The action film as a category, with or without the comedy, found its apogee repeatedly during the golden era of Hong Kong cinema, with the catalogue of masterpieces of the genre being rather long in this case. “Time and Tide” is definitely among them.
Tyler who works as bartender, impregnates a lesbian cop, Ah Jo, after she gets drunk after a fight with her girlfriend. Although she does not want anything to do with him, he joins an unlicensed bodyguard service led by Uncle Ji, to earn money to give her. Nearly nine months later, Tyler meets up with a butcher named Jack and his pregnant wife, Ah Hui , who helps Tyler prevent her father’s assassination at his birthday. Tyler, who is still giving money to Ah Jo, tries to convince Jack to start a bodyguard service with him, but Jack turns him down.
Around that time, a group of South American mercenaries known as the Angels, arrive and threaten Jack, who seems to be a former member, with their leader, Miguel, offering him a chance to rejoin them if he kills his own father in law, a man whom Tyler’s company is hired to protect. Tyler and Jack eventually face off, but soon find themselves running together from the group of mercenaries. Ah Hui unfortunately also gets involved.
The film begins as a kind of weird romantic comedy, with Tyler and Ah Jo’s “relationship” being in the front, in a delightful fashion that sets up a fun tone from the beginning of the movie. Gradually, Tsui Hark introduces elements of action, although the comedic aspect retains at least part of its place until the appearance of Miguel and his group. The scene in the supermarket, where Ah Jo sees Tyler with Ah Hui and misunderstands the situation, is probably the apogee of this approach, also highlighting the change in the previously gay woman, whose attitude has changed radically due to Tyler’s insistence to help.
It is somewhere here, however, that the action takes over, and the film finds its true apogee, through a number of rather impressive scenes, among the best ever to appear in the genre. The chase between Tyler and Jack, particularly the scene in the stairs, the one from Jack’s past, the one in the building where the former ends up inside a refrigerator and the latter up fighting against the whole of his former group, are a true joy to watch. The cherry on the top however, comes in the finale, which unfolds in two axes, one involving Jack and one Tyler and Ah Hui, with the ending of the second being one that will definitely make the film’s audience cheer.
All the while, the combination of the astonishing editing of Marco Mak and Tsui Hark’s direction results in a frantic pace that fits the overall aesthetics to perfection, with the cuts essentially being part of the action.
What also adds to both comedy and action is the individuality of the characters, with both heroes and villains being rather memorable, both in terms of casting and acting. Miguel (whose utterance of the word “la cucaracha” will definitely stay on mind), the middle-aged sniper, the latino-American who feels no pain are all great villains, with their comic book essence adding significantly to the entertainment the movie offers. Cathy Tsui as Ah Jo depicts her frustration and gradual mellowing in the best way, while Anthony Wong as Uncle Ji adds an element of respectability and understanding in a rather measured performance.
The three main protagonists, however, are the ones who steal the show, both for their evident charisma, and their combined chemistry. Nicholas Tse as Tyler shows here why he became the star he is until today, with his constant struggle and resolve setting the tempo for the film. Wu Bai as Jack is as cool as one would expect from a rock star. Candy Lo as Ah Hui is always joyful to look at in the film, with her smile feeling the screen every time she appears on it. The angst and resolve she emits during the rather agonizing finale is the highlight of her performance
Evidently, there are parts in the script, as it is always the case in the classic HK action films, that do not make much sense. However, the fun and entertainment “Time and Tide” offers is so significant, that in the end, nothing else matters, in a movie that is a true joy to watch again and again.
