The Big Hit Review
by Steve Harbaugh (steve AT jadeinc DOT com)May 11th, 1998
The Big Hit (1998)
*****************
Starring -
Mark Wahlberg--- Melvin
Lou Diamond Phillips--- Cisco
Christina Applegate--- Pam
Avery Brooks--- Paris
Bokeem Woodbine--- Crunch
Antonio Sabato Jr.--- Vince
Lela Rochon--- Chantel
China Chow--- Keiko
Lainie Kazan--- Jeanne
Elliot Gould--- Mort
Robin Dunne--- Gump
Other Information-
Rated R (For violence,profanity,and sexuality)
Running Time--- 1 hour 33 minutes
Director--- Che-Kirk Wong
Writer---Ben Ramsey
Producers---Warren Zide, Wesley Snipes
Executive Producers---Terence Chang, John
Woo, John M. Eckert
Director of Photography---Danny Nowak
The Big Hit,from Sony Pictures is a delightfully corny action romp which finds you glued to the screen every minute of it. Although not a future Oscar winner the movie does make you so that there isn't a moment of boredom within it. The Big Hit is plain stupid fun set for the under 20 male generation.
The movie centers around Mel (Mark Wahlberg),a professional hitman with a heart of gold. Mel,along with fellow hitman associates Cisco (Lou Diamond Phillips), Crunch (Bokeem Woodbine), Vince (Antonio Sabato, Jr.) and Gump (Robin Dunne) get pulled into a moonlighting
gig gone bad. A seemingly quick and easy kidnapping turns into a all-out war when it is revealed the kidnapee Keiko (China Chow) is actually the godchild of the boss of the hitmen,Paris (Avery Brooks). Cisco,the man behind the kidnapping turns against his colleagues to save his own hide and goes after Mel along with Paris and Keiko's father. Addionally,Mel's mistress,Chantel (Lela Rochon) skips town with some of his earnings. Mel's fiance,Pam (Christina Applegate) is also involved when her disapproving parents come to visit,Mort (Elliott Gould) and Jeanne (Lainie Kazan) and get thrown into the backdrop of the whole sherade as well. Balancing trying to impress the future in-laws,dodging bullets,and many more things plague Mel.
The movie opens to a attention-getting action-packed sequence followed by the bare hind-ends of
the hitmen in their lockerroom. Obviously a treat for the ladies in the audience. The movie differs from other action movies...the cornyness involved. A eccentric video store clerk bugs Mel through the entire film about returning a copy of King Kong Lives to the videostore. The movie actually escalates towards the end more around returning the videocassette than the actual "main conflict"...
a delightful change of pace which adds some humor. Another humorous aspect of the movie is Crunch's new discovery of self-love. That's all I will say. Also,Mel's constant consumption of Maalox for his stomach problems...was it just added as a shameless plug?? The movie diminishes some action scenes with the much-needed element of humor. And it plays very nicely indeed.
Some moments in the film push towards black comedy. In the opening,Mel places two garbage bags of dead body parts in his bathtub...as much as it tries to be humourous,something so gruesome cannot be. Cisco also,following a slightly humorous speech upon encountering Gump does away with his partner to save his own hide. A shocking transformation which makes us now view Cisco as more of an enemy. Another situation involves a geeky upperclass teenager making out with Keiko in the back of a limo which in turn has Mel (who is posing as the limo driver) blowing his brains all over the back of the limo...A situation similar to the one in Pulp Fiction.
Some parts of the movie will have you laughing out loud,on-the-edge-of-your-seat,or "just watching". Although,basically most of the movie centers on the first two. Yet the movie lacks any bored moments there are times you are just watching to see what might happen next. It lacks many things however.
The Big Hit is a good movie to see if you would enjoy a movie similar to Lethal Weapon meets The Naked Gun. Although not near as corny as The Naked Gun it is not however,as serious as Lethal Weapon. You be the judge. The movie contains lots of violence (From Keiko's horny friend being decapitated by a bullet through the skull to a bathtub filled with body parts to numerous killings of "the bad guys" with big guns). There is a good share of profanity as well. The sexuality ranges from the bare butts of the hitmen to Mel & Pam's butt-grabbing scenes to the sexual inneundos of Mel and Keiko. Mostly however,the big complaint for parents with whiny kids wanting to see this movie would be the violence. The movie in my opinion is very good. A "wake-up call" if you will to hopelessly dull action flicks which need that element of humor. The movie although sometimes finds you "just watching" as I mentioned before...but for the most part it's good...a nice mix of action and humor. See it if you want to,if violence doesn't offend you,if the back ends of movie hunks makes you drool,or if you crave action. Overall : B +
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
