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 ... more »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« less
"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."
John Woo does it again!
04/15/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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."
When will they release the whole series on DVD?
Melanie | Northern California | 05/07/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"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!"
Actually, pretty good
C While | Scotland | 09/19/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Okay, so it's not the usual JW fare. On the other hand, it IS a fun, light action-comedy with aesthetic leads and some good lines. Heat and tension run throughout, as do enough stunts to keep me interested. I totally enjoyed it, and came back for more. It won't provide DVD-esque blood splattering over the screen, but then, if that's all you're after, why bother reading this far?"
Witty and Fun
kholiette | Egypt | 03/18/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Once a thief are great entertainment the screen play and all the exagerations are so funny. If you love great action then it is a must own"