Once a Thief: Complete Series

item arrived in good condition

love this show

I remember this show when it initially aired on CTV in Canada. I took an immediate liking to it and was extremely disappointed that it was cancelled after one season. The episodes were well-written and performed and came off very well despite the low-budget. Even better that it was filmed and set in Vancouver.John Woo directed the two-hour movie that served as the pilot for the series. I won't rehash the plot too much but the love triangle between the three leads is both amusing and touching. By the last four episodes it becomes clear which man Li Ann Tsei (Sandrine Holt) belongs with, which unfortunately due to the series cancellation, was not explored further, but if you watch it from the beginning you'll have it figured out. Holt has great chemistry with both her leading men, Ivan Sergei (as Mac Ramsey) and Nicholas Lea (as Victor Mansfield), who of course, also had a prominent recurring role on the hit TV series "The X-Files". Rounding out the main cast is Jennifer Dale, who plays "The Director" of the agency that the trio works for. In the latter part of the season, Vicky Pratt became a semi-regular as a former mob queen who is eager to be "reformed" (cough). Canadian viewers will also get a kick out the guest stars, which include Colin Mochrie, Ron Lea, Pat Mastroianni and Katherine Greenwood, just to name a few. Michael Wong is also a standout in his appearances.While each disc starts with an advisory about condition of the source material, for the most part the picture is very good, with only minor issues here and there. The show has aged quite well, and the music and wardrobe is just another reason to love it. As another reviewer pointed out, the writers did some clever spoofs of "The X-Files", "The Maltese Falcon" and the "James Bond" series of films. Humor, action, romance and drama abound. The only special feature is an alternate ending, which was evidently used when the show later aired in the US. I wasn't aware that there was an alternate ending until recently, and it's a good option for those who didn't like the way the series ended.The only thing that is jarring is that the 17th episode, "Little Sister" was obviously shot earlier in the season; key factors give this away, and that makes the continuity a bit confusing. Why the episode aired so late is anybody's guess.On the whole, I was pleased to be able to watch this show again, and even catch up on the few episodes that I missed. While "Once A Thief" had a brief life on television, the show lives on in the hearts of its fans.

John Woo's Once a Thief has two problems. First is a title that was good for the pilot, but not so accurate for the TV series. The second is the main characters are rather bland. **sigh** However, it does have one thing very much in the plus column. Jennifer Dale steals every scene. It's worth the price of the series just for her 'Director' character. Totally unpredictable and exciting when she appears. Otherwise, the action is quite good, but the plots are only of the 'okay' variety.

John Woo's Once a Thief became a series filmed in Canada; this cast has amazing chemistry! The writing is superb, the timing is masterful, the gun fights are classic Woo - if nothing else the gun battles alone make this a must watch. A funny, sexy, action experience.This is the complete SIX disc set, not one disc as it says in the description!

Once a Thief Series first aired about 15 years ago and was cancelled after one season. The series apparently never had a huge budget the producers could rely on. Accordingly the image material is old and cannot compete with today's flashy high-resolution visual imagery, the same for the sound track.Although the series is labelled "John Woo's", it does not put martial arts fights first, these have quite a share still. It is rather a tongue-in-cheek portrait of the (wrong)doings of shady agents and criminals, namely three protagonists (Li Ann Tsei, Mac Ramsey and Victor Mansfield) who have a criminal past. You can either enjoy the many references - to well-known spy epopee (James Bond) or other series of its time (The X files) - or simply delight in the funny and many a time crazy story lines on terrorists, out-of-control law enforcement, mob bosses, etc. The episodes have, strictly speaking, not the character of a thriller but are rather 'comedy'. In case you don't know the series already, you will probably take pleasure in pinpointed and timed dialogues, the protagonists' diverting love triangle and bizarre fighting scenarios.The price-performance ratio is quite good. Whether I will re-watch the DVDs, I can't tell. This series definitely has many charming aspects and it's a shame it was by and large ignored.

I'm so happy this great show is finally available on DVD, even if it's not in hi-def. The stories and actors are superb. The seller shipped the item in record time. Highly recommended.