John Woo

Directing

John Woo

Born September 22, 1946 · Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China (age 79)

John Woo Yu-Sen SBS (born September 22, 1946) is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Recognized for his stylised films of highly choreographed action sequences, Mexican standoffs, and use of slow-motion, Woo has directed several notable Hong Kong action films, among them, A Better Tomorrow, The Killer, Hard Boiled and Red Cliff. His Hollywood films include Hard Target, Broken Arrow, Face/Off…

Known For

Mission: Impossible IIMission: Impossible II · 2000
Mission: Impossible II
6.12000
MovieAdventureAction
With computer genius Luther Stickell at his side and a beautiful thief on his mind, agent Ethan Hunt races across Australia and Spain to stop a former IMF agent from unleashing a genetically engineered biological weapon called Chimera. This mission, should Hunt choose to accept it, plunges him into the center of an international crisis of terrifying magnitude.
Face/OffFace/Off · 1997
Face/Off
7.11997
MovieActionCrime
In order to foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.
Hard TargetHard Target · 1993
Hard Target
6.51993
MovieActionThriller
When a woman's father goes missing, she enlists a local to aid in her search. The pair soon discover that her father has died at the hands of a wealthy sportsman who hunts homeless men as a form of recreation.
The KillerThe Killer · 2024
The Killer
6.32024
MovieActionThriller
Zee is a feared contract killer known as "the Queen of the Dead," but when she refuses to murder a young blind woman, she finds herself hunted both by criminal colleagues and a determined police detective.
Hard BoiledHard Boiled · 1992
Hard Boiled
7.51992
MovieActionThriller
A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
The KillerThe Killer · 1989
The Killer
7.61989
MovieActionCrime
Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman to make things right.
Bullet in the HeadBullet in the Head · 1990
Bullet in the Head
7.61990
MovieActionCrime
Three childhood friends from the slums of Hong Kong flee to war-time Saigon after accidentally murdering a gang leader, but their troubles only escalate.
Once a ThiefOnce a Thief · 1991
Once a Thief
6.91991
MovieActionComedy
Three orphans grow up to become art thieves under the tutelage of a crime boss. Romance complicates matters when the trio are double-crossed.

Movies

Mission: Impossible IIMission: Impossible II · 2000
Mission: Impossible II
6.12000
MovieAdventureAction
With computer genius Luther Stickell at his side and a beautiful thief on his mind, agent Ethan Hunt races across Australia and Spain to stop a former IMF agent from unleashing a genetically engineered biological weapon called Chimera. This mission, should Hunt choose to accept it, plunges him into the center of an international crisis of terrifying magnitude.
Face/OffFace/Off · 1997
Face/Off
7.11997
MovieActionCrime
In order to foil a terrorist plot, an FBI agent undergoes facial transplant surgery and assumes the identity of a criminal mastermind. The plan turns sour when the criminal wakes up prematurely and seeks revenge.
Hard TargetHard Target · 1993
Hard Target
6.51993
MovieActionThriller
When a woman's father goes missing, she enlists a local to aid in her search. The pair soon discover that her father has died at the hands of a wealthy sportsman who hunts homeless men as a form of recreation.
The KillerThe Killer · 2024
The Killer
6.32024
MovieActionThriller
Zee is a feared contract killer known as "the Queen of the Dead," but when she refuses to murder a young blind woman, she finds herself hunted both by criminal colleagues and a determined police detective.
Hard BoiledHard Boiled · 1992
Hard Boiled
7.51992
MovieActionThriller
A cop who loses his partner in a shoot-out with gun smugglers goes on a mission to catch them. In order to get closer to the leaders of the ring he joins forces with an undercover cop who's working as a gangster hitman. They use all means of excessive force to find them.
The KillerThe Killer · 1989
The Killer
7.61989
MovieActionCrime
Mob assassin Jeffrey is no ordinary hired gun; the best in his business, he views his chosen profession as a calling rather than simply a job. So, when beautiful nightclub chanteuse Jennie is blinded in the crossfire of his most recent hit, Jeffrey chooses to retire after one last job to pay for his unintended victim's sight-restoring operation. But when Jeffrey is double-crossed, he reluctantly joins forces with a rogue policeman to make things right.
Bullet in the HeadBullet in the Head · 1990
Bullet in the Head
7.61990
MovieActionCrime
Three childhood friends from the slums of Hong Kong flee to war-time Saigon after accidentally murdering a gang leader, but their troubles only escalate.
Once a ThiefOnce a Thief · 1991
Once a Thief
6.91991
MovieActionComedy
Three orphans grow up to become art thieves under the tutelage of a crime boss. Romance complicates matters when the trio are double-crossed.
Twin DragonsTwin Dragons · 1992
Twin Dragons
6.71992
MovieActionComedy
Identical twins are separated at birth, one becoming a streetwise mechanic, and the other an acclaimed classical concert conductor. Finally meeting in adulthood, they're mistaken for the other and entangled in each other's worlds.
Broken ArrowBroken Arrow · 1996
Broken Arrow
6.11996
MovieActionThriller
When rogue stealth-fighter pilot Vic Deakins deliberately drops off the radar while on maneuvers, the Air Force ends up with two stolen nuclear warheads -- and Deakins's co-pilot, Riley Hale, is the military's only hope for getting them back. Traversing the deserted canyons of Utah, Hale teams with park ranger Terry Carmichael to put Deakins back in his box.
A Better TomorrowA Better Tomorrow · 1986
A Better Tomorrow
7.41986
MovieActionCrime
A reforming ex-gangster tries to reconcile with his estranged policeman brother, but the ties to his former gang are difficult to break.
Red CliffRed Cliff · 2008
Red Cliff
7.12008
MovieAdventureDrama
In 208 A.D., in the final days of the Han Dynasty, shrewd Prime Minster Cao convinced the fickle Emperor Han the only way to unite all of China was to declare war on the kingdoms of Xu in the west and East Wu in the south. Thus began a military campaign of unprecedented scale. Left with no other hope for survival, the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu formed an unlikely alliance.
ManhuntManhunt · 2017
Manhunt
5.62017
MovieActionThriller
Accused of a murder he didn't commit, a prosecutor sets out on a mission to clear his name.
Red Cliff IIRed Cliff II · 2009
Red Cliff II
7.32009
MovieActionAdventure
The battle of Red Cliff continues and the alliance between Xu and East Wu is fracturing. With Cao Cao's massive forces on their doorstep, will the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu survive?
Bulletproof MonkBulletproof Monk · 2003
Bulletproof Monk
5.52003
MovieActionComedy
A mysterious and immortal Tibetan kung fu master, who has spent the last 60 years traveling around the world protecting the ancient Scroll of the Ultimate, mentors a selfish street kid in the ancient intricacies of kung fu.
WindtalkersWindtalkers · 2002
Windtalkers
6.32002
MovieWarAction
Joe Enders is a gung-ho Marine assigned to protect a "windtalker" - one of several Navajo Indians who were used to relay messages during World War II because their spoken language was indecipherable to Japanese code breakers.
PaycheckPaycheck · 2003
Paycheck
6.22003
MovieActionAdventure
Michael Jennings is a genius who's hired – and paid handsomely – by high-tech firms to work on highly sensitive projects, after which his short-term memory is erased so he's incapable of breaching security. But at the end of a three-year job, he's told he isn't getting a paycheck and instead receives a mysterious envelope. In it are clues he must piece together to find out why he wasn't paid – and why he's now in hot water.
The Big HitThe Big Hit · 1998
The Big Hit
6.01998
MovieActionComedy
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.
A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in SaigonA Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon · 1989
A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon
6.41989
MovieActionCrime
Before the events of A Better Tomorrow (1986), Mark 'Gor' Lee heads to Saigon during the Vietnam War to bring home his uncle and cousin, but his task becomes complicated when a well-known criminal tries to help him.
Red SkiesRed Skies · 2002
Red Skies
4.32002
MovieTV MovieAction
A young Chinese female cop comes to Southern California on a hunt for a high-profile criminal from mainland China.
Silent NightSilent Night · 2023
Silent Night
6.12023
MovieActionThriller
A tormented father witnesses his young son die when caught in a gang's crossfire on Christmas Eve. While recovering from a wound that costs him his voice, he makes vengeance his life's mission and embarks on a punishing training regimen in order to avenge his son's death.
Reign of AssassinsReign of Assassins · 2010
Reign of Assassins
6.92010
MovieActionAdventure
Set in ancient China, Zeng Jing is a skilled assassin who finds herself in possession of a mystical Buddhist monk's remains. She begins a quest to return the remains to its rightful resting place, and thus places herself in mortal danger because a team of assassins is in a deadly pursuit to possess the remains which holds an ancient power-wielding secret.
A Better Tomorrow IIA Better Tomorrow II · 1987
A Better Tomorrow II
7.11987
MovieActionCrime
A restauranteur teams up with a police officer and his ex-con brother to avenge the death of a friend's daughter.
Kurosawa's WayKurosawa's Way · 2011
Kurosawa's Way
5.82011
MovieDocumentary
Eleven major film makers from Europe, America and Asia talk about Akira Kurosawa and discover surprising influences on their own work.

TV Shows

VoiceVoice · 2012
Voice
2012
Series
Golden Horse AwardsGolden Horse Awards · 1962
Golden Horse Awards
9.01962
SeriesDocumentary
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards (Chinese: 台北金馬影展; pinyin: Táiběi Jīnmǎ Yǐngzhǎn; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak Kim-má iáⁿ-tián) is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is usually held in November or December in Taipei, although the event has also been held in other locations in Taiwan in recent times
Be My GuestBe My Guest · 2006
Be My Guest
2006
Series
Celebrity Talk ShowCelebrity Talk Show · 1989
Celebrity Talk Show
9.51989
Series
The HireThe Hire · 2001
The Hire
7.62001
SeriesCrime
BMW Films presents "The Hire", a series of nine short films produced for the Internet in 2001 and 2002, with a ninth short film following in 2016. A form of branded content, all nine short films feature popular filmmakers from across the globe, star Clive Owen as the "Driver", and highlight the performance aspects of various BMW automobiles.
Once a ThiefOnce a Thief · 1996
Once a Thief
6.11996
SeriesDrama
Once a Thief is a 1997 Canadian television show inspired by the 1996 film of the same name.
Bokura no JidaiBokura no Jidai · 2007
Bokura no Jidai
2007
Series
A talk show broadcast on Fuji TV every Sunday.
大侠胡金铨大侠胡金铨 · 2022
大侠胡金铨
2022
Series
A Century of Light and ShadowA Century of Light and Shadow · 2005
A Century of Light and Shadow
2005
SeriesDocumentary
Revisit 100 years of Chinese cinema through the RTHK TV program A Century of Light and Shadow. Aired in 2005, this interesting and informative documentary traces the development of the Chinese film industry from the pioneering years to contemporary times. From the volley between Mandarin and Cantonese films to the rise of the New Wave, this program touches on all the major trends and developments that have helped define Chinese cinema and explores different genres and representative figures and films. From actors to directors, over 200 film industry names, including Jackie Chan, John Woo, Sammo Hung, Connie Chan, Andrew Lau, Peter Chan, and Lau Ching Wan, appear in the program, bringing their intimate knowledge of the industry and providing insight about what lies ahead for Chinese cinema.