Xia dao lian meng (2017) Reviews

• Cliché heist movie

  phanthinga2017-11-19

  Watching The Adventurers is like watching every heist movie blend together so don't get your hope high when it starring Andy Lau and Jean Reno.The characters is poor written,the plot is so predictable that you can see every twist and turn from miles away but it not obnoxious to the point that it unwatchable.Watch Once a Thief if you want to see a better version of this movie

• Passable remake of a classic with an outdated, old-fashioned plot

  samzzz-694482017-08-11

  This is a remake of the 1991 classic Once a Thief, a John Woo gig featuring absolute A- Listers such as megastar Chow Yun-Fat, heartthrob Leslie Cheung and HK's own 'Marilyn Monroe' Cherie Chung. Due to skyrocketing talent fees the Chinese film industry experienced in recent years, it's now increasingly more difficult for a would-be blockbuster to assemble a large cast of A or B-Listers, so the cast of The Adventurers, starring Andy Lau, Hsu Chi (with her newly-wed husband Stephen Fung at the helm), Jean Reno among others, is already one of the most high profile releases of the summer in China, but even this cast pales in comparison with that of the original, which is a shame. Imagine if Pitt, Damon, Roberts were all replaced with notable but much less bankable stars in Ocean's Eleven. Like Clooney in Ocean's Eleven, Andy Lau's character also begins the film as a parolee after serving several years in prison. This is where the comparison stops, however, as Ocean's is without a doubt a much superior film. The Adventurers maintains the original's 2 male 1 female 'gang of three' setup, complimented by Zhang Jingchu, who plays Andy Lau's ex-girlfriend, and Jean Reno, whose French cop chases after Andy Lau across Europe. Most of the film's humor is provided by actor Sha Yi, who perfectly portrays the superficiality of his 'tu hao' aka 'Nouvelle Riche' character who easily falls prey to Hsu Chi's stunning beauty. However, much of his lighlights were linguistic, and being a native Chinese myself, I doubt if these would cross over to the English speaking audience. Other than Sha Yi, one could make the point that the film lacks in terms of 'entertainment'. There are only a few funny moments I can recall, and most of the (limited) banter between members of the gang fell flat at my viewing. The film benefits from fluid camera-work, so at least it's a fairly good looking film, but it's mostly held back by a plot that is way too predictable. There are several twists in the final act, none of them surprising. The action set pieces are solid but uninventive, as one questions whether it's wise to stick so closely to the original film's formula of car chases and gun fights, especially since the action/heist genre has advanced so much in the past two decades. Also, by focusing primarily on the action, the film somewhat sacrifices character development opportunities. Ocean's Eleven explains practically everything to its audiences, such as the group's funding, line of thinking, risks, etc. In The Adventurers, as I watched the group travel from one place to another and REACT to situations, I wondered how everything 'behind the scenes' worked, because these were never explained. In other words, there aren't many details for the keen eyed spectator to pick out. In this sense, this film's much closer to Ocean's Twelve in being a somewhat messy story that just kind of 'happens' without much external logic supporting it. Overall, this is an OK adventure/heist film with beautiful visuals and a predictable, formulaic script that's not likely to make you awe in wonder. 6/10

• Waste of talent without any adventure

  Jithindurden2017-12-02

  This could be a ripoff of any action thriller film released in the last 25 years. Andy Lau and Jean Reno are wasted here and give their worst performance from what I have seen. Not even a single thing is there that hasn't been shown in another film in a much better way. A lot of the dialogues and situations were laughable or else simply predictable. It's Shu Qi that made the film a little bearable even though the character isn't well written. There were some decent chase sequences too but overall very lacklustre and there is no adventure here.

• Good and Exciting!

  thomaspans2017-09-05

  Thank you for the Hong Kong teams efforts on this Mr. Liu's newest action film! I'm glad to see Jean Leno in this film also! The story is variety of action sequences that refer to their previous films. Some of Jean Leno's dialogues reflects some famous lines from Leon. Maybe someone noticed. Chinese films are going to corporate with Hollywood actors gradually in the future! We are looking forward to see them all! China film is rising! 10 out of 10!

• The locations are exotic, the cast is pleasing, and the heists slick and exciting; 'The Adventurers' is good for some breezy but forgettable escapist fun

  moviexclusive2017-08-17

  As far as caper/ heist films are concerned, 'The Adventurers' is a breezy, enjoyable but ultimately unremarkable entry to the genre. All the trademark elements are here – the exotic European locations that span Cannes, Prague and Kiev; the impressive high-tech gizmos to override the most sophisticated security systems as well as to get into places no human could ever fit into; and last but not least the code of honour among thieves, which not only drives the narrative but also defines the relationship between our central trio played by Andy Lau, Tony Yang and Shu Qi – yet director and co-writer Stephen Fung's Chinese makeover of a classic Hollywood staple comes off too familiar and predictable by the time it is done with its double-crosses and shootouts. The story begins with Lau's career thief Dan Zhang after a five-year stint in prison for stealing the prized 'Eye of the Forest' artefact from the Louvre Museum, which we are informed in a snazzy prologue is one of three pieces that form a precious necklace called 'GAIA'. Dan is greeted upon his release by the French detective Pierre (Jean Reno), who warns him that he will be closely watched. Shortly after slipping away from one of Pierre's associates, Dan assembles his wingman Po (Yang) and hotshot recruit Red (Shu Qi) to steal another part of 'GAIA' – and it isn't any spoiler that they eventually make off with the 'Wings of Destiny'. The third and final piece 'Rope of Life' happens to be in the possession of a nouveau riche Chinese oligarch Charlie (Sha Yi) living up in a castle in Prague, and before Dan makes off with it and presumably disappears into the sunset, Pierre brings in Dan's former fiancée Amber (Zhang Jingchu) to help apprehend him – the latter apparently still being resentful at Dan for not telling her at the start of his criminal profession. It isn't hard to guess that Fung has built his movie around a series of action sequences – the posh Cannes hotel where a livid demonstration against animal fur is taking place outside at the same time as an auction for the 'Wings of Destiny' is ongoing inside; the sprawling castle that Dan and Po will infiltrate in order to steal the 'Rope of Life' while Red exercises her seductive charms to get Charlie's fingerprints; a quad chase through the woods surrounding the castle immediately following the break-in; and finally, the climactic showdown in an abandoned factory in Kiev where Dan will confront the person who betrayed him to the authorities five years ago and one of the other key players will come to choose his or her loyalty. Each one of these set-pieces is nicely choreographed and expertly executed, although the last one is a little less exciting than it needs to be to end the movie on a thrilling high, paling even in comparison to the earlier ones that precede it. Whereas the sleekly performed stunts and the impressive gadgetry appeal on a visceral level, it is the characters involved and their stakes which make these sequences emotionally stimulating. Sadly, that is sorely lacking here, which is a result of the sketchy character work. The tension between Dan and Amber is hardly developed before it is resolved; ditto the budding attraction between Po and Red. We are primed for an intriguing cop-versus-robber dynamic between Dan and Pierre, but that sense of respect for the two individuals on diametrically opposite sides of the law is never quite established compellingly. Same goes for the relationship between Dan and his former mentor Kong (Eric Tsang), given how Kong sees Dan as having betrayed him for wanting out to settle down with Amber five years ago. That no less than four writers, including Fung himself, had worked on the script makes it even more disappointing that the characters are so one-dimensional in and of themselves as well as next to one another, relying instead on the sheer chemistry of the actors to give them pizazz. Not that the cast isn't up to it – Lau is as charismatic and suave as he's ever been, perhaps even more so than Tom Cruise was in any one of the 'Mission Impossible' movies; Qi is at her playful and sexy charming best; and character actors Reno and Tsang lend solid supporting turns to anchor the picture. As far as fun is concerned, there is definitely much to embrace in their lively performances. There is also much escapist pleasure to be had watching them elude and delude their way around their targets, often set to a jazzy, upbeat score by Tuomas Kantelinen. As beautiful as the European locales themselves are, it is also to Shane Hurlbut's credit that the movie looks as visually gorgeous as it does. Like we said at the start, 'The Adventurers' knows the tropes of the genre and performs them flawlessly; but without an engaging plot and/or characters we can root for, it remains a solid but unremarkable entry into the well-trod caper genre.