Wonderful Movie

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Absolutely the worst movie.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

What do you get when you put a Thai Drug cartel, Tribal Warriors, the Vietnam People's Army, Chinese mercenaries and a small child in a John Woo film? An absolute mess.I am a Woo fan myself, so I was curious to see his first "true" film as he calls it. It was a bit hard to find, which is not surprising after seeing it. It should have been completely forgotten.It's bad. There is little to no plot, and all it really serves itself as is an action film. This was made before Woo was established as the master of Heroic Bloodshed, so his style was no where near perfected, meaning the action scenes in this film are lackluster. The whole thing is basically worthless then.This was released after the success of Woo's "A Better Tomorrow", which is actually pretty decent. I'm not sure why he thought to put this out after that, it only degrades his image. He thankfully then came out with "The Killer" which made up for it.Avoid this film, even if you're a Woo fan.

John Woo's Heroes Shed no Tears (1986) is a sort of homage to the film Man From Deep River. This violent tale also plays tribute to the Lone Wolf and Cub series. Eddy Ko plays a soldier of fortune working for the US Government. Ko and his men are offered US citizenship along with several thousand dollars in cash for their services. All they have to do is take a Drug Lord into custody, that's the easy part. Taking him back to civilization, well that's another story. Ko, his team of mercenaries and child must endure a trip through hell that'll take them through the jungles, running a gauntlet of death.Ching-Ying Lam co-stars as the Vietnamese Officer hellbent on taking Ko alive, no matter what the costs. HSNT is very bloody and dark. Unlike any of Woo's previous films.Highly recommended for John Woo fans.

The 1980s were the decade when the Americans produced lots of patriotic action films like "Rambo 1-3" or "The Delta Force"-series, for example. Now, John Woo´s version of a mercenary-movie is quite different: of course, there are lots of heavy gunfights and giant explosions, however without being too one-dimensional as the US-movies are! The fast-paced plot is improved by well-developed characters, typical Asian humor and allusions to father and son, friendship and honour without being too pathetic in any way! Maybe not John Woo´s best, but still an action movie far above average!!

Ying Xiong Wei Lei/Heroes Shed No Tears(1986) was a pivotal feature in the early 80s for the director, John Woo. This was the first John Woo movie that included heavy use of gunplay. Although filmed in 1984/85, Heroes Shed No Tears(1986) did not get released until after the box office success of A Better Tomorrow(1986). Before this, Woo was mainly known for his comedies and Kung Fu flicks. Heroes Shed No Tears(1986) combines explosive action with some good martial arts. Even if the film isn't as great or polish as John Woo's best, its still better then most of the ones that he has done in Hollywood. There are a few terrific set pieces within the movie. One, the opening gun battle with some drug runners. Two, the fight between the mercenaries and the Thai natives. Three, the martial arts fight between Eddy Ko and Ching Ying Lam. It was one of the few war films besides Eastern Condors(1987) and Bullet in the Head(1990) to come out of Hong Kong. Ying Xiong Wei Lei(1986) is a precursor to John Woo's Bullet in the Head(1990). The plot of the film is very similar to Eastern Condors(1987) in that both films deal with mercenaries who are sent to Southeast Asia on a secret mission. Heroes Shed No Tears is the most grim and nihilistic of all John Woo movies(that includes Bullet in the Head). Its in the tradition of films like Aguirre:The Wrath of God(1974), The Deer Hunter(1978), and Apocalypse Now(1979). Heroes Shed No Tears(1986) is a modern day retelling of the Lone Wolf & Cub comics. The relationship between Eddy Ko's soldier and his son has the same fatalistic bond that was present with Ogami Itto and his son, Daigoro. Its the closest thing that John Woo has ever come to doing a Lone Wolf & Cub feature. There is a scene that's right out of Lone Wolf & Cub(involves a child who covers himself in a mudhole in order to avoid being burned alive in a fire). The big influence for the one sequence is a similar sequence from Lone Wolf & Cub:Baby Cart in Peril(1973). Ching Ying Lam is very convincing as the cruel and sadistic Vietnamese officer. The torture scene involving Eddy Ko is the most brutal one ever done by Woo. Heroes Shed No Tears(1986) has many traits that would become part of the Heroic Bloodshed genre in Hong Kong. Has its share of fogish atmosphere and stylish cinematography. The fight near the end of the movie would be done again in the terrible Mission:Impossible 2(2000)(there was also a exact scene in Strike of Death{1975}).