Movie Review                                                                                                                               

As the DVD cover says 'From the Director of Double Team (a rotten Hollywood Movie) and Once Upon a Time in China (a HK Classic), the new gangster/friendship movie - Time and Tide, director Tsui Hark blends the movie in the tradition of Young and Dangerous and the Matrix. Although not quite a classic or be considered a rotten movie, it is more of a in between type of film. But the final gunfare and undenying tension proves Time and Tide an eye candy for HK action fans.

As far as the story is concerned, it is just a typical HK gangster vs gangster storyline, but this time just seems a little different. A streetwise young man, Nicholas Tse (Tyler) decides to earn quick money by becoming an unlicensed bodyguard in a company owned by a tryhard but nice boss (Anthony Wong) where he meets and befriends a former terrorist turned good guy (Wu Bai) and his pregnant wife (Candy Lo). Not long Wu Bai is then forced to become bad and ending up the opposite side of Nicholas Tse and eventually evolves into a good classy emotional ending of how the law is the root of all evil.

The casting of HK popstar Nicholas Tse as streetwise bodyguard is actually well castled, along with Wu Bai, as former terrorist and turned good guy, is not bad at all, in fact -Wu Bai at times showed glimpses of an early Chow Yun Fat. And as usual, what gangster film can be complete without HK gangster film veteran - Anthony Wong who despite his limited role and screen time showed a good scene stealer. The two female stars (Candy Lo and Cathy Tsui Chi-Kei) were pretty in their way, but especially Cathy Tsui Chi-Kei enlightens the film in her very small role as Nicholas Tse's former girlfriend, in turn adding spices of romance and turning the trigger to female audiences as well.

Time and Tide is certainly one of the better action films to come out of HK in recent years and also a good par above Hollywood action films such as XXX, D-Tox, Double Team, despite its much smaller budget. Non-stop action, good special effects and the expert direction of Tsui Hark elevates the typical gangster genre to a new level challenging aspects of friendship, enduring love, the power of the triad underworld and the loop holes in the law/ This movie is certainly not a waste of time, but like a surfboarder riding through a tide.

Ratings:

                3/4               7.5/10   

By Andrew Chan (30 December 2002)