My report on an 8-year-old movie.

Wow, Fulltime Killer is a really good movie! I only rented it on a whim, but I was really impressed.

Well, I have to admit, I am writing this immediately after having seen it, so I'm still kind of high on it. Sometimes I have to see a movie a couple of times before I can accurately criticize it, but I do also like to record my initial impression. I think I was mostly enamored by how smart the movie is: it's got this great post-modern vibe, best exemplified by one of the main characters, Tok, who is a hitman who loves action movies. There are a number of hectic action scenes that I expected to be as confusing as in other action-thrillers like Casino Royale or the Bourne movies, but the action is kept clear, pretty, and fun; the director obviously respects the audience.

(Actually, I'm just now coming to the realization that shaky-cam is totally way overused these days and I wish it wasn't because I don't remember Fulltime Killer using it.)

It's also a nice touch when a movie winks at its audience. Tok obviously enjoys pop culture because he makes a couple references to manga and video games. Sometimes a film or story can overdo the winking, but in this case it helps strengthen the character and makes the movie more fun.