Alternative Character Interpretation: Superintendent Pang gives Tequila a hard time over his trigger-happy policing style, but how much of that is genuine exasperation and how much is keeping up appearances for the sake of covering his behind while secretly approving? He doesn't seem to care that Alan is a prolific hitman, and when push comes to shove, he grabs a gun himself and backs Tequila up with no hestitation.
Complete Monster: Johnny Wong is a bloodthirsty Arms Dealer driven solely by a mixture of greed and sadism. Introduced orchestrating an ambush where dozens of rival gangsters are slaughtered, Wong forces undercover cop Alan to gun down Wong's adversary Uncle Hoi, before ordering him to kill Inspector "Tequila" Yuen Ho-yan. Having an informant beaten and murdered, Wong declares that "the innocent must die" after the police discover his secret cache of weapons, and orders his men to gun down cops and innocents alike before holding a hospital hostage. Wong heartlessly guns down a room full of patients; shoots his right-hand man Mad Dog dead for having a change of heart; attempts to kill everyone by blowing up the hospital; and ultimately holds Alan at gunpoint in a desperate final attempt to win. Claiming to value loyalty despite having no loyalty to anyone other than himself, Johnny Wong admits to seeing people as nothing more than objects, and will not hesitate to kill anyone if it suits him.
Cult Classic: The film has never received much mainstream attention or recognition, but it maintains a devoted following among action genre fans for the sheer quantity - and quality - of its action scenes.
Germans Love David Hasselhoff: On release, it received a lukewarm reaction in Hong Kong as its audiences were burned out on Heroic Bloodshed films. However, its American debut was greeted with wide praise by both audiences and critics alike, which was a rare reaction to a Hong Kong film at the time.
Magnificent Bastard: Mad Dog is the enforcer of Johnny Wong and the real mastermind behind his boss' rise to power. An intelligent and ruthless man, Mad Dog orchestrates the coup against Uncle Hoi and is able to deceive the cops to get near and murder the informant Foxy. Planning to use the hospital as a staging ground for the final battle, Mad Dog plans to let the hostages go but is horrified when Johnny Wong plans to murder them all. Disgusted as his boss's lack of honor, Mad Dog finally turns on his employer and only fails to kill him due to running out of bullets.
Moral Event Horizon: Johnny Wong crossed the line when he orders his men to kill the patients being evacuated from the hospital, and even takes a Mini-Uzi to a group of them standing between him and Alan.
Once Original, Now Common: Downplayed. John Woo's stylized action has fallen out of favor today thanks to imitators and audience demand for more believable action scenes. Despite this, the film is still well regarded due to its practical effects and sheer scale - and quality - of its action choreography. It also helps that there's some surprisingly strong writing and characterization behind the over-the-top gunplay.
Signature Scene: There's two of them. Tequila sliding down the banister with a gun in each hand, gunning down fleeing thugs, during the opening gunfight. There's also the hallway scene in the hospital that was almost three minutes long done in a single take.
Tony Leung Chiu-wai is good at playing the Woobie, and his character Alan is no exception. Torn between a quite likeable crime boss, a horrible arms dealer, and his own fellow cops, it's not hard to feel for the poor guy.
Foxy, Tequilla's informant, dreams of going straight and making his mother proud. sadly Johnny Wong and Mad Dog get in his way.
