Product Details

• Actors: Sandrine Holt, Ivan Sergei, Nicholas Lea, Jennifer Dale, Howard Dell
• Writers: Glenn Davis, William Laurin
• Producers: Glenn Davis, John Woo, Larry Lalonde, Terence Chang, Wendy Grean
• Format: Color, EP, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Allumination Filmwor
• VHS Release Date: July 28, 1998
• Run Time: 97 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1575233452
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #540,220 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

John Woo directed this surprisingly lighthearted caper tale for TV as a pilot for a series that never materialized. The forgettable leads--Ivan Sergei, Sandrine Holt, and Michael Wong--play adoptive siblings who have been trained by their father, a Hong Kong crime lord, to be master thieves. Then circumstances pit Holt and Sergei against Wong; the two of them have been co-opted as undercover cops, tracking his big score. The movie doesn't amount to much, but Woo comes through with a couple of terrific, imaginative (and funny) action sequences, including one particularly inventive one that has them literally hanging from the chandeliers. Even Woo diehards may have a hard time swallowing the smirky, callow Sergei as a romantic action lead. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Actor/Story review, April 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Once a Thief [VHS] (VHS Tape)

John Woo's Once A Thief was made as a Television movie but succedes as a feature film. With BRILLIANT performances from the main cast, Once A Thief is a treat for action fans and for John Woo fans alike. It has all you would expect from a Woo film and more. I would like to Mention the outstanding performance of Nicholas Lea as Victor Mansfield(He should win an emmy)and Micheal Wong as one of the Tang Family. Thier Performances as well as the action make John Woo's Once A Thief a must see for all the family.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars John Woo does it again!, April 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Once a Thief [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I personally *loved* this movie. It combines thrilling adventure with romance and a ton of comedy. There's just something about two grown men swinging from a chandalear that makes me laugh. Ivan Sergei is hilarious, and as a Nick Lea fan I absolutely loved it! No wonder it was made into a tv series! The tape quality was lacking, but I was thoroughly satisfied.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars When will they release the whole series on DVD?, May 6, 2004

By 

Melanie "melanie95973" (Northern California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Once a Thief (DVD)

They SO need to release the whole TV series on DVD. Hurry up John Woo some of us were disappointed that the series got cancelled!