Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Affable hit man Melvin Smiley is constantly being scammed by his cutthroat colleagues in the life-ending business. So, when he and his fellow assassins kidnap the daughter of an electronics mogul, it's naturally Melvin who takes the fall when their prime score turns sour. That's because the girl is the goddaughter of the gang's ruthless crime boss. But, even while dodging bullets, Melvin has to keep his real job secret from his unsuspecting fiancée, Pam.
The Big Hit is a late-90s Hong Kong-style action comedy with some genuine style in its kinetic set pieces and a self-aware, tongue-in-cheek tone that gives it modest distinctiveness amid the post-Pulp Fiction crime comedy wave. The plot is formulaic and overstuffed with subplots (the nagging fiancée, the demanding mistress) that clash tonally rather than cohere. Acting is broadly serviceable — Mark Wahlberg's deadpan affability works in spots but the ensemble is uneven. Cinematography has flashy wired action choreography influenced by John Woo that shows some craft. The ending is messy and unsatisfying, resolving too neatly after chaotic buildup. Overall a cult curiosity rather than a standout.