Initially I hadn't even heard about "Once a Gangster" (aka "Fei saa fung chung chun") prior to getting to sit down and watch it here in 2020. And with it being a Triad movie, I must admit that I was somewhat excited to see what writer and director Felix Chong had managed to do with this 2010 movie.
Well, it turns out that the movie was actually rather enjoyable. Sure, it was somewhat different from the majority of Triad movies that have been coming out of the Hong Kong cinema since the 1990s, for better or worse. I must admit that I enjoyed the different approach that writer and director Felix Chong opted to go with "Once a Gangster", because it made for a Triad movie that wasn't just another run-of-the-mill Triad movie that come a dime a dozen.
The storyline and script in "Once a Gangster" was good and enjoyable. The story had some interesting aspects and it wasn't a storyline that was so generic and straight forward that it was overly predictable. Which definitely worked well in favor of the overall enjoyment of the movie.
For long time fans of the Hong Kong cinema, then "Once a Gangster" does have an impressive array of casted actors and actresses, which include the likes of talents such as Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan and Alex Fong.
I was genuinely entertained by "Once a Gangster" and I am rating it a six out of ten stars. It was refreshing to see a Triad movie that differentiated itself from the countless other Triad movies readily available from the Hong Kong cinema. "Once a Gangster" is well worth watching, especially if you enjoy what Hong Kong cinema has to offer.
Well, it turns out that the movie was actually rather enjoyable. Sure, it was somewhat different from the majority of Triad movies that have been coming out of the Hong Kong cinema since the 1990s, for better or worse. I must admit that I enjoyed the different approach that writer and director Felix Chong opted to go with "Once a Gangster", because it made for a Triad movie that wasn't just another run-of-the-mill Triad movie that come a dime a dozen.
The storyline and script in "Once a Gangster" was good and enjoyable. The story had some interesting aspects and it wasn't a storyline that was so generic and straight forward that it was overly predictable. Which definitely worked well in favor of the overall enjoyment of the movie.
For long time fans of the Hong Kong cinema, then "Once a Gangster" does have an impressive array of casted actors and actresses, which include the likes of talents such as Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chan and Alex Fong.
I was genuinely entertained by "Once a Gangster" and I am rating it a six out of ten stars. It was refreshing to see a Triad movie that differentiated itself from the countless other Triad movies readily available from the Hong Kong cinema. "Once a Gangster" is well worth watching, especially if you enjoy what Hong Kong cinema has to offer.