Xia dao lian meng

Overall story is a bit mediocre for my taste, I've seen the concept of the high class super thief before, which is fine, but Andy Lau brings nothing new to the formula. Well, except for being Andy Lau who I'm just staring to discover and really like. He's starred in better Asian cinema, however, Like another film he released this year, Shock wave which was impressive.

The formula has been done. Andy Lau plays an amazing thief, who wants to retire but first he goes after the holy grail of his career while a French police officer hunts him down like he's his Moby Dick.

Although if you are really into heist movies  no doubt this will get you going, but Despite how much I'm liking Andy Lau these days (The whole reason I went to see the movie), his performance or anyone else in the movie did not spark any interest for me.

This movie could have been better. Jean Reno and Andy Lau play good roles, but the rest of the cast and acting was just so-so. Some great location vistas and a lot of good action. But the writing was stale and in some cases way too obvious. Some of the dialogue and plot build up was too predictable. The high-tech gadgetry tried to be Bond-like or MI-like, but it was too contrived in parts. Overall, not a bad movie, but a bit stale, predictable with an otherwise competent cast and plot.

This is not really a review, it should be taken more as a collection of impressions of the film.

Sufficient action movie that manages to entertain even if it has a really trivial plot and an ending that fails to adequately close the film, that is, it manages to close the main story and some secondary ones but leaves one of the main secondary stories hanging without any sense . So the film as a plot is really trivial but as an unpretentious action film it does well and entertains which in the end is its job since this film clearly wants to be just mere entertainment without the slightest effort.

I was pretty excited to see Stephen Fung's latest adventure flick, and on a recent trip to Hong Kong, managed to pick it up on DVD. A loose remake of John Woo's classic Chow Yun Fat vehicle, Once A Thief, the film definitely has more likeness to the later Mission Impossible films and other light hearted Hollywood blockbusters such as Knight And Day (2010) and Oceans Eleven (2001). There's even shades of 2002's The Transporter throughout - which is ironic given that starlet, Shu Qi, starred in that also...

The opening 10 minutes takes us from Andy Lau's release from a French prison - where cop Jean Reno (who is looking very rough) warns him that he will be keeping an eye on him - to the Czech Repubic, where Lau has already arranged with his team, their next big heist. That just happens to be in the beautiful Grand Pupp Hotel in Karlovy Vary, although renamed the Grand Hotel Cannes for the film. I had the pleasure of a special birthday lunch with my husband in this stunning hotel a few years back - and just weeks before this production got there, unfortunately!

With no less than 6 writers credited to the film, I have to say it would be the script that is the bigger let down of The Adventurers. Its not dreadful - but it certainly lacks any creativity or excitement one would expect with so many writers involved. Then again, too many cooks and all that.

The cast is pretty good though with the never-aging Andy Lau and Shu Qi being as great as always. Zhang Jing Chu (Rush Hour 3, Seven Swords) who also starred with Lau in Protege (2007) is fantastic as his old love interest and partner to cop Reno, and the addition of Eric Tsang adds even more star-power. To be honest, I don't think I need to complain about any of the talent involved...

As much as there is a few nods to the classic Once A Thief, The Adventurers is more James Bond than John Woo with plenty of hi-tec gadgets and stunt work that is impressive at times, and often is accompanied by a Bond-esque score or humorous moment. While the action itself can be big and certainly challenges its Hollywood counterparts, it does lack the hand-to-hand combat one would expect from a Hong Kong movie like this, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

A light-hearted, action-adventure, this is about as mainstream as Fung could get, delivering a Hollywood-style Hong Kong movie with international appeal. The European setting is stunning, and cinematography from Shane Hurlbut (more known for his work on 80's and early 90's music videos) makes it a joy to look at.

The Adventurers is far from perfect, but for anyone looking to escape and enjoy a decent popcorn movie, then it'll do the job!

Overall: Stunningly shot and fun, yet at times flat, The Adventurers isn't as bad as the critics say but offers little originality...

The Adventurers is a Hong Kong action-thriller by experienced director Stephen Fung who had been responsible for movies such as Tai Chi Zero in the past. Starring Hong Kong star veteran Andy Lau as lead actor, Taiwan's Qi Shu as lead actress and French star Jean Reno as leading supporting character, the film tells the story of a thief who got betrayed by an unknown opponent while trying to steal one out of three valuable pieces of jewelry that form an incredibly valuable necklace. After spending five years in prison, the thief wants to complete his mission by stealing the three pieces of jewelry and uncovering those who betrayed him five years earlier. The skilled thief teams up with two youngsters and his former boss but can't be sure whom to trust, must face a determined French cop and has to deal with his former girlfriend who wants him to settle down.

The Adventurers convinces with an intriguing story with a few twists and turns in the last third that keep you hooked until the very end.

The numerous star actors deliver the goods. Andy Lau convinces as skilled thief who looks balanced on the outside but feels tormented inside. Qi Shu impresses as expressive and quirky thief who easily seduces men to take advantage of them. Jean Reno is great as haunted police officer who has his very own reasons to try to bring the thief down.

The film also intrigues with numerous charming locations around Cannes in France and Prague in Czech Republic. The thieves have to rob out a French auction house, a Chinese star actress and a Czech castle in the forest.

The movie convinces with tense situations where the thieves have to deal with unexpected opponents and difficult security systems leading to intense car chases and dramatic standoffs. They have to use technology, talent and intellect to solve numerous challenging problems.

The camera work is enjoyably calm for a contemporary action-thriller. Instead of focusing on shaky cameras for a more immersve experience, the director opted for precise shots that point out the thieves' cleverness which was the right decision.

There are only a few minor elements that kept this film away from being more than a good movie. First of all, the story of the film is partially inspired by John Woo's Killer Target. Some sources call this film a remake but I wouldn't go that far. Still, the resemblances are at times obvious. I always prefer original movies with new scripts over films copying or honoring classics.

Secondly, as so many Hong Kong action flicks, this movie also tries to include a few slapstick elements. However, these elements are quite wooden here and only distract from the interesting characters, locations and plot. It also takes away from the thieves' credibility when they are joking around on their extremely dangerous missions.

Thirdly, this film really didn't need any stereotypical love stories but includes two rather shallow examples of it. First of all, the relation between the veteran thief and his former girlfriend is predictable and shallow and doesn't add much to the movie. The script could have cut out and re-written these passages for a more vivid pace without too many unnecessary flashbacks. However, the second love story is even less intriguing and also adds some unwelcome slapstick elements to the film. The younger male thief constantly tries to impress the younger female thief and behaves like an inexperienced teenager while his arrogant love interest rejects his attempts in an overtly cool and dramatic way. Their relationship doesn't add anything to the story and even makes the characters less credible because personal and professional interests shoulnd't interfere when you're trying to raid a higly secured castle in the middle of nowhere.

Still, The Adventurers is an entertaining action-thriller with an intelligent plot, very solid acting performances, beautiful locations and costumes, interesting and challenging situations and smooth camera work. Despite a few flaws such as references to another movie, slapstick elements and shallow love stories, The Adventurers will entertain you from start to finish.