Once a Thief (1991 film)

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For other uses, see Once a Thief (disambiguation).
Once a Thief
File:Onceathiefwooposter.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Woo
Produced by Terence Chang
Linda Kuk
Written by John Woo
Janet Chun
Clifton Ko
Starring Chow Yun-fat
Leslie Cheung
Cherie Chung
Kenneth Tsang
Music by Lam Manyee
Cinematography Poon Hang-sang
William Yim
Edited by David Wu
Production
company
Distributed by Golden Princess Amusement
Release dates
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  • 2 February 1991 (1991-02-02) (Hong Kong)
  • 14 January 1994 (1994-01-14) (US)
Running time
 103 minutes
Country Hong Kong
Language Cantonese
English
French

Once a Thief (Chinese: 縱橫四海; pinyin: Zong heng si hai; Literal Title: Criss-Cross Over Four Seas) is a 1991 Hong Kong crime film written and directed by John Woo, starring Chow Yun-fat, Leslie Cheung, Cherie Chung, Kenneth Tsang, and Paul Chu. The film was released in the Hong Kong on 2 February 1991.

Plot

The story is about three orphans and their two father figures. They are taken in by both a wealthy crime boss which leads to their close friendship, and a kind police officer. Nevertheless, the trio grows up learning high-tech methods of theft and specialize in stealing treasured paintings. After a heist in France goes awry, Red Bean Pudding is thought to be dead and James takes his place as Red Bean's lover. However, Pudding returns in a wheelchair, and the group begins planning their next heist for themselves, fall out of favor with Chow, and various complications and gun battles ensue.

Cast

Release

The film grossed $33,397,149 HKD in Hong Kong.[citation needed]

Columbia Tri-Star released it on DVD in the United States on 22 April 2003. It included no special features beyond trailers.[1] On 27 December 2004, Hong Kong Legends released a DVD in the United Kingdom.[2] Eight months later, on 5 September 2005, the "John Woo Collection", a 4 disc DVD set, was released. It includes the two action films Bullet in the Head and The Killer.

Reception

Scott Tobias of The A.V. Club wrote that Woo's style makes up for the film's implausibility and lack of logic.[3] Kevin Lee DVD Verdict wrote that the film has "a lack of focus and an uneven tone".[4] Chris Gould of DVDactive.com rated the film 5/10 and wrote that that there was too much slapstick.[2] J. Doyle Wallis of DVD Talk rated it 2.5/5 stars and called it "an odd and annoyingly silly entry during [John Woo's] most creative period."[1]

See also

References

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External links

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