Time and Tide (can)
Hong Kong present day. A streetwise young man becomes a bodyguard to score quick cash. He soon befriends a once disillusioned mercenary determined to begin life anew with the woman he just married. Although the two men find themselves working together to foil an assassination attempt, their partnership is short-lived: gradually and through uncontrollable circumstances, they will unknowingly be propelled toward opposite sides of a deadly confrontation.
Starring: Nicholas Tse, Wu Bai, Anthony Wong, Candy Lo, Cathy Chui and Joventino Couto Remotigue.

What do you get with the marrying of world renowned director-producer Tsui Hark's unique brand of high-octane film-making, with Gen-X Cops action hero Nicholas Tse and Taiwan's legendary top-selling rock 'n' roll artiste Wu Bai? An adrenaline-pumping ride, no doubt.

'Time and Tide' did not disappoint. It's action-packed with lots of gun-play, and surprisingly, has a heart to it as well.

Nicholas Tse is Tyler, a young man just trying to earn a living by working in his uncle's bodyguard agency, where their clients usually consists of those from the underworld. But this is as far as his encounter with them goes. However, a chance encounter at a toy store with Jack (Wu Bai), a quiet man who is more than he seemed, spiraled Tyler into a complicated web of deceit and treachery that puts his life on the line.

The flow of the story may take you by surprise. People and things are not what it seems. We have a triad leader, a prodigal daughter, a band of erstwhile mercenaries from South America who comes to Hong Kong under the guise of businessmen, and who can forget the good ol' fashioned treachery and betrayal.

It is not wise for me to divulge much because the joy in watching the movie is to just watch it, and find things out as and when it happens.

Wu Bai is more popularly known as Taiwan's king of rock 'n' roll, so acting is not exactly his forte. Nonetheless, he carries himself decently well and besides, there isn't much to care about his acting when it's mostly gun-play. No freshie to the movie scene, Nicholas Tse is indeed one to watch out for. With the impending sequel to Gen-X Cops (aptly called Gen-Y Cops), no doubt we will see more high-action movies from this actor.

It is an excellent movie, and for those who are not Cantonese speaking, fret not. The subtitles are very good and I am able to follow the movie by depending on it. Slightly more than an hour and a half long, there is not at all a moment of boredom as the story is well paced out with its action and 'soft' spots and leaves you at times, though not at the edge of your seats, but close enough.