Mark Wahlberg, fresh from his terrific portrayal of an adult film star in Boogie Nights, returns, this time as an overly sensitive hit man in the over the top, yet sporadically entertaining The Big Hit. Wahlberg has strived to put the Funky Bunch days behind him and with a resume<caron> that includes Basketball Diaries, Fear and Boogie Nights, he should be taken seriously as an actor. With The Big Hit, Wahlberg loosens up to play a hit man with more problems than his job. The Big Hit is one of those loud, obnoxious guy movies that tries to be so hip, that it's not usually up to the challenge.

The film is directed with energy and flair by Che-Kirk Wong, making it much better than the other Hong Kong-style action film this year, the ultra-dull Replacement Killers. What keeps The Big Hit from reaching it's full potential is the Tarantino-style script from Ben Ramsey. He injects the story with twists and double crosses that don't really pay off. The dialogue doesn't quite have the wit of the Pulp Fiction maestro's work.

Helping keep The Big Hit watchable are charismatic performances by Wahlberg and Lou Diamond Phillips, as Wahlberg's
strung out partner. Ultimately, The Big Hit is a hit and miss action comedy that could have used a better screenplay.