Customer Reviews

Running Out of Time [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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

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.

Andy Lau is 'Wah Cheung' is afraid of nothing. He's not afraid to be arrested nor play his dangerous cat and mouse game with Inspector Ho Sheung-Sang [Sean Lau]
Reason being Cheung is given only 4 weeks to live, but before he dies he vows revenge for his father Peter Cheung.
Cheung robs a diamond trading company arousing the attention of Sang from there it is a cat and mouse chase game but who will the winner be?
Cheung is a master of disguise one moment he can be a young handsome man, the next an elderly gentleman, then somebody else.
How will sand be able to pin down and arrest Cheung? But then again what will the inevitable be when Sang finally realises the serious illness of Cheung?

This story unlike any other cat and mouse themed story has 3 sides to it, the thriller, the action and the touching emotional side.
Andy Lau is once again fantastic along Sean Lau. The two of them worked so well together to make this a truly enjoyable movie.
The music in itself will touch the audience as it lets you feel what the characters are going through within the movie.
Go out and rent or buy this film. It is well worth the money and you will have a great experience whilst watching it

Johnny To , Lau Ching Wan, and Andy Lau did an excellent job.

Inspector Ho( Lau Ching Wan) is a police negotiator who's playing cat-and-mouse with the thief Cheung( Andy Lau). Cheung robs a hong kong high rise, but the reason why is unclear.
As Ho begins to investigate, the audience gets to know lil better too, but not too much. Cheung is doing this because his dying day is near, and he's using the time he got left to avenge for his father....

Sure, there are some plot holes, but how many HK movies can you point out with no plot holes??? especially genre like this?
however, Andy did an awesome job at playing the role of Cheung.
The style, pacing, actiong, and direction is simply great.

Andy won best actor for 19th annual Hong Kong film awards.

Running Out of Time is probably as close to a perfect film as you're ever likely to see out of Hong Kong. All the elements click: a terrific script (by French writers Julien Carbon and Laurent Courtiaud) that even manages to subvert the odd clich?, reliably imaginative direction by Johnnie To, and excellent central performances by Andy Lau and Lau Ching Wan, the latter displaying his great comic timing to wonderful effect without ever crossing the line into parody (especially in his exasperated reactions to his superior's abysmal negotiating skills). The supporting cast is fine too, with Yo Yo Mung making a strong impression in a tiny role, and even the often histrionic Waise Lee (looking remarkably, and very aptly, like a bald Andy Lau) reining it in to good effect. It's best not to know too much about the plot going in beyond the basic set-up - with only a few weeks to live, Lau engages in a criminal game with Wan's cop with no easily apparent motive - and just sit back and enjoy the ride: it's certainly worth the fare. It also has one of the most perfect love stories in recent movies, and played in a mere three scenes (the second bus ride is one of the most magical moments of filmmaking I've seen in ages). There's also a fine score by Raymond Wong as well. The most fun playing cat and mouse at the movies in years.

i am a huge fan of HK flicks. i love them all:...martial arts, quirky romance, and most of all heart-wrenching dramas. this film lived up to and surpassed my expectations. Andy Lau is a tremendous actor as is Lau Ching Wan. these two bounce and feed off each other beautifully in this cat-and-mouse movie. both use one another for personal gain yet when things get intense they are there to help the other out. i was just amazed when i finished watching it. this is definitely one to add to any person's movie collection, whether you are die-hard HK or not. subtitles shouldn't scare you away. trust me and see this movie.

Johnny To has got to be up there as one of my favourite producer/ directors- and this movie does not disappoint
Although its not one of the most realistic movies, it is quite enjoyable if you can open your mind and pretend its all possible :)

Its the story of a man, played by Andy Lau, who has *cough cough* only weeks to live due to some unspecified disease. As a result he goes on a rampage to make the most of his short term existence.

The highlights of the movie would probably be the cinematography, first and foremost... the movie does have an interest mood. Second would probably be the rhad chick who isnt some helpless annoying chick like in most asian movies and thirdly the fact that this movie doesnt distract itself too much from the main plot.

Take that last statement how you wish. Dont expect a Wong Kar Wai movie here with a million sub-plots.
This is just a straight forward action flick.

I find it hard to relate to the characters in this movie.
And i believe its the mood which makes this one a cut above average.

I was really impressed with this movie, the first by Johnny To I have seen. The lead characters are great and the movie has a top notch plot for cop and robber films. Though Andy Lau's character only has a few days left to live and is constantly spitting up blood, the movie is light hearted to the very end. I don't believe I have ever seen a film this action packed and suspensful without a single person being killed throughout. Even at the end, you have to wonder whether Lau's character is really going to die. Lau and Lau Ching Wan (the cop) are cool and collected the entire movie and work well on screen together. Even if you don't like subtitles, give this a shot... I think you'll like it.

The sound quality is below average, but the score was pretty good. The english subtitles were poorly translated but added to the entertainment.

This movie proves that to make a suspenseful thriller does not necessarily require a big budget and lots of explosions. The action is centered around a "72-hour game" between Andy Lau, playing a criminal with 4 weeks to live, and Lau Ching-Wan, taking the role of a crack police negotiator. The action cinematography is as thrilling as the interplay between Andy Lau and Lau Ching-Wan is entertaining.

The picture and sound quality of the DVD version are about average, although I was somewhat disappointed that the Cantonese track is not quite up to par with the Mandarin track. For non-Chinese speakers, there are several subtitle languages available, including English, Thai, as well as traditional and simplified Chinese characters.

Overall, this is well-done, fun film, and you definitely don't have to be a Hong Kong cinema buff to enjoy this one!