Watching the trailer for John Woo's Manhunt is like being transported back to the '80s and '90s when he was the undisputed international king of the cop/hitman thriller. Woo has been out of the genre for a minute, expanding his repetoire with a couple of amazing historical epics in Red Cliff and The Crossing, but it's definitely a blast to see him back and doing what he'll always be known for. And yeah, the doves are back.
Of course the doves are back. It wouldn't be a John Woo action flick without them fluttering across the screen during an epic shootout. Unfortunately, Woo's usual star Chow Yun-Fat isn't along for the ride. Manhunt is a remake of the 1976 Japanese film and stars Chinese actor Zhang Hanyu, last seen opposite Matt Damon in The Great Wall, as a prosecutor on the run after he's accused of robbery, rape, and murder. Popular Japanese actor Masaharu Fukuyama (Like Father Like Son) plays the detective hot on the prosecutor's trail as he attempts to clear his name.
It's Woo in the classic sense. The breakneck pace, the unlimited ammo, twin guns, the slow-motion shootouts. This should be crazy fun, so let's hope it gets a U.S. date soon.
