John Woo has really arrived. His name holds so much cache that he even incorporates it into the titles of his work. His Canadian drama series must hence be known as John Woo's Once A Thief (Star World, 9 pm).
But don't let that little bit of movie maestro arrogance put you off. John Woo's Once A Thief is entertaining television, with plenty of action, strong characters and a gritty social backdrop.
The name turns out to be misleading. John Woo's Once A Thief is not in fact directed by Woo. He and Terence Chang (the producer behind many Woo films, Hong Kong and Hollywood) are the executive producers. They were in charge of a team of directors, including David Wu, the editor of numerous Woo films. But the maestro has schooled them reasonably well. The series still has Woo style stamped on it.
Judging from Rave On, the series could be more satisfying than the TV movie of the same name that was its pilot. That set the scene, with Li Ann Tsei (British-born Chinese actress Sandra Holt), Michael Wong (Michael Tang) and Mac (Ivan Sergei) being raised as siblings by a Hong Kong mobster godfather. Li and lover Mac flee Hong Kong for Canada, become separated and finally recruited as agents into the clandestine international crime-fighting unit run by 'The Director' (Jennifer Dale). Li has, meanwhile, got herself engaged to agent Vic (The X-File 's Nicholas Lea), setting up the love triangle to run through the series.
The movie's plot bore much resemblance to Woo's original Once A Thief, starring Chow Yun-fat. But it was no match to the original. The cross-cultural element lacked plausibility. It was not as successful as Woo's Hollywood efforts such as Face/Off.
In Rave On, the characters thankfully leave the Hong Kong story behind. Now they work as a team of agents with attitude to match those in other North American series.