Movie · 1991 · Action, Comedy, Thriller, Crime · 1h 49m · R · CN
Curator score: 4.4/10 (16.3K ratings)
They only stop to reload.
Overview
Three orphans grow up to become art thieves under the tutelage of a crime boss. Romance complicates matters when the trio are double-crossed.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.4/10
IMDb: 6.7/10
Letterboxd: 3.41/5
TMDB: 6.9/10
Director
John Woo
Production
Golden Princess Film Productions, John Woo Film Production, Milestone Pictures
Cast
Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung, Cherie Chung Cho-Hung, Paul Chu Kong, Kenneth Tsang, Woo Fung, Pierre Yves Burton, John Tang Yat-Kwan, Tong Ka-Fai, Leila Tong, David Wu, John Woo, Phillip Kwok Chui, Jack Wong, Dave Lam Ching
Curator Review
Verdict
A breezy, uneven Hong Kong caper that works best as a showcase for John Woo’s playful side: romantic triangle, art-heist antics, and wildly overcooked action set pieces. It’s not as tonally seamless as his classics, but the chemistry, style, and sheer invention make it an easy recommendation for action fans and Woo completists.
Best for
John Woo fans
Hong Kong action-comedy viewers
Heist movie enthusiasts
Fans of romantic triangles in crime films
Viewers who like stylized, balletic action
Skip if
You want a tightly plotted thriller
You dislike broad comedy mixed with melodrama
You prefer grounded action over cartoonish set pieces
You’re looking for Woo at his darkest or most operatic
Overview
Once a Thief feels like John Woo taking a playful detour: part caper, part romance, part action showcase. The setup is pure pulp, but the movie’s real appeal is the chemistry between its three leads and the way Woo turns theft, pursuit, and betrayal into a series of gleefully excessive set pieces.
Worth noting
It’s not as disciplined as his best-known work, and the tonal shifts can be a little lurchy. The comedy is broad, the melodrama is earnest, and the action often arrives with a wink, but that looseness is also part of the charm.
Bottom line
What lingers is the sense of a filmmaker stretching his signature style into lighter, more European-flavored territory. If you’re in the mood for a stylish, romantic, slightly chaotic crime movie with memorable stunt work, this is a fun one.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Lou (rhymes with wow!) (4★) · 135 likes
Whoa, I never knew that John Woo had made an European movie before he headed out to the U.S. (more than half of this heist comedy takes place in France). Once a Thief might not be as tight tonally as Woo's best work, but it is still a blast from start to finish. Chow Yun-Fat, Leslie Cheung and Cherie Chung have excellent chemistry together and the action scenes are beyond ludicrous.
I loved it!
Josh Lewis (3★) · 131 likes
didn't really get on the wavelength of some of the broad comedy & melodrama here, at least not as much as i usually do with woo, but it was all worth it for the setpieces. there's the amazing downhill car/bike chase, a security laser heist sequence which appears to have inspired soderbergh, the final shootout sequence which is filled with insane camara movement and detail for such goofy choreography (the fire basketball, card throwing, etc) but i was especially fond of… more didn't really get on the wavelength of some of the broad comedy & melodrama here, at least not as much as i usually do with woo, but it was all worth it for the setpieces. there's the amazing downhill car/bike chase, a security laser heist sequence which appears to have inspired soderbergh, the final shootout sequence which is filled with insane camara movement and detail for such goofy choreography (the fire basketball, card throwing, etc) but i was especially fond of… more
peskypaul (3.5★) · 119 likes
🧨75%🔙One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest🔙🔜The Dark Knight🔜
Once a Thief is a ton of fun man, it feels as though John Woo was taking a breather between the heavy lifting he was doing during The Killer and Hard Boiled to make a breezy heist flavored romantic comedy. It doesn’t take itself seriously, and why should it; it’s a goofy, stylish romp that gave Woo the exact reset he needed before diving back into the deep end with… more
matt lynch (3.5★) · 118 likes
This could certainly be more exciting. For all this plot, materially little actually happens. But you can see the seeds of the similarly (unjustly) discarded MISSON: IMPOSSIBLE 2: a romantic caper, two men in love with the same woman, all the way down to the outdoor, sun-lit, seaside village action centerpiece. It's as quintessentially Woo as you could ask for.
RIP Leslie Cheung.
19oldboy91 (2★) · 107 likes
English Version below🟠🟢🔵
Wenn es ab zur Hornhautpflege geht, dann nur mit den Pflegeprodukten Sammlung, Justus, Oliver und sowieso mir, Oldboy, schließlich will auch meine Hornhaupt gepflegt werden
Gleich nach meinem ersten Irrtum, hervorgerufen aus
Intro / Europa (?) / Imposant / Asiate / Asiate von hinten /
und der Begradigung durch keinen Jackie und das beinhaltend Jackie Chan wie Chan Jakie, sondern durch Yun-fat Chow oder eher durch Chow Yun-fat und dem Uppercut-Spoiler
Once a Thief / John Woo… more