RUNNING OUT OF TIME 2 (2001)
In the past there seemed to have been an unspoken rule in which hit movies from Hong Kong got weirdly overwritten sequels. Certain key elements, usually major stars, would be lost along the way. In their place were odd story developments that tried to overcompensate for this absence. The likes of Project A Part II and A Chinese Ghost Story 2 come to mind. The charm of the original character dynamics are gone, replaced by convoluted story lines that are fun but don’t quite work. In the case of Running Out of Time there’s an immediate problem – the original premise cannot be repeated. But since well received films demand a follow-up here we are again. It wants to be cool, and it wants to maintain the magic. The slick visual style and the quirky music are still present and correct. However the script and the characters leave a lot to be desired.
