63. The Moon Thieves; movie review

 

THE MOON THIEVES

Cert 15

108 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong violence

Call it scepticism or even cynicism, but I doubted whether a movie starring a boy band would be enthralling.

However, three of the superstars from Hong Kong's Mirror proved me wrong - The Moon Thieves is a rollicking good heist film.

There are echoes of Ocean's 11 in Kim-Wai Yeun's picture, with a few giggles alongside some meaty action.

Meanwhile, the planning and execution of the robbery are smart and precise.

The Moon Thieves stars Mirror's Keung To as a young crime boss who has taken over from his respected father.

Unfortunately, he doesn't have his dad's intelligence, loyalty or charisma, so he replaces them with intimidation via extreme violence.

Indeed, he shows off these tactics to his assembled crew before sending them on an audacious robbery of ultra-luxury watches due for auction in Japan, leaving them in fear failure.

The versatile Louis Cheung, recently seen in Table For Six 2, plays his no-nonsense planner whose detail can be accompanied by brute force.

Their reluctant recruits are a watch connoisseur (Edan Lui), an expert safe-cracker (Anson Lo) and an explosives guru (Michael Ning).

They are then sent to Japan to raid a jeweller with Fort Knox-like security.

They then discover that their targets are in the same safe as the Moonwatch worn by Buzz Aldrin during the Apollo 11 and long thought to have been lost.

I found The Moon Thieves fast-paced and enjoyable and warmed to the different characters.

I can also honestly report that I would not have known the pop stars were not regular movie actors such is their positive impact.

There aren't many heist movies nowadays, and after watching this, I thought that's a pity.

Reasons to watch: Fast-paced heist movie

Reasons to avoid: Bit too much fighting

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7.5/10

Did you know? Although Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong was first to set foot on the Moon, he left his 105.012 Speedmaster behind as a backup because the lunar module's electronic timer had malfunctioned. So, Buzz Aldrin's Speedmaster became the first watch to be worn on the Moon.

The final word. Anson Lo: "We want to get on some talk shows in the United States as well, or any Hollywood movies, TV, live performances. Yes, please invite us." Variety

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