Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

Running Out of Time 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 23, 2022

Law Wing-cheong and Johnnie To's "Running Out of Time 2" (2001) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy Eureka Entertainment. The supplemental features on the release include cast and crew interviews; Yves Montmayeur's documentary "Hong Kong Stories"; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In Cantonese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A/B "locked".

In the sequel to Running out of Time, police negotiator Ho Sheung-sang (Lau Ching-Wan, Mad Detective, Overheard) is once again challenged by a handsome thief (Ekin Cheng, The Storm Warriors) who likes to play games. This time around, however, the thief, whose name is never mentioned throughout the film, also happens to be a skillful magician with a seemingly endless arsenal of tricks.

The two men meet after Ho Sheung-sang uncovers that the thief plans to blackmail the beautiful and ambitious CEO of a large corporation. To protect an important deal which could collapse if news reaches the market that the corporation is being manipulated, Teresa (Kelly Lin, Fulltime Killer, Reign Of Assassins) agrees to pay the thief - but Ho Sheung-sang and his men intercept their phone calls and go after him.

What ensues is a classic cat-and-mouse game in which Ho Sheung-sang and the thief constantly try to outsmart each other. Rather reluctantly, Teresa also joins the game and eventually warms up to Ho Sheung-sang. The two try to track down the thief after they discover that he has a pet eagle that follows him around Hong Kong, but somehow he always manages to evade them.

Meanwhile, one of Ho Sheung-sang’s colleagues (Suet Lam, Exiled, Accident) is warned by his creditors that it is time for him to pay off his debt. When he fails to do so, the creditors use metal bars to convince him that they very much want their money back. While blaming his luck for his pain and suffering, the cop meets the thief and he tries to teach him an important lesson.

Unlike Running out of Time, Running out of Time 2 is a rather predictable affair which basically focuses on the chase sequences and leaves Ho Sheung-sang struggling to find a logical explanation why the thief is always more than a few steps ahead of him. The majority of these sequences are well choreographed and shot, but they lack the intensity that made the first film special.

Another weakness the film has is the underdeveloped relationships between Ho Sheung-sang and Teresa and the miserable cop and the thief. The latter, in particular, adds little of substance to the film. The former shows some potential after Teresa warms up to Ho Sheung-sang but the romantic overtones there are quickly lost when they begin looking for the thief’s pet eagle. The focus of attention is then shifted to a series of MTV-esque clips that feel like they were shot to impress foreigners debating whether to visit Hong Kong.

Once again there is plenty of light humor. There is hardly any groundbreaking material here, but overall the mix of action and humor is unlikely to disappoint viewers who liked the tone of the first film.

The acting is decent. Lau Ching-Wan clearly stands out from the rest of the cast, but there are scenes where it feels like he isn’t used to his full potential. The beautiful Kelly Lin is asked to play an incredibly transparent character and she never manages to impress. Ekin Cheng is likeable but his thief is definitely not as exciting as Andy Lau’s.

Produced by Johnnie To’s Milkyway Image, Running Out of Time 2 was lensed by cinematographer Cheng Siu-keung (Johnnie To’s Running on Karma, Sparrow, Life Without Principle).

Running Out of Time 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Running Out of Time II arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eureka Entertainment.

The technical presentation of Running of Out of Time 2 is every bit as underwhelming as that of Running Out of Time. For example, there are many areas of the film with outdoor and indoor footage where depth simply isn't proper (see screencaptures #3 and 10). Grain once again tends to be very noisy and in darker areas collapses and flattens existing detail. It is very easy to tell that in many areas the dynamic range of the visuals is off as well (see screencapture #5). Color balance isn't very convincing either. Saturation could and should be quite a bit better, plus various supporting darker nuances are not properly expanded. To be honest, this isn't how a proper 2K master should look. Image stability is very good. (Note: This release plays perfectly on my Region-A player).

Running Out of Time 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Mandarin DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I viewed the entire film with the Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. I did not encounter any anomalies to report in our review. Clarity, sharpness, depth, and stability were excellent. While this should not be surprising, I must mention that on the old Blu-ray release that I have in my library balance could be improved. The English translation is definitely better.

Running Out of Time 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary - this audio commentary was recorded by Asian film expert Frank Djeng.

• The Making of Running Out of Time 2 - this archival program was shot during the production of Running Out of Time 2. It features clips from cast and crew interviews and raw footage from the shooting of the film. (6 min)

• Hong Kong Stories - this documentary was produced by Yves Montmayeur (Johnnie Got His Gun!) and takes a closer look at Hong Kong cinema mythology. With English subtitles where necessary. (50 min).

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for Running Out of Time 2. In Cantonese, with English subtitles. (3 min).

• Gallery - a collection of vintage promotional materials for Running Out of Time.

• Booklet - a collector's booklet featuring new writing on both films by David West

Running Out of Time 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I can only recommend this release for the fine archival bonus features and particularly Yves Montmayeur documentary about Hong Kong cinema mythology. The sequel to Running Out of Time isn't a good film, but if you see the original film, you will like want to spend a night with it. Regrettably, I find its technical presentation unconvincing as well. The two films are included in this two-disc box set.