This is bubblegum music video filmmaking taken to extremes. It consists of a series of 3-5 minute chunks, each containing a snippet of sassy dialogue, at least one sexy pose, an action sequence, and a theme tune. It lives up to the “Full Throttle” title by never slowing down from the initial hyperactive rescue scene. There is a plot, but it’s secondary to looking good. It’s vacuous, mindless, but also kinda fun. Just for goodness’ sake don’t go in looking for anything other than mindless entertainment.

The plot is paper-thin, and the acting is wooden, but John Woo shows just why he is considered a master of the action genre. The gun fights are beautifully staged and choreographed, and shot in such a way that turns their extreme violence into a lethal dance of balletic grace. Shame about the rest of the film, though.