Mission Impossible 2 (2000) *

Film d’action de John Woo. Avec Tom Cruise, Dougray Scott, Thandie Newton, Ving Rhames et Anthony Hopkins. Avec "Mission Impossible 2", John Woo ("Hard Boiled", "Face/Off"), le plus célebre cinéaste de Hong Kong, nous offre un autre film d’action retentissant. Tom Cruise et Ving Rhames reprennent leurs vieux rôles; accompagnés cette fois par Sir Anthony Hopkins et Thandie Newton. Le film est une véritable succession de scènes d’action ultra-violentes, de cascades vertigeneuses et des explosions impressionantes. Il faut donc s’attendre à un montage morcelé et reserré au maximum, une suite d’effets sonores stupéfiante, et une multiplication incroyable des angles de prises de vues. Tous ses élements écrasent, ahurissent et émerveillent le spectateur, le soûlent d’images et de sons, sans lui laisser aucun répit. Mission Impossible 2 représente, en effet, l’équivalent cinématographique d’une manège à La Ronde...

Face/Off (1997) ***

John Travolta and Nicolas Cage get to play both the villain and the hero in this loud, violent, but highly watchable action movie.

Broken Arrow (1996) ***

John Travolta plays a villain in this terrific action flick that features more explosions and more helicopter crashes than any film in recent memory.

Hard-Boiled (1992) ****

A Hong Kong hospital, full of sick patients, becomes a battleground between cops and triad goons. This John Woo's actioner probably has the highest body count of any motion picture in history - innocent bystanders drop like flies during spectacularly staged orgies of gunfire. With Chow Yun-Fat, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Anthony Wong.

Once A Thief (1991) ***

A caper movie by John Woo. Plenty of action and shootings in the second half. Lots of humor.

Bullet In The Head (1990) ****

An unusual picture for John Woo. It's a crime film, but one set in South Vietnam in the late 60's. It also bears some striking similarities to Michael Cimino's "The Deer Hunter" (1978).

The Killer (1989) *****

Fast-paced, stylish, entertaining and inventive action film from Hong Kong's top director, John Woo. Chow Yun-Fat plays a professional hitman who accidentally blinds a cabaret singer (Sally Yip) and is pursued by a tough cop (Danny Lee). There is also a director's cut (longer by 35 minutes). Most of that footage deals with another hitman, played by Chu Kong.

A Better Tomorrow II (1987) **

A crime film by John Woo. Much weaker than his other films.

A Better Tomorrow (1986) ***

Violent crime film from Hong Kong about two brothers on the opposite sides of the law.

Last Hurrah For Chivalry (1979) **

Directed by John Woo. Non-stop swordfights.

The Hand Of Death (1976) ***