Caught in Time, originally known as Chu bao, is a vibrant action-thriller from Hong Kong and China. Partially based upon true events, this dynamic film tells the story of ambitious Detective Zhong Cheng who tracks down a ruthless, organized and experienced group of robbers led by charismatic gangster Zhang Sun. The cat-and-mouse game takes place in Hong Kong in the early nineties and concludes with an intense fight between protagonist and antagonist in a bathhouse.
This movie convinces on many levels. First of all, it has a perfect length of ninety-five minutes. This film has vibrant pace and manages to entertain from start to finish. There are no unnecessary cutscenes or even one single second of boredom. The flow of this movie rivals with the greatest Hong Kong action movies from the eighties and nineties.
Up next, the special effects are quite spectacular. The brutal crimes showcased here, the breathtaking car chases through narrow alleys and the intense shootouts and explosions deliver the goods and keep viewers on the edges of their seats from start to finish. The final showdown is this film's satisfactory highlight and ends a great film on an excellent note.
The characters are also quite intriguing. The antagonist is quite charismatic and experienced and has an interesting back story and family background. The protagonist gets more convincing with every single scene and his resilient determination to arrest the antagonist is truly inspiring.
Even though the story might not be surprising and certainly lacks a few twists here and there, Caught in Time offers so much substance in terms of pace, effects and characters that it has to go down as one of the greatest contemporary action movies from Hong Kong. Genre fans should certainly give this entertaining film a try even though it features a cast that is known to veteran genre experts but doesn't come around with any big names like Andy Lau or Donnie Yen.
