15 Action Films From The 1980s You Must Watch
5. The Killer - 1989
John Woo is a legendary filmmaker in Hong Kong and has directed some classic action films, such as Face/Off, Mission Impossible 2 and Hard Boiled. But it was his success with The Killer that endeared him to Hollywood.
Chow Yun-fat plays a hitman of the Hong Kong Triad, Ah Long, who seriously damages the eyesight of a singer during a shootout.
Feeling guilty, Long decides to help the singer and after a while the two fall in love. But when it is revealed that the singer needs surgery or she will be permanently blind, Long decides to take on one final job for the Triad, only to be double crossed.
The film goes all out with the action and never seems to slow down, as Long blasts his way through multiple gang members with deadly precision while also trying to stay one step ahead of the pursuing police officers.
The story may not hold up to the lofty ambitions of the film's action sequences, but it still stands today as an example of how entertaining John Woo’s over-the-top style can be.