User reviews

I used to watch this show on TV back in the late '90s, and I have to say I didn't remember much else than cute Sandrine Holt. I've tried to watch whatever I can get hold of starring Ms. Holt (and yeah, I have Rapa Nui, thanks for asking!), but it seems that the only way to get a regular dose of her is to watch Once A Thief. So I recently bought two DVDs, each containing two episodes of the show (ep. 11 and 12, and the two final episodes) - and the quality of the series surprised me. It was not only much better than I remember, but also much better than I dared expect.

It's a comedy show, more than anything else. It's filled with funny details and outrageous characters, and yes, hilarious one-liners ("You got friends? Get rid of 'em!"). For instance, apart from dignified Sandrine, just about every woman on the show is a total nympho. I know, it's sexist and chauvinist and gratuitous (and thus won't be for everyone), but for the less squeamish it's also damn entertaining. Episodes 11 and 12 introduce Victoria Pratt, and she... I mean, get a load of her thigh muscles, for Christ's sake! I'm at a loss for words here. If you like buffed-up, super-athletic women, she is HOT. And she becomes a regular. These guys know how to put together a show!! Too bad the show didn't last longer, and too bad it doesn't seem to be completely out on DVD. Somebody better remedy that, and soon. This is campy cult material par excellence!

8 out of 10.

Seemingly based on an earlier American TV show called "It Takes A Thief" that ran in the late 1960's starring Robert Wagner-this shows premise is different and plays more like a weirded out version of the British show "The Avengers." This show also uses a lot of odd camera angles and darkened shots. The plot lines vary a lot from good to just out and out wacky. I think too many mediocre scripts was a thing that worked against the show being renewed for another season. Shot in Vancouver BC-but you never really felt like it was shot in Canada somehow. Many Canadian shows these days don't show a lot of whats really in Canada-like they never ever show rickshaw drivers when filming something in Toronto-and you never hear mention of anything First Nations on most Canadian drama shows these days even though First Nations are a very visible part of the population in much of Canada. I think this show had too many shortcomings-in fact I think many Canadian TV shows are often too much of "lets play pretend" as if Canada had nothing to offer when it does have things to offer-but it also has some fairly morally ambiguous things-like rickshaw's which are basically the very definition of arduous slave labor. In an era that disapproves of slavery. Also Odd: the Canadian CBC will not not put out the once popular Canadian TV show "The Beachcombers" onto DVD. I find that completely weird-like someone today doesn't want anyone First Nations depicted as a normal part of a Canadian community- since when did Canada turn back the clock to 1865? Jennifer Dale's character on this show seems to continued on into the show Nikita that started in 1997 after this show ended.

I love this series! Based on the trio antics of the movie by John Woo, this is a Canadian produced action comedy series. Li Ann and Mac try to get out of the Hong Kong Triad, Vic is set up by his dirty cop colleagues. Li Ann and Mac are separated, Mac ends up in jail, where he's approached by a slick high status woman with a proposal; come and work for her secret agency or rot in jail. Li Ann and Vic have gone the same route as Mac does, accepting the offer, and the three are put together as a team, with the woman, The Director, as a puppet master and boss. Cue adventures and intrigue.

It's a series driven by great actor chemistry, one-liners, timing, and the occasional hey-let's-do-martial-arts stuffing. My tastes exactly. A little cliché at first, perhaps, but some episodes are freakishly good. Ivan Sergei and Nick Lea work great together (how great? ask any slasher out there), Jennifer Dale is my GOD, the weird Agency that's always empty of people, camera and lighting, there's so much to love! And only one season's worth of episodes. *sobs*

On contrary to the previous comment, I think that this series is brilliant. It's fast, interesting and appealing. The writing is funny and cleverly bizarre... it is just simply clever. The action sequences are directed perfectly. But you don't have to be an action lover to be captured by John Woo's "Once A Thief", because it has so many more elements that make this show one of the best in television, and one I definitely recommend to TV lovers out there.

But only by the fact that it is rated so high here. OK, so actually only a few people voted (to this point not even 50), but still that alone doesn't explain why it has that high a rating ...

A TV movie was made that John Woo directed (see under movie connections), after that he only produced the TV Show or just lend his name for it (I have to admit that I don't know which, but it doesn't make a difference) ... Which explains the downfall! Although the TV directors who took over tried to contain or even embrace the style that John Woo is known for, it always looked phony ... The stories weren't that good, the direction was just a poor rip-off and the acting was bad too ... To make things worse, this is a series that had to meet certain standards (let's call it kid-friendly), which just doesn't mix up with the action it tried to deliver ...

The short- lived and not very good show, that along with the downright awful movie: Vertical Limit, kept Nicholas Lea too busy to appear more on The X-files as my all time favorite villain: Alex Krycek. Now I dont blame Lea for taking more steady work, as Krycek was only a supporting character, appearing in two or three episodes of The X-files per year. But I would have loved to have seen more episodes with Krycek.

As for Once A Thief: its really dumb, the actionscenes (despite the show, being created by John Woo) comes off as cheap. No blood squibs , when someone is "hit"(this was back when tv shows were still innocent and bloodless. And lots of slow motion and things being shattered by bullets. And of course lots of badly choreographed fist fights with over the top punching sound effects. Now I know all of this was fully intended, as its meant to be comedy, but it wasnt even funny. Its filled with weird annoying characters, played by mostly unknown canadian actors (not counting Lea's character) which for the most part hasnt been in anything else since.

I only watched the whole season, because of Lea. He is good in the show and his character is well written, but the character deserved a better show. Sandrine Holt and Ivan Sergej, were also good. Jennifer Dale was really good as the director. But the show was not.

I cant really recommend this show, except to fans of one or all three of the leads.

John Woo's Once a Thief is one of the most interesting television which I have the pleasure of watching again and again. With a thick La Femme Nikita-like story-line and John Woo's unparalleled action scenes, Once a Thief is an action-comedy you do not want to miss.

Once a Thief focuses on the lives of three people, each with his/her own deep background, that unwillingly become secret agents and pawns of an almost maniacal woman - the director of a shaddowy government agency.

The movie is, in short, a work of art.

Both elements of seriousness and humor are portrayed seamlessly and stylishly. Each episode is an independent part of a large collection that, when complete, is a master piece.

I was surprised by this program, it turned up late night here and I found myself staying up late to watch it, and I'm glad I did.

The acting is ok, and in general it is a very slick show, with plenty happening to keep you interested, and of course with John Woo producing it you know the action is always going to be great.

A sad case of a series being created to cash in on a name. John Woo had very little to do with "John Woo's Once A Thief"; he certainly didn't direct any of the episodes. Consequently, the action sequences one might expect from a John Woo project were lacking -- which is actually no surprise considering the constraints of a television shooting schedule. However, it was the writing of the show that was the real villain. Viewers got treated to the worst features of lowbrow action flicks (shallow characters, absurd dialogue, implausible situations, leaden pacing), and none of the compensatory strengths (a sense of humour about it all).

Towards the end of the series, the writing got a little better, and a couple of episodes were almost passably entertaining in a campy sort of way. But it was too little, too late, and the series mercifully came to an end after 22 episodes.

This series didn't have even three original episodes. Everything was taken from something else, which explains in part why it failed so badly. Putting John Woo's name on the show didn't help -- especially when anyone who knew his style could tell he had nothing to do with it.

Canadian series' are typically low-budget, low-viewership dives, but "John Woo's Once a Thief" had potential. The two starring cast members, Ivan Sergei and Sandrine Holt, are both semi-talented individuals with a history of stealing the screen. Unfortunately, the non-existent plots and ridiculous story lines and dialogue helped kill this series pretty early. Supporting actors Nicholas Lea and Jennifer Dale both deserved better than filler time, and supporting cast member Vicky Pratt certainly deserved a spot in the opening credits, since her character was not only more interesting than BOTH the stars, she, unlike Lea and Dale, was given a storyline.

Anyone thinking of starting a series in Canada should take note of OAT's ending. This show was so low-rated, it barely finished the year intact. Only a few fervent Nicholas Lea fans (which is precisely why they hired him for the show), who followed him from FOX's soap "The X Files", managed to keep this show on the air long enough to finish the season.

The movie is slow, and the writing, acting, and even directing are lame.

I fast-forwarded through most of the DVD. The only cool part is the "twisted leather freak." She's a babe!!