I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

The Adventurers is a Hong Kong action-thriller by experienced director Stephen Fung who had been responsible for movies such as Tai Chi Zero in the past. Starring Hong Kong star veteran Andy Lau as lead actor, Taiwan's Qi Shu as lead actress and French star Jean Reno as leading supporting character, the film tells the story of a thief who got betrayed by an unknown opponent while trying to steal one out of three valuable pieces of jewelry that form an incredibly valuable necklace. After spending five years in prison, the thief wants to complete his mission by stealing the three pieces of jewelry and uncovering those who betrayed him five years earlier. The skilled thief teams up with two youngsters and his former boss but can't be sure whom to trust, must face a determined French cop and has to deal with his former girlfriend who wants him to settle down.The Adventurers convinces with an intriguing story with a few twists and turns in the last third that keep you hooked until the very end. The numerous star actors deliver the goods. Andy Lau convinces as skilled thief who looks balanced on the outside but feels tormented inside. Qi Shu impresses as expressive and quirky thief who easily seduces men to take advantage of them. Jean Reno is great as haunted police officer who has his very own reasons to try to bring the thief down.The film also intrigues with numerous charming locations around Cannes in France and Prague in Czech Republic. The thieves have to rob out a French auction house, a Chinese star actress and a Czech castle in the forest.The movie convinces with tense situations where the thieves have to deal with unexpected opponents and difficult security systems leading to intense car chases and dramatic standoffs. They have to use technology, talent and intellect to solve numerous challenging problems.The camera work is enjoyably calm for a contemporary action-thriller. Instead of focusing on shaky cameras for a more immersve experience, the director opted for precise shots that point out the thieves' cleverness which was the right decision. There are only a few minor elements that kept this film away from being more than a good movie. First of all, the story of the film is partially inspired by John Woo's Killer Target. Some sources call this film a remake but I wouldn't go that far. Still, the resemblances are at times obvious. I always prefer original movies with new scripts over films copying or honoring classics.Secondly, as so many Hong Kong action flicks, this movie also tries to include a few slapstick elements. However, these elements are quite wooden here and only distract from the interesting characters, locations and plot. It also takes away from the thieves' credibility when they are joking around on their extremely dangerous missions.Thirdly, this film really didn't need any stereotypical love stories but includes two rather shallow examples of it. First of all, the relation between the veteran thief and his former girlfriend is predictable and shallow and doesn't add much to the movie. The script could have cut out and re-written these passages for a more vivid pace without too many unnecessary flashbacks. However, the second love story is even less intriguing and also adds some unwelcome slapstick elements to the film. The younger male thief constantly tries to impress the younger female thief and behaves like an inexperienced teenager while his arrogant love interest rejects his attempts in an overtly cool and dramatic way. Their relationship doesn't add anything to the story and even makes the characters less credible because personal and professional interests shoulnd't interfere when you're trying to raid a higly secured castle in the middle of nowhere.Still, The Adventurers is an entertaining action-thriller with an intelligent plot, very solid acting performances, beautiful locations and costumes, interesting and challenging situations and smooth camera work. Despite a few flaws such as references to another movie, slapstick elements and shallow love stories, The Adventurers will entertain you from start to finish.

Gotta be honest here, I turned it off about halfway through so I'll give it a five rating. Just in case it somehow switched the entire cast, the plot, the special effects guy, the script, the editor, the endless production companies and their credits and anything else connected with this movie. Miracles can happen. I'll say one thing.. the movie is almost a throwback to 1950's big American studio productions set in Europe. You know the ones, they always featured swaggering laughing self-confident Americans doing wondrous things amidst the baffled and sluggish Europeans. As a sign of those times and American confidence, every one of those movies is unwatchable now. I suspect in a few years as China pretty much takes over the world this movie will be seen as insightful into their viewpoint.

For a bunch of Chinese thieves going abroad to France did a heist? Are you serious? How the Chinese movie makers would have dreamed up with such stupid and pretentious scenarios? Again, I can not but have to point out that the Chinese people nowadays are just so obsessed to everything NOT Chinese but WESTERN COUNTRIES in the WESTERN WORLD. Since when the Chinese started to drink red wine or white wine as their daily common drinks instead of oolong or green tea? Since when your wedding ceremonies got to be held in a foreign country or on a popular foreign island and, well, your bride-to-be or wife-to-be would consider you a loser or don't-love-her-enough if you don't marry her in a western church in an E.U. country? Why your bride's wedding gown must be in white, why her garland in her hands must be red, yellow or pink roses, the music got to be that specific segment from a western opera? Why the Chinese honeymooners got to go abroad so the newly wedded couple would not feel ashamed to enjoy if their new marriages starting in their own country?This pretentious film fell into the similar pretentiousness with no- limit budget, they moved their background localities scenes to France. Don't you guys know that a bunch of Chinese who would stand out like sore thumbs in Europe even they were just tourists albeit a bunch of Chinese YO-YOs committing a heist, a serious crime? Since the budget was unlimited, so they signed up a bunch of the French actors playing detective or whoever they might have to be, making them chase after those Chinese who without any logistic difficulties, equipped with high tech devices, exotic cars and motorcycles....whatever they could throw into the scenes.Based upon what I have mentioned above at the outset, Chinese thieves, like most of the Chinese who are getting married, are not interested in stealing from any Chinese city; they are not interested to rob a bank in China, or try to do a heist on their Chinese national museum, instead, they move abroad, to play cat-and-mouse game with the French cops. Yeah, right. The stupidity simply couldn't stop right here. When the rich Chinese women started buying COACH purses, it soon became a national MUST-HAVE to most of the other Chinese women, maid servant, waitresses, street peddlers, teachers, cleaning women....every woman in China wanted to own a COACH purse or bag, and sooner than later, no rich Chinese woman would dare to shoulder a COACH bag around, they moved up to HERMES; then the COACH brand was totally ruined in China, even the women in lower class don't want it no more. I have to warn the Chinese movie makers not to ridicule yourselves putting a bunch of the Chinese actors/characters to do anything in foreign countries, legal or illegal, romantic or whatever, just don't do it with a foreign background, because it'd just look false, phony and pretentious. "Let Caesar has what belongs to him and let the Romans have theirs", so better stay in China and likewise, do the crimes in China. The E.U. countries already got their own immigrants and refugees problems, they don't want a bunch of Chinese criminals to further mess up their infrastructure or their livelihood.What happens in China, stay in China; better spending your easily earned Renminbi in China, making your movies in China; there's absolutely nothing wrong to be a Chinese or drinking tea instead of red wine. Homeless Americans all speaking American English, your kids don't have to register into the international schools in China to learn English.

Really enjoyed it, great action with a good plot, Chinese movies are getting every bit as good as Hollywood if not better in some genres. I really liked the beautiful scenery and locations around the world the film took place in. The actors and actresses were really good in this movie. Recommended to watch this good movie.