Shun liu ni liu

Plot synopsis:
Tyler (Nicholas Tse) impregnates a lesbian cop, Ah Jo (Cathy Tsui),after a drunken night. He joins an unlicensed bodyguard service led by Uncle Ji (Anthony Wong), to earn money to give to Ah Jo who wants nothing to do with him. Nearly nine months later, Tyler meets up with a butcher named Jack (Wu Bai) and his pregnant wife, Ah Hui (Candy Lo), who helps Tyler, at Ah Hui's father's birthday, prevent the father's assassination. Tyler tries to convince Jack to start a bodyguard service with him, but Jack turns him down.
A group of South American mercenaries, known as the Angels, arrive and threaten Jack, who they call Juan, and their second in command Miguel (Couto Remotigue) offers him a chance to rejoin them if he kills his own father-in-law. Instead, Jack kills the leader of the Angels and evades Uncle Ji's bodyguards, knocking Tyler out in the process, and then steals a case full of cash from under their noses and escapes from the Angels. Jack drops his wife off at her father's mansion, giving her a key to a train station locker and telling her to go there when their child is born. Tyler is interrogated by the cops in connection with Jack, who accuse him of being connected to the killer because he saw him up close. Tyler tells them nothing.
An Jo tries unsuccessfully to parole Tyler, but Uncle Ji succeeds. Tyler thanks An Jo, and Uncle Ji locks him up in a transportation crate for a night before letting him out and getting Tyler to tell him about Jack. Uncle Ji gives Tyler more money, which Tyler tries to give to Ah Jo; he finds out that she has just gone into the hospital to give birth. Tyler heads off after Jack, and breaks into his apartment only to find the Angels and Jack have the place staked out.
A running gun battle ensues between Jack and the Angels as Tyler desperately tries to survive in Jack's apartment. Tyler ends up trapped in the apartment with the gas leaking and only manages to survive the explosion by hiding in the refrigerator. Jack tricks the Angels into killing one of their own and distracting them long enough so he and Tyler can escape the rest. Miguel admits defeat and tries to call a truce with Jack, but then calls it off when one of the other Angels spots Jack's wife who arrives on the scene to see her former apartment burning.
The Angels take off after An Hui, following her to the train station. Tyler steals a taxi with his fake gun, giving his wallet to the driver, who promptly takes it to the cops. The police, still suspicious of Tyler from earlier, place him at the scene of the gun battle and explosion send a SWAT team after him to the station. At the station, Tyler confronts An Hui with his fake gun and takes the money Jack stole from the Angels. An Hui goes into labor and one of the Angels shoots a cop, and an innocent, while trying to shoot Tyler.
In the ensuing panic, Tyler drags An Hui off to safety and the SWAT team arrives to deal with the situation. As they send in a medic team to retrieve An Hui, the Angels open fire on them. Jack arrives on the scene just before the SWAT team, including Miguel and other disguised Angels, starts a full invasion with tear gas. In the midst of the gases, Jack, the Angels, and the SWAT team hunt one another, with SWAT officers silently killed one by one by the Angels, who then disguise themselves in the SWAT gear from the fallen officers, enabling them to kill even more unsuspecting officers. Tyler escapes with An Hui to the railway tracks, where Jack saves the life of the SWAT team lieutenant and surrenders to him.
The remaining Angels escape through a tunnel to a stadium full of concert goers. Tyler has to hunker down in the tunnels as An Hui starts to give birth, and Jack convinces the SWAT Lieutenant to let him go after Miguel in the stadium. Jack confronts Miguel in the catwalks above the concert goers and defeats him. Meanwhile, Tyler helps An Hui successfully give birth before the last of the Angels shows up. A fight ensues, and just as Tyler is about to lose, the last of the Angels gets shot repeatedly by An Hui.
Jack is given a head start to escape the police and visits with his wife, and Tyler recovers the money before going off to the hospital to see his child.

Tags: violence, murder, romantic

Review:
Time and Tide actually has a very well crafted story full of great characters and sharp dialogue.
Its as if Tsui Hark considered how every scene would be typically and familiarily shot, then conveys what happens in a totally unexpected way.
No block building here, one must jump in and and go with the flow.The film makes no pretentions to day to day realities, and there are some ludicrous scenes paying homage to imagination run riot, but I think these add to the fun, especially since they are delivered with typical Tsui Hark absurd charm.I originally gave this film a 9/10, and the more I consider it, the more I like it.
Thoughtful and Great action - one of Hark's best.
Watching Time and Tide is akin to being in a taxicab with a driver, who knows what his final destination is but has no idea how to get there, drives around really fast and somehow makes it to the end--this is not to be said as an insult, but a testament to his skill.
He only shows what needs to be shown for the smallest amount of time needed to register with the viewer so that even the dramatic scenes have a kinetic energy.I would try to give a quick synopsis of the narrative, but I lack both the PH.D in Ludicrous and the necessary drugs to do so without confusion.
While the plot may be overly convoluted, the themes are strong and add an emotional realism often lacking in action films.The words "realism" and "Tsui Hark" are not often spoken together, but in Time and Tide he creates a realistic tapestry within to work his hard-boiled action fantasy.
An emotional connection between the audience and the characters on screen is what separates the lasting impressions from the fleeting memories of a good movie.
Hark gives the two male leads in Time and Tide a purpose for what they are doing; the purpose may be far-fetched, but there is a rhyme for the reason, which elevates the action to an emotional level.The theme of brotherhood spanning two sides of the law is not an uncommon one for Hong Kong cinema.
This issue was at the time a sort of taboo subject in Hong Kong, especially in an action oriented genre film.
Tyler continues to do everything he can to be there for Ah Jo even taking a dangerous job to earn money for their future.So Hark has established that both the main characters, although not model citizens, are decent human beings who want redemption from their pasts and strive for a brighter future for themselves, their children and loved ones.
However, this is a typical kind of spiritual redemption for Honk Kong action heroesredemption through blood and bullets, and heroic bloodshed.Before the action starts rolling, Hark gives his characters an anchor with which to ground themselves in reality.
But, what Hark does when the water starts boiling is firmly rip the anchor away and send the two heroes through a gauntlet of flying bullets, fists, chases and the most dangerous baby delivery ever put on screen.Imagine this: Many large apartment buildings, dozens of stories tall, all connected with a sort of center court yard and doors and hallways intertwined like an urban maze.
Jack and Tyler sprint though out the complex of destruction, dodging bullets and fists, repelling down the side of the buildings, jumping from awning to awning, stopping only to trade fisticuffs with rival thugs or to pick up a much needed clip of ammunition.Hark's heroes are not interchangeable, they do not occupy a scene only to be a human punching bag ready to be whisked away at a moments notice by a wire harness.
It is this very fact that separates a Tsui Hark film from the multitude of other well-directed action films.
The action becomes more intense because the audience cares for the film's characters, and at the same time the drama is more emotional because the audience wants the characters to succeed in their redemption.
Time and Tide is not only one of Tsui Hark's best films, it is also one of the best examples of the entire action genre and should not be missed by anyone..
Version: Cantonese, with English subtitles (by SBS).'Time and Tide' is easily one of the best action movies I've ever seen.
Tse is the hero of the story, but it is Wu Bai who rules most of the action.Despite other comments about the movie's plot, I thought it was pretty good.
Simply put, we have an everyday guy just trying to help someone out, and befriends a bad guy, the action hero, who is working for similar reasons.However, the action is where its at, and 'Time and Tide' delivers.
There are some great, kinetic action scenes, including one inside/on a building, which I think is one of the best action scenes ever made.9/10 - Great action movie, but may not appeal to fans of the genre.
The new film from the man who pretty much launched the careers of Jet Li, John Woo *and* Chow Yun-Fat (pretty damn impressive resumé) and Tsui Hark returns with a vengeance.
Just curious, as he keeps popping up with no apparent introduction or purpose...Anyhow, this film had me talking for days about how good it was, it's definitely worth watching.
Plus, it's directed by Tsui Hark - who has done excellent work with The Legend Of Zu and other such movies.
One incredibly crafted Hong Kong action movie..
The most amazing action film I've ever seen, forget The Matrix, Time and Tide is absolutely stunning!
A mostly talentless hack who in "Snatch" proved that fancy camera effects and funny accents will wear themselves out if there is nothing to support it."Time & Tide" by Tsui Hark is both a homage to the films that helped popularize a new visual style and it raises the bar a few more (large) notches.
The last two action sequences are phenomenal and take up a good half of the movie, but with Mr. Hark's careful direction you hardly notice.
In a sequence which involves a young man trapped in an apartment slowly filling with gas, its conclusion is one of the most clever bits of action in recent memory."Time & Tide" is the real deal.
A confusing Hong Kong action movie that works..
I think Tsui Hark is a very clever action director.
I seen his American efforts with Van Damme, even though I hated both movies i did like some of the action sequences.
As for this movie Tsui Hark is really given the chance to shine and this time with better actors.
The acting is pretty good for a Hong Kong action movie.
In other words it seem more naturalistic than compared to many other Hong Kong movies where a lot of the time the actors overact.
The plot gets confusing at times and what could of really made this movie better was a better script.
It was a good attention grabber in the beginning but then it gets ignored at the end and maybe more of Tse's narration of the movie.
Despites all these flaws this movie was still good because of the stylish action scenes.
So basically look for the action scenes and good performances by Tse, Wu Bai, Lo, and Liu.
From being inside a gun as it fires to finding myself in the middle of a gunfight while a young woman is giving birth, she being one of the participants of said gunfight, Seunlau ngaklau is one of the most amazing mind blowing action movies I think I've ever seen.
Filled with incredible action sequences, mind blowing stunts, and interesting characters, Seunlau ngaklau is up there on the same level with Matrix, without appearing at all artificial or contrived..
Tsui Hark is one of my alltime favorite directors and he handles this story with such style and effectiveness it rates right up there with The Killer as one my favorite action movies.
The action sequences have to be seen to be believed with some of the most origional concepts I have ever seen employed recently.I have never seen Nicholas Tse before in a movie, but he's a great actor and handles the top role quite well.
Hark borrows a page from the Wachowski's and uses bullet-time in this movie (special effects weren't that bad eitheir!)Great dubbing too, the voice acting was top notch.
More attention needed to be given to the subtitles for non-native speakers.All in all, great film with some minor things getting in the way.
It's Hong Kong action, which I love, and it was directed by Tsui Hark, who has directed some really good examples of the genre.However, I was sorely let down.
At times, things seem to be introduced with no explanation (like the opening robbery sequence - I wasn't sure who was on each side, and what they were exactly trying to do!) Some actions by the characters come with no explanation, and some characters exit the movie before their motivations are fully explained.As well, I didn't care for the two protagonists - they just seemed like long-haired punks to me, with nothing that compelled you to see what they would do (unlike, say, the hit man in THE KILLER.) Tsui Hark needs to look back on his earlier movies, where there were more understandable stories, and action sequences that didn't scramble your brain with rapid editing and breakneck camera moves.
I won't mind though, it's one of the best contemporary Honk Kong action films.
It's frustrating when you're trying to enjoy a good action movie, and you're begging and pleading for the next scene to make some sense of it all - only to be left flabbergasted in the end..
Instead he turns on the mercenaries and it isn't long before they are after him; Tyler also gets caught up in the action.My plot summary might be a bit confused but to be honest so was I much of the time while watching...
Director Tsui Hark does a great job keeping the action very kinetic.
Overall I'd say this won't be for everybody but if you are a fan of Hong Kong action in a modern setting then I'd definitely recommend it.These comments are based on watching the film in Cantonese with English subtitles..
With a strong cast (including Nicolas Tse, Anthony Wong etc.) for a story that is thin, but supports the action in a good way.
We don't have to discuss the action scenes here, either you like the way they shoot them in HK or you're more a Hollywood kind of guy (although if you're the latter, than you shouldn't watch this movie) ...
Although this movie can not be compared to his classics, it's a shame that since Time & Tide Hark, has not delivered another movie that could match (or be better than) this one ....
"A Better Tomorrow" introduced many Americans to the art that is Tsui Hark and his brand of fast and furious gunplay interspersed with a unique way of making you, the viewer, empathize with his main protagonists."Time and Tide" follows in that tradition.
Add that to Matrix like special effects scenes and there you got a movie called " time and tide".
But you might have to watch the movie a few more times before you get the plot..
coolest action scenes i've seen in a long time.
some shots look like they belong in an animé or video game, not a low budget live action movie.
Tsui Hark, who once dipped out of the cinematic limelight with his Van Damme ventures, is back in fine form with "Time and Tide." Contrary to what many people believe the plot is not incoherent but Hark makes you work for it, something most action films never do.
The action is intense, kinetic and over the top and ten times better than anything Michael Bay (or most American action directors, minus John Woo) could dream of putting out.The end result is nothing short of brilliant....
i wasn't really sure what to expect when i went to see this film, but I have to say it was a pleasant suprise, had humour and some good action scenes, and the actors were not to shabby either................and I have to say, any movie that starts of with an accidental birth due to an affair a barman had with a drunk lesbian policewoman has my respect.
He tends to focus more on visuals than trying to convey a coherent story.Time & Tide definitely suffers from his trademark style.
That said, there is a very good movie in here, although the main character, the young punk bodyguard, is not particularly likable.The action scenes are quite unique, especially the fight in the tenement apartment building.
On the down side, some of the movie, the parts trying to fill out the lives of the 2 main heroes and their pregnant women was sort of a snoozer and something of a cheap way to make the characters more interesting..
Tse runs the story but it's Wu Bai that does all the action in Time and Tide.The story is about the struggle between two guys from Hong Kong and some mercenaries from South America.
As a result of this, guys fire guns, jump from place to place and shed a lot of blood all the way through the last half of the film.The action actually begins in a hotel lobby then moves on to a car park to Hong Kong Project to Kowloon Train Station and finally to Hong Kong Coliseum.
There is only one complaint from me as far as action scenes of Time and Tide are concerned; there are almost no martial arts at all.
All these action keeps you on the edge of your seat.There are really awesome cinematic action in Time and Tide thanks to Tsui Hark's style and vision.
Subtitles are essential as there are so many different languages spoken in Time and Tide.Overall I was expecting some good looking Hong Kong action from Time and Tide and it did not disappoint.
Tsui Hark delivers really good cinematic Hong Kong action with this.
The best HK action film i've seen in a while.
Tsui Hark disappointed us with his movies from his Hollywood era but he sure impresses a lot now with that masterpiece of the 21st century in action flicks.
Time and Tide has action scenes right up there with The Matrix, The Professional, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
A couple of camera angles are original, if not breathtaking, and as far as straight out action is concerned, I would rank this movie among the best I've ever seen.Unfortunately, I found the plot to be pretty slim.
This could be because the characters were not really developed in any meaningful way, but it could simply be a result of a story based primarily on cool action scenes.
Either way, I was disappointed in the "telling of a tale" department.As a result, Time and Tide is a tough movie for me to rate.
If you're not into spectacular gun play and bullet-time explosions, you might still like this movie, but you'll have to work hard to derive much meaning to the whole thing..
This movie features great characters played by a cast of (mostly) attractive people, action the way we have learned to love it (hong kong style) and love-stories.
The plot is very flimsy at best with no real consistent theme as the characters weave their way through the chaos that this movie presents us with.
Little things such as a plot that makes sense, characters with understandable motivations that the audience becomes emotionally involved with, and camerawork and editing that enhances the story and action instead of rendering it a total incomprehensible mess.
I can't find the name of the action director on the web, but he put together some 'different' hand-to-hand action and some high-rise stuntwork that is actually quite dangerous and impressive yet comes across as far less stunning than it should be, simply because of how it is filmed.Tsui Hark has said he wanted to explore a new way of storytelling with this film.
However, the plot is well-developed and to a good level of complexity for action movies.The action scenes are directed in a rather novel way- much of the intensity comes from the suspension of the action build-up, but not so much the action itself.
Still it is way better than many Hollywood action movies and you will be massively entertained if you are not a enthusiastic military fan like me!.
The general critical line on this flick is that the plot makes no sense, but the action scenes are worth it.
This is pretty much the truth -- in fact, the 'plot' scenes could be trimmed even further -- at times it takes too long to get from one action scene to another.
As the movie advances, you are exposed to more and more improbable stuff, but if that happens, watch Final Destination, and rinse your mind of thoughts against Time and Tide.
Basically just a NOISY Hong Kong action film.
Hark's quick and constant camera cuts and use of extremely loud special effects are relied upon to create the suspense and excitement in the scenes, rather than the story and the actual action in the scenes themselves.This is definitely not an awful movie, and I'll take this any day over these overly cliched Hollywood action thrillers, but in the end, you basically have a decent action movie and a mediocre film.
It's action packed, great cinematography, good story, and stylish.
If you think this is just another action movie and you can leave your brain on the couch, you will come away really confused.
I've really dug some of Hark's work in the past, especially CHINESE GHOST STORY.Over-the-top is pretty much a "given" with Hong Kong action fare.
Unfortunately, it all comes across like Hark simply put a couple of John Woo movies into a cuisinart.