Young and Dangerous 2- 1996
Starring: |
 
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After
his break up with Chan Ho Nam ( Ekin Cheng), Chicken ( Jordan Chan) left to
try his luck with his cousin ( Blackie Ko) in Taiwan. His cousin is a member
of the Taiwanese San Luen gang, and Chicken is allowed to join. Now back in
Hong Kong at the opening of Ho Nam's bar in Causeway Bay, Chicken relates his
story.
Chicken finds that gang life in Taiwan focuses more on politics than the extortion rampant in Hong Kong. When he overhears his boss wish for the death of one of his opponents, Chicken takes him at his word and does the deed. Soon he is climbing the ranks and finds himself taking care of his boss's wife (Chingmy Yau).
Meanwhile,
back in Hong Kong Chan Ho Nam has been named a possible successor to Uncle Bee's
Causeway Bay territory. Unfortunately, he is challenged by Tai Fei (Anthony
Wong), an unsavoury character with a habit of picking his nose. Mr Chiang (Simon
Yam) decides to split the the teritory in half, to give each a chance to show
what they are made of.
The
turf war rages and Ho Nam's girlfriend Sai is seriously hurt in a car accident.
As she lies in a coma Tai Fei arrives making demands and generally causing a
scene. Ho Nam is livid and in the ensuing stand off threatens to kill Tai Fei.
As
the stakes are raised, Chicken asks Ho Nam to arange a meeting between his boss
and Mr Chiang. It turns out that the Taiwan boss intends to lever himself into
a share of Hing Hung profits in Macau casinos, something that Chiang is not
willing to concede.
Later when the Taiwanese boss is murdered by his wife, Chicken and Ho Nam are framed for the murder. She takes over as leader of the gang. Tai Fei seems to side with the Taiwanese against his Hung Hing brothers, but he is really ferreting out the truth about the bad girl boss from Taiwan.
As
the new casino in Macau opens Ho Nam and his boys arrive to cause disruption
and mayhem, from snakes to grashoppers on the gaming tables and finally starting
a brawl in the lobby.
In the end punishment is metered out, Chicken being the one to destroy the Taiwanese bad girl whom he loves. Tai Fei comes clean and cedes Causeway Bay to Ho Nam.
This
second movie sets the tone for the movies to come. The expansion into Taiwan is
the beginning of what will eventually become an international network.
Much
of the film focuses on Chicken's experiences as a member of the San Luen gang
in Taiwan. Taiwan of course was controlled by the Japanese under the treaty
of Shimonseki for fifty years. In addition to Hong Kong and mainland influences,
Japanese culture is added to the mix. The Taiwanese Triad members, carry sword
sticks and wear geta. They want to be like the Yakusa.
This
is an engaging film. It has a complicated script and a lot of action. The Hung
Hing boys are much more comfortable in their roles than they were in the first
film, all turning in first rate performances.
Anthony Wong's character is a little silly in this movie, although he does become a regular in the movies that follow.
The Taiwanese boss role did
not really suit Chingmy Yau, she is a fine actress but seemed a little out of
her depth as this character. It is also not her real voice in the movie.
This movie doesn't have the energy and intensity of the first film. It is a 'setting the stage' for what is to come movie and suffers because of that. There is more angst among the members of Ho Nam's boys than in the earlier movie. There is also less comic book posturing as the film focuses on the actual realities of triad life.
In
the end the movie builds the characters well making us care what happens to
them. Thre movie leaves off rather anticlimactically, however Young and Dangerous
3 was already filming when this movie was released and it flows seamlessly into
the next, and probably the best film in the series.
The movie is available on VCD and on DVD. The DVD is distributed by Mei Ah. It has a Cantonese and Mandarin track. There are subtitles in English and Chinese.
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