Caught in Time

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Caught in Time
Original promotional poster
Simplified Chinese除じょ暴
Literal meaningeliminate the violent criminals
Hanyu Pinyinchúbào
Directed byLau Ho-Leung (劉りゅう浩ひろし良りょう)
Screenplay byLau Ho-Leung
Liang Hong (洪ひろし亮あきら)
Produced byHan Sanping
Starring
Production
companies
Emperor Motion Pictures
Lian Ray Pictures
正夫まさお影かげ业
Distributed byEmperor Motion Pictures
Release date
  • 20 November 2020 (2020-11-20)
Running time
95 minutes
CountriesHong Kong
Mainland China
LanguageStandard Chinese
Box officeRMB 538 million,[1] US$80,620,075[2]

Caught in Time (Chinese: 除じょ暴) is a 2020 Hong Kong/Chinese crime action film based on the robber and serial killer Zhang Jun. It is the second film from director Lau Ho-Leung, after Two Thumbs Up. It stars Wang Qianyuan, Daniel Wu, Jessie Li, and Michelle Wai.[3]

Plot[edit]

Set in southern China in the 1990s, the film follows detective Zhong Cheng as he tracks the "Eagle Gang", a sophisticated, well-trained, and ruthless group of robbers led by gangster Zhang Sun (codename "Falcon"), over the course of years.[4][5][6][7] The gang members commit a series of horrendous crimes, and Zhang Sun taunts the detective by pulling down his mask to show his face. A cat-and-mouse game ensues as Zhong Cheng works to find the gang.[8] The chase ends with a shirtless battle between Zhong Cheng and Zhang Sun in a bathhouse.[9]

The film is based on a real string of robberies and murders committed by Zhang Jun, who was dubbed "China's number one outlaw" when he was active in the 1990s. Zhang Jun killed or injured around 50 people before being apprehended in September 2000 and executed the next year.[10][11]

Cast[edit]

Production[edit]

Production officially started on 13 November 2018 in Jiangmen, Guangdong,[15] and principal photography was finished in January 2019.[16] Filming locations included Heshan,[17] Jiangmen,[18] and Zhongshan, Guangdong.[16] Reportedly, Wang Qianyuan and Daniel Wu nearly injured themselves trying to make the action as realistic as possible.[16] Wang also said in an interview that in preparation for the shirtless fight scene at the end of the film, he and Wu spent 40 days on a diet and exercise regimen to tone their muscles.[19] Michelle Wai started getting tanned and gaining weight about six months before shooting began in preparation for her role as a 1990s police officer.[20] The production used a total of 48 guns, 6,243 blank cartridges, and 4,312 explosive cartridges.[16]

The film's working title was 限きり期き破やぶ案あん; Xiànqī Pò'àn, literally "Solving the case in time", but in September 2020 the title was changed to 除じょ暴; Chúbào, literally "Getting rid of outlaws", in support of the ongoing law enforcement campaign to crack down on underworld crimes.[6]

Release and reception[edit]

Though originally planned for a 2019 release,[16] the film was released in China on 20 November 2020, after screenings on 14 and 15 November. Screening audiences rated it 8.8 out of 10 on Taopiaopiao and Maoyan. Among their reactions were sentiments like "Now I understand why China is one of the safest countries in the world nowadays" and "Being a police officer back then was really tough".[21] It was also released in Australia on 10 December 2020.[22][4]

The weekend of its release, Caught in Time was the top-grossing film internationally.[23] It was the box office number-one film in China for weeks 47–48 of 2020.

It received mixed reviews.[24] Jiemian News wrote that the film was bold and innovative for adapting the style of classic Hong Kong crime films to the context of mainland China, but noted that not all viewers were pleased with this choice.[11] Critic Dong Jing said that after an exciting first half, the second half of the film was disappointing and Zhong Cheng's character was not developed enough, but she still felt the film was worth watching.[25] The film was praised for its detailed recreation of 1990s China.[9]

Viewers enjoyed the final fight scene in the bathhouse. While commentators praised the realistic punches, they also joked that the men kept their towels on improbably well. "Daniel Wu's towel never falls off even when he fights" became one of the top searches on Weibo.[9]

Sequel[edit]

On 3 December 2020, a sequel was announced. Caught in Time 2 will feature the same cast, and director Lau Ho-Leung is writing the screenplay.[26][needs update]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "除じょ暴". 貓眼電でん影かげ. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  2. ^ "The biggest movies of 2020 by box-office". Digital Spy. 15 December 2020. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  3. ^ 沈洛嘉よしみ (15 January 2019). "【除じょ暴】吳ご彥祖繼ままし《旺角黑くろ夜よる》再演さいえん內地犯はん 大賊たいぞく造型ぞうけい夠兇狠". 香港ほんこん01. Archived from the original on 19 July 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  4. ^ a b Gray, Richard (9 December 2020). "Review: Caught In Time". The Reel Bits. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  5. ^ "Trailer [2]: 'Caught in Time'". Far East Films. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  6. ^ a b "王おう千源吴彦祖新片《限きり期き破やぶ案あん》更さら名めい《除じょ暴》". 3g.163.com (in Chinese). 24 September 2020. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Caught in Time tops China's box office". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  8. ^ "王おう千せん源げん&吴彦祖そ新片しんかた《除じょ暴》定てい档". Mtime. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  9. ^ a b c "电影《除じょ暴》首くび周しゅう末まつ票ひょう房ぼう破やぶ2亿 - 粉こな丝网星ぼし闻". news.ifensi.com. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  10. ^ a b c "《除じょ暴》近こん期き最さい爽！吴彦祖そ演えんじ中国ちゅうごく第だい一いち悍匪，原型げんけい5个情妇，极凶残ざん_张君". www.sohu.com (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  11. ^ a b "《除じょ暴》与あずか"香港ほんこん悍匪电影宇宙うちゅう"". 界面かいめん. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  12. ^ "专访《除じょ暴》主演しゅえん卫诗雅みやび：演えんじ戏是我わが生なま命中めいちゅう的てき能のう量りょう". 豆まめ瓣べん (in Chinese (China)). Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  13. ^ "王おう千せん源げん吳くれ彥祖《除じょ暴》破やぶ3億鮑起靜神演技一個眼神詮釋悍匪母親". ent.ynet.com 北きた青あお網もう (in Chinese (China)). 27 November 2020. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  14. ^ "《除じょ暴》破やぶ3億おく，鮑あわび起おこり靜せい出で鏡きょう2分ふん鍾展教科書きょうかしょ級きゅう演技えんぎ". k.sina.cn 新しん浪なみ網もう 揚子ようこ晚ばん報ほう (in Chinese (China)). Sina Corp. 28 November 2020. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  15. ^ "吴彦祖そ王おう千せん源げん警匪片へん《限きり期き破やぶ案あん》开机". content.mtime.com. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  16. ^ a b c d e "王おう千源吴彦祖主演《限きり期き破やぶ案あん》杀青". Mtime时光网. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  17. ^ "火ひ了りょう！热播大だい片へん《除じょ暴》在ざい鹤山取と景けい，你看过了吗？". 鹤山发布 (in Chinese). 27 November 2020. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  18. ^ "电影《除じょ暴》热映，江こう门取景けい地ち走はし红朋友ほうゆう圈けん！跟着影かげ片へん游ゆう五ご邑"天然てんねん影かげ棚だな"". 江こう门市广电文化ぶんか旅たび游ゆう局きょく (in Chinese). 27 November 2020. Archived from the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  19. ^ "文ぶん艺星开讲丨王千せん源げん：别丢掉，对表演えんじ的てき执着与あずか热爱". culture.people.com.cn. Archived from the original on 27 February 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  20. ^ "韩三平さんぺい：90年代ねんだい犯罪はんざい猖獗しょうけつ，电影反映はんえい真ま实情况 - Mtime时光网 文章ぶんしょう详情". content.mtime.com. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  21. ^ "导演刘浩良りょう为《除じょ暴》主しゅ题曲MV作さく词". ent.ynet.com (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  22. ^ "Caught in Time - Financial Information Australia". The Numbers. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  23. ^ Tartaglione, Nancy (24 November 2020). "'Demon Slayer' Overtakes 'Frozen' In Japan, Now Market's 3rd Biggest Film Ever – International Box Office". Deadline. Archived from the original on 18 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  24. ^ "Box office hopes to finish strong". China Daily. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
  25. ^ "《除じょ暴》： 吴彦祖そ、王おう千せん源げん、韩三さん平ひら"三さん王おう牌ぱい"打だ了りょう一いち个遗憾". 界面かいめん. Archived from the original on 14 February 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  26. ^ "《除じょ暴》大だい卖，《除じょ暴2》官かん宣せん启动". 时光网 (in Chinese). 3 December 2020. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2021.

External links[edit]

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