How John Woo and 2 other Hong Kong directors survived Hollywood at the turn of the century
John Woo teamed with Tom Cruise for a ‘boring’ hit. Peter Chan turned to romance. Ringo Lam and Jean Claude van Damme made stomachs churn
In the 1990s, many Hong Kong film directors felt that a Hollywood career was the way forward. But things did not always work out as planned.
These were the experiences of three leading Hong Kong directors in the United States at the turn of the 21st century.
1. Mission: Impossible II (2001)
The irony of Hong Kong directors going to Hollywood in the 1990s was that although it was their unique filmmaking styles that got them invited there, when they arrived they were expected to make films that looked more like Hollywood films than their own movies.
The gunfights featured many of his hallmarks, such as sliding while shooting, but they were slow and clunky, and the editing lacked the fluidity that made them special.
“For those who venture forth, a loud and explosive two hours awaits. That’s no surprise – what is strange is just how boring that can turn out to be,” said the Post review, noting that some foreign film critics had praised the film as classic Woo but those with knowledge of the director’s local works found it disappointing.