Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Leofwine_draca Having made the extremely dark and violent films THE KILLER and BULLET IN THE HEAD one after the other, John Woo was in need of a break. He'd had enough of excess violence and bloodshed and wanted to make a more light-hearted flick, which is where ONCE A THIEF comes in. Eschewing the exploration of morality in his earlier films, he sets out with this caper movie which sees Chow Yun-Fat on winning form as an art thief persuaded to take one last job.What follows is a real mix of a movie. For starters, I love John Woo action and it's in short supply here, although he still has time to throw in two or three massive shoot-outs on the kind of scale you know and love. It's quite funny. There will be romance, quirky humour, and then suddenly a dozen automatic weapon-wielding thugs show up and start shooting the heck out of the scenery. There's time for stunts too, with cars rolling down stone steps during one frenetic chase scene and a truly wild climax which is up there with his best as director. Elsewhere the film seems weak. Woo is so intent on referencing his favourite European directors he forgets to put any substance with the style. Also, the humour is completely ridiculous too, absolutely stupid in places, and not really something Western audiences will enjoy. Sometimes Yun-Fat is cute and funny and at other times he acts like a real idiot.It's certainly not a bad film. The heist sequences are handled well and the later complexities of the plot are worth watching, although a long time in coming. Leslie Cheung gives a great performance as Yun-Fat's buddy although Cherie Chung is relegated to 'irritating sidekick'. There are a few twists and turns which are fun to watch and, as mentioned, a great action climax. Highlights include a magician whose tricks are deadly and an excellent exploding microwave moment. Still, this isn't a film I'd want to see again – unlike John Woo's next movie, his outstanding HARD BOILED.

Tweekums I tend to associate the films of John Woo with non stop well choreographed violent action but this one is different. Yes, there is plenty of action, some of which is fairly violent but the over all tone feels much lighter as there are also plenty of gags, some of which had me laughing out loud.The film starts in France where we see a trio of thieves stealing a valuable painting from a moving lorry as it is transferred from a museum. When they give the painting to their French employer he asks them to steal another painting, the two men in the group say they are happy to take on the job but the woman, who is acting as translator tells their employer they have declined the offer.The two men proceed to steal the painting and escape in a thrilling car chase which ends in the apparent death of "Red Bean Pudding" (Chow Yun Fat). James (Leslie Cheung) and "Red Bean" (Cherie Chung) return to Hong Kong and after a while they are surprised to discover that their friend is still alive, it turns out he survived the crash but is now in a wheel chair. They also learn that the painting they stole in France is now the prized possession of their Fagin-like adoptive father. They are determined to steal it back off him which leads to several memorable scenes including attempting to steal a set of keys at a dance where Chow Yun Fat demonstrates that he is quite a dancer... in a wheel chair. The final shoot out is both exciting and hilarious.If you are a fan of John Woo's work I'd recommend this, it is also a great film to introduce his work to people one thinks might not be so keen on his purely action flicks. It probably isn't suitable for children though as there is quite a lot of shooting and some swearing.These comments are based on watching the film in Cantonese with English subtitles, an English dubbed version is also available.

kosmasp Once a thief how it was originally conceived by John Woo. And although it was nice that they let him remake(remade) his own work (but sadly for a TV audience as an appetizer for a TV show), this still is the real deal! Chow Yun Fat is captivating as ever, but you also have the great Leslie Cheung, who sadly took his own life a few years ago. But roles like this one make him unforgettable. Overall the movie is a little bit lighter than your average John Woo film, although that doesn't mean you won't recognize it as one! Normally this shouldn't be the first John Woo film you watch, but even if so, it doesn't matter, because you will enjoy it either way! :o) (at least that's what a Woo fan like me is saying/thinking!)

o.tacke In the beginning I thought: what a strange movie. As I continued watching I realized that it's really a great movie with lots of cool action and lots of fun. Unfortunately, the German version is heavily cut because of too much violence :-(