sure the acclaimed director wouldn’t mind returning to the “City of Lights” to give this entertaining crime thriller a new twist.
The Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1979)
The last hurrah for chivalry is not an iconic Hong Kong action film by John Woo, but a historical martial arts film set in ancient China. Released in 1979, the film is about two assassins (played by Damian Lau and Wai Pak) who team up to take on a kung fu master. But it is not as easy as it first seems, and the two men find themselves in a delicate and increasingly dangerous game of life and death.
This is another John Woo film that I would love to see remade as a TV series as there is so much to explore and some elements could be expanded for the better. Yes, it is not as flashy as The Killer or Hard boiledbut that could be a lot of fun.
Although I don’t know if any of these films will ever be remade, at least by John Woo, I can still hope for a better tomorrow, right? At least I still have all kinds of upcoming movies 2024 what to look forward to now.
