The Big Hit:10 BEERS (99% Crap)

Melvin Smiley (Mark Wahlberg) is the world's nicest hitman. Despite his career choice he wants everyone to like him and will do anything to make that possible. This is why he has problems with the women in his life walking all over him. Pam (Christina Applegate) his fiancée, and Chantel (Lela Rochon) his mistress are both more interested in Melvin's money than they are in Melvin. So when he finds himself in a financial pinch, Melvin agrees to take part in Cisco's (Lou Diamond Phillpis) kidnapping scheme. Melvin and Cisco work for Paris (Avery Brooks),as do Crunch (Bokeem Woodbine) and Vinnie (Antonio Sabato Jr.). Even though Paris does not allow side work, Cisco, Melvin, Crunch, and Gump (Robin Dunne) kidnap Keiko Nishi (China Chow), the daughter of millionaire Jiro Nishi (Sab Shimono). The real problems start when Paris learns his goddaughter Keiko is missing and assigns Cisco the duty of rounding up the people responsible.

The Big Hit is supposed to be fashioned after a Hong Kong action comedy but I think something was lost in the translation. It's not comedic and the action is inadequate. This movie could ahve been so much better if it had focused more on the team of hitmen and just taken itself a little more seriously. Instead I thought I was watching Looney Tunes when in one of the chase scenes a car goes off a cliff and lands in a tree. Melvin is so spineless outside of work he's difficult to like. Pam and her parents, who come to visit, are so stereotyped it's almost offensive. The villain stinks. Chantel is pointless as is the entire videostore plot line. So when you add that up there aren't any appealing characters and since this film also lacks comedy, a good story, and decent action, there is not much to like about The Big Hit.

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Photo from Columbia TriStar