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ReviewBack to the Past movie review: Louis Koo, Raymond Lam lead nostalgic sequel to TVB series
This big-budget sci-fi fantasy may be an emotional watch for fans of the 2001 Hong Kong show A Step into the Past, even if it falls short
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3/5 stars
A film does not need to be a masterpiece to become a megahit, provided it strikes the perfect chord. Few contemporary Hong Kong releases prove this better than Back to the Past, a subpar historical sci-fi fantasy that is saved – and arguably even transcended – by the potent wave of nostalgia it inspires in its target audience.
An effects-driven action adventure that picks up where the 2001 TVB drama series A Step into the Past left off, this long-gestating sequel co-directed by Ng Yuen-fai (Warriors of Future) and Jack Lai Chun-lung (Possession Street) is a must-see for those who regard the early 2000s as the last great era for Hong Kong entertainment.
To put its improbability in perspective, the big-budget production was only possible because Louis Koo Tin-lok – the actor and pop singer who played his last TVB role in that beloved original series – has since become not just Hong Kong cinema’s most prolific leading man, but also one of its most influential studio bosses.
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