Product Details

• Actors: Andy Lau, Ching Wan Lau, YoYo Mung, Waise Lee, Shiu Hung Hui
• Directors: Johnnie To
• Writers: Julien Carbon, Laurent Courtiaud, Nai-Hoi Yau
• Producers: Johnnie To, Catherine Chan, Christina Lee Storm, Tiffany Chen
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: Cantonese (Dolby Digital 5.1), Mandarin Chinese (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: All Regions
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Tai Seng
• DVD Release Date: April 25, 2000
• Run Time: 93 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6305821461
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #200,333 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Running Out of Time" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Johnny To, whose cool, precise gangster thriller The Mission is one of the best Hong Kong films since the Chinese takeover, brings a stylish flair to Running Out of Time, an absurdly plotted but compelling cat-and-mouse crime drama that became a box-office smash in Hong Kong. Criminal genius Wah (pop star Andy Lau) is given only a few weeks to live by his doctor, so he embarks on an elaborate heist and strings along hostage negotiator and unconventional supercop Sang (Lau Ching Wan) as part of the fun. "I just want to play a game with you for 72 hours," Wah confesses. "Great," responds Sang's blustery boss, "it's lunatic against lunatic." The elaborate scheme has something to do with a bald badass mobster (an almost unrecognizable Waise Lee, of John Woo's Bullet in the Head and A Better Tomorrow), a priceless gem, and a debt of honor. There's a hint of Woo's warrior bonding as cop and crook develop a respectful adversarial friendship in their running battle of wits: "If you can get me to the police station, you win." It all hinges on some far-fetched twists and the Hong Kong cops are little more than buffoons for most of the film, but To's steely seriousness, sleek style, and runaway pacing keep the film flying through most of the improbabilities. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep RUNNING, December 30, 2003

By 

Edward Lee "Trekscribbler (NCC1205)" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Running Out of Time (DVD)

There's something to said for this tightly-woven Hong Kong action thriller because RUNNING OUT OF TIME tries very hard to combine the traditional buddy picture with one pinch of "The Sting" and a hint of "Tootsie" thrown in for unexpected laughs.

What makes TIME tick is the slickness of the characters: Wah only has a few weeks to live, suffering from a form of incurable cancer, and he finds himself paired with police negotiator Sang in his final act toward redemption. Redemption, however, already has its price tag on it, as Wah's condition quickly deteriorates, and he must rely on an unlikely friendship with Sang to help make end-meet-end before meeting his Maker.

These two actors make the picture work, despite some clunky dialogue (especially clunky in the English-dubbed version, so be warned). Their chemistry onscreen elevates TIME to higher levels of interest for the viewer as you don't know who to root for here: the cop being hustled by the shylock, or the shylock living out his last few days trying to mend life's wrongs.

Regardless of whom you root for, RUNNING OUT OF TIME is a great achievement -- a welcome twist to the cop/crook formula -- that gives you some wonderfully unexpected laughs as the story unfolds.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great movie, but BEWARE, AUDIO IS IN MONO, September 23, 2006

By 

Austin (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Running Out of Time (DVD)

the movie is great....not quite infernal affairs, but it's still good. however, i just bought the "special edition" (nothing really special about it) and it does have a cantonese, mandarian, and english track. along with the commentary track that's listed in amazon. however the audio is NOT in 5.1. each audio track is presented in glorious MONO!! The video transfer is not clean and the mono track isn't even clear. Try to stay clear of this DVD, i am sure there is a dvd of this movie out there that is better. This is the "special edition" released by tai seng. bar code on the back of the dvd is 01643 85624

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Playful HK Thriller, May 4, 2000

By 

Debbie Tam "gabrielsmom" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Running Out of Time (DVD)

Dying thief Andy Lau plays a cat-and-mouse game with both crisis cop Lau Ching-Wan and a crime boss (a bald Waise Lee). While not as sharp as "The Longest Night" or perfect as "The Mission," Johnnie To has directed another fine film.Even though Andy Lau's character is dying, the movie's spirit is playful, for the most part. Lau Ching-Wan is his usual sturdy self, a cop who is brighter than his superiors and doesn't have patience for idiots. He and Lau are well matched. The film only suffers in comparison with To's other recent efforts. Recommended.