Silent Night

Woo's style filtered through the prism of Wick and other recent video game style action films. Minimal spoken dialogue and a spare narrative place all the weight on the helmer's shoulders. In terms of kinetic action, this is a far cry from the heights of Hard Boiled when Woo was setting new standards for the genre, and unlike Essential Killing, the skeletal plot lacks symbolic significance. For now, it keeps Woo in the game, but it isn't enough to restore complete confidence.

The limited spoken dialogue gimmick is pointless, even though it proves that the visuals can say what needs to be said. Tries way too hard to keep the gimmick. Plot is a simple revenge flick, which is fine, and Kinnaman is up to the task... but Woo's set pieces are either inspired (fighting up the stairs) or corny (drugged gf does better than everybody else even though she simply stands there). So it ends up being decent.

Acceptable action but the rest is pretty lousy.

What I find frustrating is that the action is fun and gritty, and the "training montage" can be something artsy in itself. But the emotional scenes, they're cheesier than French Camembert! The needless and countless slow motion flashbacks, over the top dramatic imagery, the early 2000s dream sequence filters... It would take me out of the story right away, it felt like parodies people make to mock melodramatic soaps. I know John Woo is who he is, but even by his standards that was excessive.

When violence and predictable beats go hand in hand you are in for a long movie. Nothing about this movie was original aside from the loss of voice. Kinnaman tries his best here to make something of nothing but the script has no originality. It is a shame we keep getting these types of movies with some odd little curveball thrown in. Actually try and mix things up.

Strikes the perfect balance between intense action sequences and equally commanding emotional moments to create a stunning film that fires on all cylinders.

John Woo's Action Revenge Vendeta Movie .. from the beginning till end it doesnt stop or get into an bored situation for all action vendeta revenge Movie Lovers a very choice..

2023'de #IzlediğimFilmler ; 214. Silent Night (2023) Joel Kinnaman harika bir oyuncu, iyi olduğu tartışılır seçimlerine rağmen oynadığı filmlerde hep parlıyor. Woo'yu özlemişiz, ama özlemimi tam olarak gideremedi bu filmi. 6/10

This movie is over 100 minutes long and yet the first hour is both stupid and boring. When the action finally starts the movie still doesn't get much better though it does get dumber.

Second half is mostly more miss than hit, but Woo delivers the goods from time to time to keep the wheels running.

Technical problems at my local theatre, in retrospect, may have been the universe trying to help me out. I admire what they were going for, and this will entertain a very baseline action audience, but for this gimmick to work, you need pristine action that just isn't here. With no dialogue, the narrative has terrible pacing, underscored by one of the laziest montage sequences I've ever seen. Did the main baddie even DO the thing that's the root cause of the revenge play? Too many issues to save.

It works, barely, thanks to Kinnaman's performance and some well staged action scenes.

It was fine but it never felt like a John Woo film.

Meh. It was fine. Good action. Semi realistic. Good story. But the lack of talking was not my thing. Ending was just meh.