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Beyond Hypothermia (1996)


DiP

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The original Hong Kong version runs at 86 min while the international version runs at 90 min. Anyone know the difference between these cuts? What scenes in each version are included and excluded?

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International Version runs 80, not 90. it's missing a long Scene, has a new Music Score and English Credits.

that's it with the Differences.

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Thanks for the correction. I'm getting the LD soon though which is the best edition to date.

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Just got done watched my copy of the LD version, which is the one to get. Despite an underdeveloped plot --- I feel it needed more exposure on Wu Chien-Lien's background because her behavior and reactions toward her interactions with Lau didn't explain the journey of her unknown past --- this is very entertaining as a contract killing film.

Wu Chien-Lien's hitwoman somewhat bear resemblances to that Pat Ha's in On the Run in that both are meticulous, safely conscious when on hit missions, and express their feelings they seem to try hiding from people. In comparison however, Wu's character is quite ruined by sloppy writing and get to share scenes with Lau that are cringe-inducing and thereby unnecessary. Lau is his usual self and seemed to be having fun with his role as the street cook who takes an affection to Wu's character who in turn takes a liking to Lau's noodles after each hit mission. Shirley Wong as the contract dealer was interesting but sadly isn't given enough screen-time to properly draw viewers and let them invest on the character, and Han Jae-Suk is just your typical one-dimensional villain with only vengeance in mind.

The film overall is uneven but Wu's hit scenes as well as the action scenes (action directed by Yuen Tak and Yuen Bun) more than makes that up and is something that's worth watching for the kind of film it is: a different kind of assassin film.

7/10

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I watched this a few weeks ago. There were some neat visual details here, like Wu firing the sniper rifle inside the attic (?) of an ice factory. We see the cartridge fly out of the gun, land on a block of ice, and melt a groove into it. The foot chase during the segment in Korea was reminiscent of the one in Divergence, but even more brutal. The final gunfight is as violent and nihillistic as John Woo's best work, if not as drawn out. The action sequences were brought to us by Yuen Tak and Yuen Bun, andthey failed to secure a nomination for Best Action Choreography, even if they're on par with First Option, Big Bullet, and Shanghai Grand.

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TheToppestFight

I've been wanting to find an English subtitled version of this film for years.  Are the versions under discussion here subtitled, or dubbed in English? (Sorry for my ignorance...)

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6 hours ago, TheToppestFight said:

I've been wanting to find an English subtitled version of this film for years.  Are the versions under discussion here subtitled, or dubbed in English? (Sorry for my ignorance...)

My Mei Ah copy is subtitle in English.

My international version copy is English dubbed.

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TheToppestFight

I guess I just never came across the Mei Ah DVD for sale online...  Saw it many years ago on VHS and always wanted to see it again but for some reason just don't like to see things dubbed unless they are certain kinds of kung fu films...

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