"Back to the Past: Still Fighting Gun-Fu in Time-Travel Sequel"
Twenty years have passed since time-traveling cop Hong Siu Lung (Louis Koo) found himself stuck in ancient Qin dynasty, but it seems like history isn't repeating itself just yet. In this glossy retread of 2001's hit series A Step Into the Past, director Jack Lai brings back some familiar faces to revisit the warring states period.
Ken (Michael Miu), the inventor of the time machine who got Hong marooned in the past, is now back in the present and itching for revenge. His motivation? Fairness, of course – after serving his prison sentence, Ken's feeling a bit mistreated by the system. This sets him on a mission to reclaim his rightful place as emperor.
The sequel darts along at breakneck speed, blending action with humor, but Lai eschews the obvious direction: anachronistic slapstick comedy à la Back to the Future or Les Visiteurs. Ken wields 21st-century firepower against the Qin foot soldiers, leading to a frantic chase sequence that's as thrilling as it is silly.
However, gun-fu gets old fast – even with veteran choreographer Sammo Hung at the helm – and some key moments get mangled by restrictive close-ups. Furthermore, Baihe Bai's character starts to feel like a mouthpiece for preachy lectures on megalomania and history, while Raymond Lam's ruthless tyrant finds himself trapped in the role of Hong's ex-ward once again.
Die-hard A Step Into the Past fans might appreciate this revisit, but nostalgia isn't enough to carry the day. Most viewers will find it too shallow, lacking the real substance that made the original series memorable.
Twenty years have passed since time-traveling cop Hong Siu Lung (Louis Koo) found himself stuck in ancient Qin dynasty, but it seems like history isn't repeating itself just yet. In this glossy retread of 2001's hit series A Step Into the Past, director Jack Lai brings back some familiar faces to revisit the warring states period.
Ken (Michael Miu), the inventor of the time machine who got Hong marooned in the past, is now back in the present and itching for revenge. His motivation? Fairness, of course – after serving his prison sentence, Ken's feeling a bit mistreated by the system. This sets him on a mission to reclaim his rightful place as emperor.
The sequel darts along at breakneck speed, blending action with humor, but Lai eschews the obvious direction: anachronistic slapstick comedy à la Back to the Future or Les Visiteurs. Ken wields 21st-century firepower against the Qin foot soldiers, leading to a frantic chase sequence that's as thrilling as it is silly.
However, gun-fu gets old fast – even with veteran choreographer Sammo Hung at the helm – and some key moments get mangled by restrictive close-ups. Furthermore, Baihe Bai's character starts to feel like a mouthpiece for preachy lectures on megalomania and history, while Raymond Lam's ruthless tyrant finds himself trapped in the role of Hong's ex-ward once again.
Die-hard A Step Into the Past fans might appreciate this revisit, but nostalgia isn't enough to carry the day. Most viewers will find it too shallow, lacking the real substance that made the original series memorable.
. It's like they're trying to tell us that China doesn't have any laws governing the use of modern technology. I think what we need is a more nuanced approach to time travel – some real-world consequences for playing with the timeline, you know? This sequel feels like a watered-down version of the original, and it's not enough to win over fans.
anyway, its all just so... repetitive. and whats up with ken's motivation? "i was mistreated by the system"? sounds like something a teenager would tweet about 
can't wait to see what other lazy plot devices they throw at us this time around 
... but wait, are we really? I mean, 21st-century firepower against ancient Qin soldiers just feels kinda lazy 
. And don't even get me started on how overused the whole "time-traveling hero" trope is 
. It's like we're stuck in some kind of temporal Groundhog Day 
.
... 20 years have passed and it's time to revisit the classics! The addition of Ken's character revenge arc is actually kinda cool, even if it does feel like a rehash of the original 
. And who doesn't love Sammo Hung on screen? 
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. and can we talk about how restrictive close-ups are? it's like they forgot that action scenes need some room to breathe 
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. i get that the original series was memorable, but this sequel feels like it's relying too much on nostalgia rather than actually delivering something new 
. and baihe bai's character is just so... preachy 
. overall, this movie feels like a shallow retread of the original series rather than an actual sequel 
It's like they took every cheesy action movie from the 90s and mashed them all together into one messy, over-the-top disaster. And don't even get me started on how underdeveloped the characters are 
I mean, come on, a character just gets stuck in prison and then suddenly feels mistreated by society? Give me a break! 
it's like they took all the excitement of time travel and just kinda...meh 
, but it's like they're relying too much on nostalgia instead of actually trying to create something new.
I swear, if they really wanted to make a sequel worth watching, they'd have done some serious rebooting of the original concept. As it is, I'm gonna stick with my 'original' A Step Into the Past, no thanks for this shallow retread 
. and can we talk about how ridiculous it is for Hong Siu Lung to still be stuck in ancient Qin dynasty after all these years? like, get a new watch 
Sammo Hung directing gun-fu scenes is like a dream come true. I hope they can balance action with humor though. I felt the same way about the original series when it came to too much preachy stuff. But honestly, Louis Koo as Hong Siu Lung in ancient Qin dynasty was just pure magic! Let's see what this sequel brings!!!