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3\/5 stars<\/strong><\/p>\n 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<\/em>, a subpar historical sci-fi fantasy that is saved \u2013 and arguably even transcended \u2013 by the potent wave of nostalgia it inspires in its target audience.<\/p>\n Still, no amount of star power is enough to salvage Lily He Xin\u2019s slack screenplay, which revolves around an inexplicable premise: that Ken (Michael Miu Kiu-wai in a newly created role), the inventor of the time machine used in the series \u2013 itself adapted from Huang Yi\u2019s novel \u2013 is seeking revenge after being \u201cwrongly imprisoned\u201d for two decades.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nAn effects-driven action adventure that picks up where the 2001 TVB drama series A Step into the Past<\/em> left off, this long-gestating sequel co-directed by Ng Yuen-fai (Warriors of Future<\/em><\/span>) and Jack Lai Chun-lung (Possession Street<\/em><\/span>) is a must-see for those who regard the early 2000s as the last great era for Hong Kong entertainment.<\/div>\nTo put its improbability in perspective, the big-budget production was only possible because Louis Koo Tin-lok<\/span> \u2013 the actor and pop singer who played his last TVB<\/span> role in that beloved original series \u2013 has since become not just Hong Kong cinema\u2019s most prolific leading man, but also one of its most influential studio bosses.<\/div>\n