Crying Freeman (นักฆ่าสะอื้น)

Mark Dacascos was such a handsome dude when he was younger! The crazy thing is, he was this good-looking when he filmed this movie and fell in love with the female lead at first sight. They got married and have had a great relationship for over two decades. That's really rare to find in Hollywood! I recently saw a Scott Adkins interview with him, and you can tell from the way he speaks that he has a great character. Plus, he's getting funnier as he gets older!

Even a killing machine is helpless against love's allure.

The sniper rifle isn't for shooting people; it's for using like an RPG to blow up cars and buildings, creating a firework display at the murder scene :) The secret technique of the anti-Qing, Ming-restoring Triads is creating Qing dynasty zombies, and occasionally kidnapping Japanese devils for brainwashing and training, but their main business is making soy sauce in the Shanghai sewers until the Japanese Yakuza come to help us with hygiene supervision. We've also found the ancestor of the "crotch-grenade" meme, congratulations! 24 years later, Crying Freeman has become a John Wick fan… A collection of various slow-motion posing with style but no substance, quite hilarious.

Here's my take, comparing it to the anime version I've seen before. The film actually does a solid job of recreating the early parts of the story, hitting those iconic scenes. The first 20 minutes even amplify that intense atmosphere. However, despite the thoughtful cinematography and set design, as the film progresses, it becomes clear that the source material's mystical nature makes adaptation inherently awkward. But I have to say, the female lead is stunning, a true embodiment of that era.

Adapted from the manga by Ryoichi Ikegami.

Crying Freeman is a gruesome yet poetic tale of a complex assassin, haunted by his own morality. The film's striking visuals and atmospheric soundtrack create a captivating experience. As the assassin's story intertwines with the beautiful artist, a deeper exploration of the human condition unfolds. With its blend of action and emotional depth, Crying Freeman is a dark and thought-provoking thriller that lingers long after the credits roll. Beautifully crafted, it explores the blurred lines between good and evil.