Prior to the extended hospital sequence, which plays like an unofficial 'Die Hard' sequel, John Woo creates a stunning eighty minutes of sensual, brutal, beautiful action combined with stunningly understated drama. Tony Leung's first meeting with arms dealer Johnny (Anthony Wong) is exceptionally well staged and scored (by Michael Gibbs), as is an earlier scene where Leung meets the older arms dealer who has become a surrogate father to him and his colleagues. These are incredibly moving sequences in which not a single shot is fired. This side of Woo's talent has never been seen in any of his disappointing American films. When Leung is forced to kill his surrogate father after Chow's spectacular warehouse ambush, we can only marvel at Leung's performance as he conveys his inner turmoil. The film makes a tonal adjustment once the action moves to the hospital and Woo serves up a number of brilliantly staged action set pieces. The sheer volume of gunfire does become wallpaper after a while, but fans of hardcore action will not be disappointed. If "Hard-Boiled" had continued along the same stylistic and thematic lines as its first eighty minutes, I'd probably like it as much as "Bullet in the Head", but, for mine, it sits just below "The Killer" and above the more obscure "Just Heroes". Fatt is his usual stalwart self, while Anthony Wong and Philip Kwok (who steals the show as Mad Dog) are sublime.