Once a Thief (’96)
When John Woo came to the United States, he not only worked in features, but television, as well. Most of that work ended up on Canadian TV, with his main offering being based on his 1991 Hong Kong caper, “Once a Thief.” Three films, and a short-lived TV series, came from that. This was the first film that kicked it off; I haven’t seen any of the other projects in this, er, franchise.
We begin in Hong Kong, and Mac (Ivan Sergei) and Li Ann (Sandrine Holt) are dancing in a competition. Meanwhile, Michael Tang (Michael Wong) is stealing something off of the computer. Through circumstance, they get caught, but manage to escape. Not long after, Mac tries to steal something from the bosses of the Tang crime family so he and Li Ann can go away together, but it goes wrong, and Mac goes to prison. Cut to 18 months later, and Mac is released into the custody of a mysterious woman (Jennifer Dale) who has a proposition: In order to earn his freedom, Mac works with her and her team, which includes a former cop (Victor, played by Nicholas Lea from “The X-Files”) and Li Ann. Their target? The Tang family.
It’s not just the reduced budget, and natural confines of TV, that make this inferior to its cinematic counterpart. Gone is much of Woo’s trademark visual style and dynamic set pieces. Gone is any sense of logical storytelling, or the sly balance of comedy and action in the 1991 film. Gone is any charisma from the main characters, and genuine ability in the performances. (Chow Yun-Fat is sorely missed in this. Lea is the closest to being a charismatic performer in this cast.) If it were not for Woo’s name attached as director (and he and his partners producing), this would not be worth mentioning in any capacity, even though it has a gloriously ridiculous painting heist that sets the third act in motion that is worth seeing for how embarrassing it is to think that Woo put it on screen.
Is there anything good to be said about this film at all? Well, it sets up what might have been a fun concept for a TV series…if Woo could have gotten a stronger cast, and had been able to have some freedom to really bring some of his cinematic talents to the small screen.
