Ludicrously violent war movie, notable only for being director John Woo's first foray into gung-ho gunplay that's since become his forte.

Every plot twist is improbable or just plain ridiculous, every character a hackneyed stereotype or just there for cannon fodder, and every line of poorly subbed dialogue unintentionally funny. In other words, I thought it was great.

Definitely worth taking a look at if you're in the mood for some truly mindless violence, or if you're a Woo completist.

This is a strange movie. It starts in what seems like the climax of a movie we didn't see and picks up from there to give us a kind of men in mission movie, where the mission already happened... So this group of Rotten Magnificent Basterds has to escape, and through the journey they pick up a kid and his mother to give us some emotional connection. All of director Woo's trademarks are present with one noticeable exception, no doves! But if you want extreme violence in slow motion, lots of explosions, lots of very forced emotional manipulation with the kid and the girls, and an enormous body count, this is the movie for you. I was kind of surprised with the violence here and there's also a psychedelic sex scene that feels very out of place as John Woo usually stays clear of such scenes, not to mention a very bizarre gambling scene that comes out of nowhere. In conclusion a very raw early movie by John Woo, that has its charm but is very unpolished and remembered more for its oditties than its merits.

I am assuming, but having been told the backstory of the making of the movie ... and the remaking of it too in a way, I can only imagine. Also he allegedly does not like to talk about this movie. And again given the way this was treated it is kind of understandable. In a time where people demand different/director cuts of movies they like, this would be one to look out for. Especially since there seems to be a source with a cut that seems to be way closer to what Woo delivered back then, than the movie we get served here.

And still as you can see I was more than entertained by it. Yes there were weird moments (and nudity, which almost threw me off, just because I am not used to see any in Woo movies), but the action as silly as it sometimes seems (bad guys lining up to be shot at) is really powerful.

Wonderful extra on the disc I got showed the differences between the "Heroes" cut (as they called it) and the "Warrior" cut from South Korea - the latter being the one closer to Woos vision ... but not in a good quality at all.

The one thing that is amazing here, where I believe no one can disagree with: the kid! That actor really was very well cast - or they had tremendous luck. Whatever the case, it is amazing to see him go at it and he is the heart and cornerstone of the movie. Not an easy task considering kids mostly have not much to do in war movies like this ... but he is scene stealing to say the least. Fake blood has aged badly, but all the other effects are still decent. Watch at your own peril and don't be surprised if this does not meet your Woo standards (if you have some)