Better than expected, but still not great.
The special moves are recognizable in that it steals a little from each of the previously mentioned titles. Slow-motion dives, bullet-time dodging, even the ability to spin around like a deadly tornado destroying everyone in the room. But what the game lacks in originality, it makes up for with a decent John Woo story. The real downfall was the difficulty level. It didn't really feel like much of a challenge (on the 'normal' difficulty) until you get to the final two levels. Health was plentiful, as were bullets, but most areas had a run-and-gun, trial-and-error feel. If you couldn't just blast your way through with special moves, you could slow down and concentrate on a few headshots and work your way through in no time at all.
The graphics are amazing but the characters are only a little better than decent. The environment is quite destructable which makes for hiding out behind a concrete wall not as safe as you think it would be. However, I did run into some issues with the framerate dropping out when things got a little too heated. The best part, though, was the feeling of realism in each level. You actually had to think about how you would reach the next platform or discover the safest place to take cover. It actually looked like these places exist in the real world.
Like the game, though, this review is going to be short and to the point...you've seen this all before, but like each game before, it has it's own charm. If you like "Dead To Rights" and John Woo/Chow Yun-Fat films, this will entertain you for a weekend, and you may consider adding it to your collection. But unless you like to collect every last achievement, this won't be a title that you'll play over and over again. Once was enough for me, but I'm glad I took the time to enjoy the ride.