Expect the Unexpected

Personally when it comes to Johnnie To's early crime movies I find Ching Wan Lau character in "The Longest Nite" and "Running Out of Time" much more artfully crafted and intriguing. Similarly I favor Simon Yam in To's "The Mission" and "Fulltime Killer". I didn't fully accept the chemistry between Yam and Lau in this feature, which granted it is sufficient to deliver the plot, but in my opinion it just never reached the competitive potential it could have been. Regardless of where this movie ranks on To's overall filmography, it is still worth a watch as the tension is fierce and keeps the audience interested from start to finish.

It's a heist movie, and with a title like "Expect the Unexpected" it's going to have some twists. Good news, the twists do deliver. I won't mention any details about the plot because the synopsis is unbelievably simple as are the synopses for most of To's films, but the director's execution and his ability to gain strong feedback from the actors makes the viewing experience worthwhile. It does have some serious flaws though, my biggest complaint besides the chemistry between the two male leads are the amount of tonal shifts present. A romance subplot is thrown in, and the action scenes meshed with the romantic scenes don't blend very well. The movie takes the viewer through an unnecessary emotional roller coaster due to this romance subplot, and I feel it could have been handled in a more subtle manner, but that's always easier to say looking back in hindsight. -6/10

Johnnie To once again does an excellent job delivering a solid crime thriller which is still enjoyable to watch 15 years later. Didn't care for the premise but other fans might. Once again also from 1998 and by Johnnie To, I prefer "The Longest Nite" with Tony Leung and Ching Wan Lau, as I find this thriller haunting and much more effective with its twists. If you enjoy Expect the Unexpected definitely give the other a watch as they go hand in hand, and may To continue to do what he does best in the coming years. Thanks for reading.

This flick starts off as a typical Hong Kong cop movie, with a dream team of post-unification stars as the good guys: Patrick Yau (who also directs), Lau Ching-Wan and Eric Tsang. There are all the staples -- nasty villains, a beautiful love interest, lots of gats blazing. But you know what? The predictable plot falls apart and leaves you agape, wondering what will happen next -- and the ending... well, I'll let you see the end for yourself.

Unfortunately, as it is in many Asian crime films - and not only crime - you have here a mix-up between action, romance, comedy - light hearted touches that have nothing to do here - and tragedy. So, in a way, you have some unexpected moments, especially in the second and last parts. The overall result after watching is though above average. I saw many of those crime action flicks from the Far East and I belong to those audiences for whom it is agreeable, this melt of emotion annd action; a trademark, I guess, for this kind of stuff. But it remains a culture very different from ours. Bollywood - Indian film industry - also gave us somme neraly similar crime films: tough and fun, cheesy and brutal, poignant and lousy. Terrific ending, in the line of Abel Ferrarra's KING OF NEW YORK.

I was totally taken off guard by the end of this movie, and several of the twists in the middle. At the same time, it all made perfect sense, it wasn't absurdist or anything. On the contrary, it was a very gritty. The action was of the kind of action that made you glad you really never get in gun fights. The romance was kind of silly, but I like Hong Kong romance humor. This wasn't the best movie I've ever seen, but if you're in the mood for some crime, this is a pretty good bet.

Expect The Unexpected is one of those Hong Kong films that

switches from lightweight romantic scenes to hard-boiled details

(like the dead baby in the washing machine), then back to more

upbeat scenes. This kind of thing just isn't done in Western pics

and can be disconcerting to viewers used to one kind of story or

the other. The romantic interludes are accompanied by an amiable score

from Cacine Wong, which suits the atmosphere of those scenes. But where the film scores highly is with the series the gritty street

shoot-outs that are well-done and vicious. Parts of this film just ramble along, with conversational sequences

that are just not needed, but Yam & Ching Wan are good, and the

ending really is unexpected. Uneven but watchable.