Search - The Big Hit [Fullscreen/Widescreen] on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Nudity, Adult Situations, Profanity, Sexual Situations Movie Release: 1998 DVD Release: 10/27/1998 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 31 mins Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Members Wishing: 2 Genres: Action, Action Comedy, Caper See Also: The Big Hit [Superbit], The Big Hit [UMD for PSP], The Big Hit [Widescreen], The Big Hit [Blu-ray], The Big Hit [Widescreen] [Includes Digital Copy]

Kirk Wong directed this comedy actioner about mild-mannered, beleaguered hitman Melvin Smiley (Mark Wahlberg), who very much wants to be liked. However, the naive Mel is being taken advantage of by both his girlfriends and associates (who cheat him out of his bonuses). Mel and his "Odd Squad" -- Cisco (Lou Diamond Phillips), Crunch (Bokeem Woodbine), Vince (Antonio Sabato Jr.), and Gump (Robin Dunne) -- work for Paris (Avery Brooks), head of an international crime cartel and a contractor for hit jobs. Mel's mistress Chantel (Lela Rochon), who views him as a meal ticket, lives rent-free in his house, misspends his money, and is continually thinking of ways to get more from him. Her latest scheme is concocting tales about overdue mortgage and car payments, but she really wants the money to run away with her lover Sergio. Mel and his team head into a big shootout to waste some rival mobsters. One person kills the electricity; the others don night-vision goggles. Melvin handles most of the action, including shooting while bungee-bouncing near a staircase, finally making a spectacular bungee-exit from the top floors of the building just as it explodes in flames. A quick and easy weekend job backfires when their kidnap victim, a rich industrialist's teenage daughter Keiko Nishi (China Chow), turns out to be the godchild of their boss, crime czar Paris. When Cisco, mastermind of the plan, is summoned by Paris, he manages to shift blame to Mel. Meanwhile, Chantel absconds with Mel's earnings just as the disapproving parents (Elliott Gould, Lainie Kazan) of Mel's fiancee Pam (Christina Applegate) are due for a visit. Since Pam gave her parents $50,000 from Mel's bank account, they're on their way to thank him and hopefully benefit from another financial windfall. As his professional and domestic woes collide, Mel finds himself dodging bullets while trying to impress his potential in-laws. Throw in an overzealous video-store clerk demanding the return of an overdue tape (King Kong Returns), and it's not long before Mel's life starts to unravel. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Mark Wahlberg - Melvin Smiley
Lou Diamond Phillips - Cisco
Christina Applegate - Pam Shulman
Avery Brooks - Paris
Bokeem Woodbine - Crunch
Antonio Sabato, Jr. - Vince
Lela Rochon - Chantel

For a film that performed only modestly well at the box office, this disc was given a much better treatment than one might expect. The special features contain the original theatrical trailer, three deleted scenes, an audio commentary track with screenwriter Ben Ramsey and, best of all, a second full-length commentary track featuring director Kirk Wong and producer Terence Chang. This second track is a sort of question-and-answer session between Wong and Chang, interesting because Chang is a seasoned professional, having produced almost all of John Woo's films over the years, whereas Wong comes across as younger and less experienced, this being his first Hollywood picture. All of these are brought together with smoothly animated menus, and taken as a whole they make for a very compelling extras package and add a great deal to the enjoyment of the film. The producers of the disc didn't stop with the special features, however; they have done an excellent job preserving the integrity of the original image in an anamorphic, 16 x 9-enhanced transfer. As is often the case, one side of the disc contains the widescreen version of the film, whereas the other side contains the full-screen version. There are three audio tracks: French and English two-channel Surround and an English 5.1 track. The film has an urban, hip-hop edge to it, which is reflected in the soundtrack, so expect the subwoofer to get a thorough workout with the heavy bass rhythms throughout; at times it can be a little overpowering and should perhaps have been mixed slightly lower, as not all home theater systems will be equipped to handle it. Aside from that, however, the mix is strong and fairly evenly balanced. For those who didn't catch this film in the theaters, this disc will make an excellent introduction. ~ Andrew Hercock, All Movie Guide