Tian xia wu zei (2004)

Director:

Xiaogang Feng

Writer:

Xiaogang Feng (writer)

Release Date:

9 December 2004 (China)

Genre:

Action | Drama

Plot:

A con-team couple (Andy Lau & Rene Liu) head west after taking a city businessman for his BMW. But an encounter with a naive young carpenter travelling home with his life savings challenges their fate as thieves. |

Plot Keywords:

Egg Tricks | Bad Wig | Train Journey

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Andy Lau	...	Wang Bo
Rene Liu	...	Wang Li
You Ge	...	Uncle Bill
Baoqiang Wang	...	Sha Gen
Bingbing Li	...	Xiao Ye
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Biao Fu	...	General Manager Liu
Ka Tung Lam	...	Four-eyes
Fan Xu
Yong You	...	Number Two
Hanyu Zhang	...	Han
Ping Zhong	...	Policewoman

Directed by
Xiaogang Feng

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Xiaogang Feng		writer

Cinematography by
Li Zhang

Production Design by
Rui Ah
Jun Li
Fengwu Liu
Wanjun Li

Costume Design by
Qihui Fan
Ping Zhong

Makeup Department
Jingxia Guo	....	makeup artist
Xiaoting Yu	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Yun Lao	....	production supervisor
Yimin Wang	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Di Huang	....	assistant director
Zhongzheng Xu	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jianqin Shen	....	sound mixer
Danrong Wang	....	sound designer

Visual Effects by
Jianquan Guo	....	visual effects director
Yaozu Huang	....	visual effects director

Other crew
Yun Lao	....	associate director

Production Companies

• Focus Films
• Huayi Brothers & Taihe Film Investment
• Media Asia Films
• Taihe Film Investment Co. Ltd.

Distributors

• Amuse Soft Entertainment (2007) (Japan) (DVD)
• China Film Group (2004) (China) (all media)
• Cinema Treasure (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• General Solutions (2007) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Media Asia Distribution (2004) (worldwide) (all media)
• Mega Star Video Distribution (2005) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Shaw Organisation (2004) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Xi Ying & Huayi Film Distribution (2004) (China) (all media)

Special Effects

• Hualong Digital Film Production Company

Other Companies

• Beijing Film and Video Laboratory  prints: Mainland China
• Keypoint & Cinerent Studio  sound post-production
• Mandarin Laboratory (International) Ltd.  prints: Hong Kong
• Mandarin Laboratory (International) Ltd.  subtitles
• Media Business Service Limited  dialogue dubbing: Cantonese
• Nine Entertainment  post-production facilities
• O.K. Post Production Co  dubbing supervision: Cantonese
• Tokyo Laboratory Co. Ltd.  film processing

Also Known As:

A World Without Thieves (International: English title)

Runtime:

113 min | China:100 min

Country:

China | Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Taiwan:PG-12 | Australia:M | Malaysia:U | Singapore:PG

Company:

Focus Films

Major Disappointment from talented crew

I have been a fan of Feng Xiaogang for quite some time, and of Ge You also - he is easily my favourite contemporary Chinese actor. However, this movie seems to miss the mark, in spite of the best efforts of talented actors Ge You, Rene Liu and Baoqiang Wang (from Blind Shaft). Whether Andy Lau acquitted himself well I could not judge, distracted as I was by the ridiculous wig he was wearing for most of the film.

The script sounds like a good idea, and on the whole believable, though the character of 'Dumbo' seems a bit too naive, even for a country bumpkin. The story was, at least, in the right spirit, and sufficiently melodramatic for such a 'holiday film'. The action sequences were well done, often highlighting the dexterous talent of the pickpockets.

What bothered me most, however, was the amount of shameless product placement - an assortment of brand names repeated in the credits. Feng Xiaogang has always tended towards commercialism, but oversteps the mark here. Perhaps the director should consider directing TV commercials as an outlet for this tendency.

In sum, this is a good-looking and mildly entertaining holiday film, with pretensions to depth, but too much commercialism to make it ring true.