At times, it approaches self-parody, but that’s just Woo having some much-needed fun.

It’s pure, maximalist filmmaking in the hands of a master who can put it all out there within the right emotional context to prevent it all from falling apart.

Younger fans of the modern actioner may find Manhunt a little old-school, especially in its unabashed romantic heart and flag-waving for the square-jawed good guys. But it’s breezy, handsomely mounted fun that shows that Woo has lost neither his mojo nor his sense of poetry.

This film offers something that is never in sufficiently plentiful supply: fun.

For those who have understandably not seen Takakura's original film due to international distribution issues: think "The Fugitive," only this time, Tommy Lee Jones' gruff cop is replaced by a more sympathetic hot-shot detective.