Reviewed by: dalvin Date: 02/24/2009 Summary: Some funny moments The plot itself has been done a million times before, Ass gets his due, realizes his faults, makes amends and learns his lesson. But, there are moments that make this film enjoyable and funny. The scene when Ratmond(Chan) goes back to his old job to bum 20 dollars from his former secretary, he bascically scares her into giving him money, but only comes away with a quarter. The scen whe he gets 300$ from his ex and the lunch bill unknowingly to him comes to 310$ and the dialog from the homosexual waiter who can't keep his hands of Raymond. The Bus scene is the funniest scene in the movie and I won't spoil it for you as well as the scene when he decides to swim to kowloon. Nothing classic or great about this film, but it has enough funny moments that you won't be bored with it, I also doubt you'll watch it a second time, i'm satisfied with my purchase, but I can't say I won't watch this a second, it's just highly unlikely that I will. Jordan Chan is great(as usual) in this. I recommend this movie to any Jordan Chan fans(such as myself) or anyone looking to kill some time with a few laughs. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: Sydneyguy Date: 07/24/2006 Summary: Agree with cpardo I felt like this is an alternative version to the MR SCROUGE story and it is a interesting premise. Unfortunately, it became tedious and boring at times. Chapman To, for once, was annoying to me. Usually his roles he plays to perfection, this movie is one where i feel the script let him down to be a caricature. Jordan Chan is always great, despite him always looking like he cruises through all his roles. Minimal laughs but i feel good ending helps this movie which potentially could of been so much better, especially with its interesting premise. Disappointed!! Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: cpardo Date: 05/10/2006 Summary: Interesting and humorous drama Raymond Mak is a selfish, thoughtless businessman who goes to work one day and finds out he's being fired. It's fine with him as he's already been offered a new job at another company, provided he can get from HK Island to Kowloon (Tsim Sha Tsui) by 5pm for an interview. That'd be no problem, but everything including the kitchen sink that could go wrong does go wrong for him, losing his wallet/ID, thereby not being able get any of his money for transportation. None of his friends or colleagues will help, as they heard of his firing AND the fact that he treated every one of them badly in the past. When he's hit rock bottom, he promises to do good if he can get across Hong Kong Harbour... This is very interesting premise for a film. And usually it IS pretty easy and fast to get from the HK Island side to the Kowloon side in Hong Kong (I've done it before). But poor Jordan Chan just can't get a break. Early on I can see where this movie is going--everything and everyone won't make it easy for Chan's character. I admit it got tedious after a while and I wanted to say, "Oh, man. Not again. Why can't he get there?" But Mak suffers from that old saying: what goes around comes around, or the more you give the more you get back. But the ending is pleasant, and the cast is pretty good. It's a good first try for director Simon Lou. Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: j.crawford Date: 09/02/2005 Summary: Simon Loui directs his first feature Cineaste Simon Loui directs his first feature after years of being in front of the camera. Loui has been involved in the screen writing of several popular films [Killer, Paramount Motel, Last Ghost Standing] and he wrote this script with Chan Tai Li and Lee Ho Cheung. Film is an easy going comedy featuring Jordan Chan and Chapman To as protagonist and local cop respectively. Jordan Chan plays Raymond Mak, a hard-nosed, cold-hearted businessman who has the bad day from hell. After he gets fired from his high powered job, he lines up another job right away with a rival company. He must get from Hong Kong to Kowloon by 5pm or lose this opportunity. He gets robbed at knife point and without identity papers or cash gets to suffer numerous trails, tribulations and setbacks in his attempts to cross the harbor. Simon Loui gets quirky, enjoyable performances from his two stars and fills the movie with oddball cameo appearances by some of Hong Kong's finest comedic actors. Lots of local movie industry inside jokes and sight gags to keep you amused along with the corny morality lesson about being a good person in today's harsh world. copyright 2005 john crawford [en español] Cineasta Simon Loui dirige su primer largometraje después de años de estar en frente de la cámara. Loui ha estado involucrado en la escritura de pantalla de varias películas populares [Killer, Motel Paramount, De pie último fantasma] y escribió el guión con Chan Li Tai Ho y Lee Cheung. La película es una comedia fácil ir con Jordan Chan y Chapman como protagonista y policía local, respectivamente. Jordan Chan interpreta a Raymond Mak, un puro y duro, de corazón frío hombre de negocios que tiene el mal día del infierno. Después de que él es despedido de su trabajo de alta potencia, que se alinea otro trabajo de inmediato con una compañía rival. Él debe llegar desde Hong Kong a Kowloon las 5pm o perder esta oportunidad. Él se robó a punta de cuchillo y sin documentos de identidad o dinero en efectivo llega a sufrir numerosos senderos, tribulaciones y reveses en sus intentos de cruzar el puerto. Simon Loui se extravagantes y divertidas actuaciones de sus dos estrellas y se llena la película con apariciones extrañas por algunos de los mejores actores de comedia de Hong Kong. Mucha de la industria local de la película dentro de chistes y gags visuales para que te diviertas a lo largo de la lección moral cursi acerca de ser una buena persona en el duro mundo de hoy. copyright 2012 john crawford Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: mrblue Date: 02/01/2005 Maybe I'm suffering from a bit of writer's block, but I don't really have that much to say about Escape from Hong Kong Island. Perhaps it's because I'm not from Hong Kong or speak Cantonese and don't get a lot of the jokes, but honestly, I didn't find anything of interest in the movie. On the other hand, nothing really stuck out as being truly bad either. Try as I might, I just can't work up any real feelings over this film. Escape from Hong Kong Island is really just a straight-up average-as-vanilla movie. The story about a cocky stock trader (played by Jordan Chan) who gets mugged and must still try to get across Hong Kong Harbour to meet his new boss is really nothing special. The actors (even Chapman To, who plays a cop who hounds Jordan) do a good job, but nothing great. The jokes are funny, but nothing side-splitting here. Do you get the point yet? Fans of Jordan Chan will probably dig this movie more than the average viewer, but frankly, Escape from Hong Kong Island is so luke-warm that I can't see anyone getting all that worked up about it. [review from www.hkfilm.net]