John Woo says Hollywood action is “tuned down”

❘ Published: 2023-12-01T14:24:19

John Woo directing Mission: Impossible 2

Paramount Pictures

With latest film Silent Night his first Hollywood outing in 20 years, director John Woo has stated that Hollywood action is “tuned down” in a recent interview.

Silent Night is already being hotly anticipated by John Woo fans, with first reactions to the movie already proving to divide opinion.

The movie’s official synopsis reads: “On Christmas Eve, a man witnesses the death of his young son when the boy gets caught in crossfire between warring gangs. Recovering from a wound that cost him his voice, he soon embarks on a bloody and grueling quest to punish those responsible.”

In a recent interview, director John Woo weighed in on the differences between Hong Kong and Hollywood actions, stating that the latter is often more “tuned down.”

John Woo says Hollywood action is “tuned down” in new interview

In a new interview with Letterboxd, Silent Night director John Woo stated that American action is often “tuned down” when describing his action influences.

“In Hong Kong, there are not so many rules,” Woo observed. “You can do whatever you want. So all the explosions and everything is so big, you know, and pretty dangerous, and we shot everything with no CGI.

“But in America, everything has to be tuned down and everything needs to be very careful to execute it.”

The director is known for making Hollywood movies including Face/Off and Mission: Impossible 2 alongside overseeing Hong Kong hits such as A Better Tomorrow.

Woo went on to explain that on Silent Night, he “did the story about an innocent kid being murdered by a gangster.” “So it’s a pretty serious thing, you know,” the filmmaker elaborated. “The action couldn’t be too fancy or too over the top – it should look more realistic.”

“That’s why the action in Silent Night looks pretty real, looks like a real fight.”

John Woo’s unlikely action movie inspiration

John Woo also explained that action sequences in his previous movies took inspiration from unlikely places – including old-school Hollywood musicals.

“I was so crazy about musicals,” Woo said of being younger. “I learned so much and I got so much inspiration from the musical. So where I am choreographing the action sequence, I feel like I’m making a dancing scene.

“I love dancing, I love the beauty of the body movement. And I love the rhythm.”

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