11/29/2023 0 Comments John woo once a thief![]() Was Once a Thief disappointing in this respect? Most definitely. Most of my complaints stem from the fact that what Woo delivered wasn’t a typical Woo product. Maybe it is the out-of-control revolving secret doorway in the wine cellar, or how, when they are hanging from a chandelier, the guys take the time for an ill-timed fart joke, or maybe how they peer through a glass of wine to see the invisible lasers blocking their path-but all of this seems like something from a cartoon. And for a film that purports to be about art thieves, the actual heist scenes are ludicrous and lack any of the cool badassery that one normally associates with Woo’s protagonists. The big finale is similarly marred by what can only be described as utter stupidity: not only the aforementioned microwave-soda-basketball-contraption, but also indoor skateboard drive-bys and fire-breathing bad guys. Not only does it take nearly 45 minutes for the first big shootout, but when it happens, the choreography is incoherent, lacking the spatial geography and operatic sweep that distinguished earlier (and later) Woo films. ![]() The bigger problem, however, is that Once a Thief isn’t much better to look at on-screen. ![]() Story-wise, Once a Thief isn’t much to look at on paper tasteless, obvious cliches abound. When the heist doesn’t go according to plan, however, the trio must figure out how to overcome romance, figure out who double-crossed them, and take revenge. With romantic rivalries already threatening to break the group apart, they decide to make one last score before retiring forever. Now that the trio is all grown up, they’re still stuck in the same dichotomy: they make a living stealing art for the thief yet still cling to the cop for moral guidance. As children, they were orphans who were taken under the wing of two parental figures: a criminal and a cop. Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung and Cherie Chung portray art thieves bound by life-long friendship. The mythic hero-villain bond that gave The Killer its emotional and spiritual punch is supplanted by a cheesy love triangle in Once a Thief. While the film exhibits scant traces of his characteristic style (slow-motion shooting and a remarkable lack of reloading), Once a Thief more closely resembles an Olsen Twins’ post- Full House straight-to-video romp, with a few leftover MacGyver gimmicks, than the bold action thrill rides that made Woo famous. There are certain things you don’t expect in a John Woo movie: Chow Yun Fat ballroom dancing in a wheelchair prank cakes springing from boxes friends blowing flour into each other’s faces microwaved soda cans catapulting flaming basketballs fart jokes.Ĭoming after The Killer and Bullet in the Head and just before [ Hard Boiled, some of Woo’s most iconic films, it is surprising how un-Woo Once a Thief actually is. Lots to savour, but difficult to take seriously.There are certain things you expect in a John Woo movie: fancy gunplay top-notch action choreography a never-ending supply of bullets flashy clothes slow-motion over-the-top violence doves. Once a Thief is part ‘Indiana Jones’-style heist flick, part ‘Jules and Jim’-type movie-throw in Woo’s heroic bloodshed and a tinge of Jackie Chan-style kung fu comedy, and you get an equivalent of a messy buffet spread. The film’s jarring tonal shifts-from hardcore action where lives are at stake to casual, nonchalant comedy, often in the middle of the action-is either a showcase of Woo’s versatility (not quite to me), or a last resort to make the movie more audience-friendly. There is a subplot involving flashbacks and ‘fathers’, biological or otherwise, but while it advances the narrative considerably, it doesn’t really work dramatically. Cherie Chung plays the pretty lady in between the two men in a loose love triangle setup. ![]() Together with Leslie Cheung, Chow plays a master thief of rare art paintings, where they team up to deliver the ‘goods’ to rich-paying clients. “Did I make you waste your tears over me?” ![]() The result is rather pretentious, and nobody would exemplify this more than Chow Yun-Fat whose performance borders on the ludicrous in the final act. bloody gunfights, brotherhood and camaraderie. It is light-hearted for sure but still sufficiently in heroic bloodshed mode that Woo is famous for e.g. Once a Thief is best seen as an action-comedy, a hybrid undertaking that unfortunately doesn’t really go anywhere. Once a Thief is entertaining but it is not vintage John Woo, although it had much more box-office success than his previous two directorial outings in The Killer(1989) and Bullet in the Head(1990), thus paving way for him to make his final pre-Hollywood movie, Hard Boiled(1992). ![]()
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