Just like "Those were the days", "Winner takes all" seems to be an English phrase that those who translate Cantonese movie titles just can't seem to get enough of... At latest count, there are 5 movies with this title. The latest one, directed by Clifton Ko, and featuring an interesting mix between some of the old faces of HK cinema like Karl Maka and Sam Hui, and some hot new stars such as Nic Tse, Ruby Lin and Joey Yung, is an updated take on the trickster genre that just doesn't feel as up to date as it should. In fact, if it weren't for the presence of Nic Tse, this movie could well have been produced in the late eighties. It has the same mix of incredibly cheap production values, shoddy cinematography, cheesy soundtrack, inscrutable humor and undeveloped, non-sensical script that could be forgiven back then but is rather irritating now.

Figuring out some of the plot details is a rather fruitless endeavor, so providing a plot synopsis seems pointless. Suffice it to say you have a bunch of wannabe con artists led by Nic Tse trying to outsmart a legendary grifter, with predictable results, as well as a number of ideas swiped from other movies such as Thomas Crown Affair (only less well executed). The actors don't have much to work with, and with the exception of Joey Yung, who plays her character as if she were Shu Qi (except that she lacks the charm to carry this of successfully), they remain bland and essentially forgettable.

In fact, the whole movie is forgettable. Not recommended.