Plot: What’s it about?
What would you do if you had only a short time to live? If you’re Andy (Andy Lau) then you want to engage the police in a game of wits and work as a criminal until your final moments. Andy isn’t a common criminal though, as he is handsome and has a sense of style of about him. So he begins his assault and breaks into a Diamond Trading Company to steal some goods, when his chase with the police begins. The police officer who seeks to arrest Andy is Sean (Lau Ching Wan), a regular man who just wants to see justice served. Now Andy wants to play a dangerous game with Sean and no matter what happens, the stakes are very high indeed. And so the chase is on, with both men working double time to upend the other and little room for error on either man’s behalf. But after some close calls with Andy, he learns of his impending death and his mind clouds up with doubts as to what he should do. Andy has nothing to fear since he will die in mere days, but this makes it tough on Sean and his will to do the right thing. With time running out on the case and Andy’s life, what will Sean decide to do?
I liked this movie back when I reviewed the first release, but I was let down by the lack of supplements. This new special edition solves that problem, but lacks the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound options found on the first release. But more on the technical spec later on, let’s talk about the film for a spell. I think the storyline is an excellent basis and this film expands on it well, which means the flick turned out to be much better than I expected. This movie blends action with suspense/thriller elements and the mixture results in a potent and memorable motion picture. I was happy to find the plot stayed coherent and smart, never defying logic too much to make an easy move to another section of the storyline. The story is a little far fetched, but it is not totally out of the realm of possibility. The acting also turns out very well and even Andy Lau hands in a solid performance, perhaps his best work to date. The always steady directing of Johnny To also kicks the movie up on more notch and shows once again he is among the best action directors out there. But all this is not to say this is a perfect film, because it does have some flaws. But you won’t notice them as you watch, since you’ll be sucked into the movie and forget to watch for them. I recommend this release as a rental to those interested and fans will want to add this to their collections, since it is very kind in terms of repeat viewing.
This film was directed by Johnny To, who is among the best action directors you’ll find in this business. To is able to create some tense chases and other action sequences, but not at the expense of the storyline or characters. In modern action films that isn’t very common, but To seems to do just that on a regular basis. To has created some terrific fantasy films also, but this one remains in the more realistic category. Here To develops his lead characters very well and also keeps the storyline tight and fluid, while injecting some tense action and suspense throughout the running time. So he is able to turn in not only a solid action movie, but an overall impressive film. If you want to see more of To’s work I recommend The Heroic Trio (co-directed), Lifeline, The Heroic Trio 2: Executioners (co-directed), Critical Condition, and A Hero Never Dies. As usual, Lau Ching Wan (Black Mask, Full Alert) turns an excellent performance and really brings the character’s inner conflict across in fine form. I was surprised with Andy Lau (Drunken Master II, Armageddon) in this film, as he turns up his work a few levels. Usually he is decent, but here is much more than that. The supporting cast is also good and includes Waise Lee (A Better Tomorrow, Bullet In The Head) and Hui Shiu Hung, among others.
Video: How does it look?
Running Out of Time is presented in a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, which is not enhanced for widescreen televisions. As fans should know, Hong Kong films never seem to look as good as ours, but I think this transfer looks terrific. The original release was washed out and the contrast was too light, but this newly remastered image looks better. The print still shows wear signs and grain, but the overall picture here looks sharper and more refined. The contrast is deeper and seems more natural, while colors have more texture and richness as well. I do wish this was anamorphic, but this is still a welcome improvement over the previous release.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is where this new release loses some steam, as it has a trio of languages, but none that offer real surround sound. The first disc had very well done Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks, but in this new version, we’re given just stereo choices. Of course, this means the experience is less impressive, but as far as stereo goes, these tracks are decent enough. But this is an action driven flick and as such, I wish the terrific 5.1 tracks were ported over for this re-release. So, expect a very good stereo track, but don’t think you’ll be blown away by this mix. This disc has language tracks in Cantonese, Mandarin, and English, as well as optional English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The prior release had a theatrical trailer and some basic talent files, but we’re given a little more value with this disc. This time around, the disc has three theatrical trailers and new animated talent files, but the real bonus comes in the form of an audio commentary track. The track features screenwriters Laurent Courtiaud and Julien Carbon, as well as Hong Kong film expert Stefan Hammond. All the participants speak English here and on the whole, this is a very informative and also relaxed session. The three discuss the cast, how the film came to be, where it fits in Hong Kong cinema, and many other interesting topics. I think this commentary alone is reason to upgrade your old edition, but you might want to keep both, to have both extras and superior audio levels.
