Blackjack (1998)

How can I describe Blackjack in one sentence? Blackjack is The Bodyguard directed by John Woo. As such it leaves The Bodyguard (and Bodyguard from Beijing) for dead. It is far more than a chick flick, rather it is a movie in which each of the characters are flawed and are struggling with themselves and each other to come to terms with their weaknesses. As in other Woo movies, the characters do not bask in their strengths, but the struggle through their weaknesses, and Jack (Dolph Lundgrun) seems to get more and more of them. At first he develops a phobia to the colour white, and then finds that he has become a father and he must slowly come to terms with this new development.Cinder was a southern waitress but was discovered by a modelling agent who brought her to New York and she is stunning the crowds. The problem is that she is being pursued by an obsessed fan who wants to kill or, or he seems to be an obsessed fan. I will be revealing much of the details of this movie, so if you don't want it to be spoiled, then stop reading now. The details are important to the studies of the main characters because it is their flaws that make them strong.Cinder and Jack are the main characters, everybody else supports them. The little girl is cool, but once again she is only a support. We know that she is intelligent, and also know that she can count cards, but this is not developed in the movie. The girl the a burden that Jack must deal with, and though the girl is burdened with the death of her parents, her development is left behind to focus on the development of Jack and Cinder, the two important characters.Jack has a problem with white, and this is used extensively during the movie. We believe that this problem developed when he was temporarily blinded by a flash grenade (and here the little girl helps him through), but soon we learn that his father used to drive a white Cadillac. His father was a card counter and would work the casinos, and while doing that he would have a code to prepare a quick escape. Unfortunately one day his lighter did not work (he flicked his light twice to tell is son to get the car) and the mob grabbed him and killed him.White is the traditional symbol of goodness and purity, but this causes Jack to constantly turn away. This seems to reflect an aspect of Christianity where the purity of God forces us, sinners, to turn away. Jack cannot get over the white himself, yet the movie falls down here as he struggles to overcome it, and when he does he is able to save the girl. Yet we are never actually told that he has overcome it, rather he struggles through his weakness so that Cinder might survive.Cinder is an even more interesting character because more and more is revealed about her. At first we know of her as a model, but soon we learn that she is a drug addict and it is because of pain that was inflicted upon her by a car accident earlier in her life. She has a great pain, but tries to cover it up with drugs. This does not work for not only does it keep coming back, but she hallucinates and at one stage tries to throw herself off of a balcony. By looking at her character we realise that she has a lot of problems and as such needs somebody to help her through.This is where the obsessed fan comes in. At first with think it is a fan, but when we hear his voice, something clicks. He has a southern accent and she, we know, is from the south. As such we start to think that he is more than just a fan but has a stronger relationship with her. Sure enough, we learn that he was at one stage her husband, and he is obsessed not with a model but with a wife that he lost and wants back. He claims that she needs him, but this desire to protect her is mixed with an anger and a desire to see her dead.Blackjack is not one of Woo's best movies, but it still has a lot of his style. In my opinion his movies have become much worse since he moved to the United States, but this is a man who moved to the US because in Hollywood he could spend more time with his family. His movies are still a higher quality than most, but generally are less outstanding that his Hong Kong efforts.

Having directed two lifeless derivations from his Hong Kong classic "Once a Thief", Woo tries once more to direct a film for American television, and finally pulls it off. This is decidedly a John Woo film (while the "Thief" movies really felt like a imitations), but it is also decidedly a television movie, with all the good and bad that suggests.The worst aspects of television action films are that they 1) lack the kind of action we see in theatrical releases, 2) slow the narrative down to fill up time (they are really series episodes expanded, after all), and 3) unbelievable and more than a little hokey.Woo has evaded the two main problems (which he didn't in his thief films) - there's plenty of stunt-filled gunplay in this film, just as we expect from a Woo action film, and, although a bit over-long, "Blackjack" is never slow. As for the story being hokey and unbelievable - well, let's be honest - with the exceptions of "Bullet in the Head" and "Wind-Talkers" (both very good films based on true stories) Woo's films usually ARE hokey and unbelievable. Woo doesn't make gritty crime sagas, he makes fantasy action films that happen to be set in the present day. There never was a hit-man like "The Killer", never any such "Hard-Boiled" cops as appear in the film of that title. Woo's infamous sentimentality and Methodist sermonizing have long felt as though the man had some major themes to play out in these films - but with the two exceptions mentioned, he doesn't. Woo's action films are just great bloody ways to spend an afternoon - brilliantly orchestrated thrill-rides.Finally, a note on Dolph Lundgren, and, in a supporting role, Fred Williamson - two of the most notorious hunks of wood ever put before the camera; yet Woo not only manages to find good roles for them, but also gets the best performances of their careers.A fun film, expect nothing else from it.

Joh Woo has used over and over the slow motion scenes in his action sequences and he always finds a special trick to regenerate his style.But this time,it is a little too much clichéd.Your libido will be absorbed by the blond fluffy bunnies swirling around Dolph Lundgren's muscles and the action scenes are totally unrealistic but this is where all the fun comes from.John Woo always tended to stylize his movies and this one is no exception to the rule.His obsessions for choreography of bullets and killed bodies, as well as friendship and honor, are strongly embedded in all his movies. Unfortunately this movie was made for TV and it demoted the result.

Blackjack (1998) was a made for t.v. movie that was directed by JOhn Woo and stars Dolph Lundgren. The budget purse strings were tight on this project and the filming schedule was short. But guess what? The settings were perfect for John Woo and he takes an ordinary run-of-the-mill action film and makes it work! The action scenes were shot quite well (Woo brings in his old cinematographer Wong Wing Hang) and pulls out every trick from his bag of goodies. The action is quite frequent and kinetic (for a t.v. movie). This is the type of films John Woo should be making. Cheap, on the fly projects instead of big bloated film projects that take forever to make a with no pay-off.Dolph Lundgren plays a former federal agent who know works as a personnel bodyguard. One day his buddy and his wife are killed and he takes custodian of the couple's precocious daughter. While on assignment (protecting a supermodel) a gang of ill mannered hit men chase him all over town. Who are they? Are they connected to the girl's parents or the supermodel he now protects? Who knows? To find out the answers to these pertinent questions you'll have to watch Blackjack! If you watch this movie make sure you see it on video. This version has all of the cool action that is missing from the one shown on the U.S.A. network. Despite the lack of a big budget and named actors, this movie actually works. I would rather see ten movies like this instead of one Mission Impossible 2 or Windtalkers.Recommended for fans of John Woo's earlier work.