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Editorial Reviews
These films, in the spirit of the Infernal Affairs Trilogy which inspired The Departed, are to Hong Kong triad cinema what The Godfather II and Goodfellas are to US mob cinema. The collection features Election, Triad Election and Triad Underworld.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Triad Trilogy? More Like A Great Film, Its Exemplary Sequel, And A Solid Stand Alone
January 21, 2012
Format:DVD
Note: This set includes Johnny To's 2005 "Election" and its 2006 sequel "Triad Election" (also known as Election 2). Then there is the completely unrelated 2004 film called "Triad Underwold" (or Gong Wu).
Director Johnny To has scored with two terrifically complex thrillers that stand in worthy comparison to "The Godfather" saga. The character arcs are quite similar with Louis Koo being the Hong Kong equivalent of Pacino in these films. There is brutality, even graphic bloodshed, within these two stories. But it serves a greater purpose and fits, however surprisingly, into the machinations of the principle characters. More politically and strategically savvy than comparable genre pictures, the "Election" films are largely distinguished by smart and believable scripts. Each film certainly stands alone (and individually I might rate them at 4 and 4 1/2 stars respectively), but together they are a 5 star epic.
Election: "Election" revolves around the passing of the power baton within one of Hong Kong's largest crime syndicates. With two principle candidates in the running for the looming election, there seems a clear division about the future of the Triad. There's the old-school man of action, Big D (Tony Leung Ka Fei), and the more contemplative choice, Lam Lok (Simon Yam). Each has his supporters and each has a different vision for the future of the organization. When one wins the election, the other refuses to relinquish his claim and this political battle takes to the street. But this isn't a mindless shoot-em-up, this is a grim dance for power. The action sequences are well done, but "Election" is a mental challenge as well as a visceral one. I loved the final conflict resolution and the last minute betrayal is pure magic. The two leads, mentioned above, are extraordinary--but Yam's evolution into a power player is surely one of the most chilling things I've seen in a while.
Triad Election: "Triad Election" takes place a couple of years later when guess what? That's right, it's election time again! But the victor of "Election," (and I won't name him) despite custom, might not want to be unseated. Louis Koo as Jimmy Lee takes center stage in what is also referred to as "Election 2." Jimmy Lee was a supporting player in the first film, a reluctant henchman who wanted to legitimize his life. Set up in a successful business venture, Jimmy Lee (much like Michael Corleone) can't extricate himself from the Triad life. Put forth as a candidate for the new boss, he has no interest. But it's not easy to defy expectations and the future he wants seems dependent on him ascending to the throne. With a detached intelligence, he's able to see where the true danger lurks. And as the current boss manipulates others to take Jimmy down, it's not going to be an easy task. Koo is absolutely fantastic here and the power of the "Election" films is to see men who are trapped, despite all instincts, into an inescapable violence.
Triad Underworld (4 Stars): This unrelated Triad film succeeds with a narrative sleight-of-hand that is very effective. One of my favorites, Andy Lau, plays the mob boss. When a hit is ordered on his life, the grounded leader must contend with his volatile best friend (Jacky Cheung) and a trio of opportunistic associates. Lau and Cheung, having grown up together, have very different management styles and there is heated discourse about the best way to handle the complexities of the night before them. The scenes between the friends have an escalating tension that is riveting. The highpoint of the entire movie is a dramatic discussion at a dinner table that seems to be floating through the air. It's a simple visual device that ratchets up the drama in an extraordinary way. In addition to this story, we also see a young gangster who agrees to take on his first hit. As a single evening unfolds, everyone must contend with the violence that being a part of the Triad brings--and a final bloody showdown is orchestrated with precision. More than anything, the film's screenplay holds the tale and its intricacies in check. It is smart and twisty enough to entertain even the most jaded of fans. The movie begins on a very chaotic note as it introduces all of its characters. In fact, it took a little while for the film to find the right balance--but once it settles into the main story line, the actors are allowed to really sell the narrative. KGHarris, 1/12.
Director Johnny To has scored with two terrifically complex thrillers that stand in worthy comparison to "The Godfather" saga. The character arcs are quite similar with Louis Koo being the Hong Kong equivalent of Pacino in these films. There is brutality, even graphic bloodshed, within these two stories. But it serves a greater purpose and fits, however surprisingly, into the machinations of the principle characters. More politically and strategically savvy than comparable genre pictures, the "Election" films are largely distinguished by smart and believable scripts. Each film certainly stands alone (and individually I might rate them at 4 and 4 1/2 stars respectively), but together they are a 5 star epic.
Election: "Election" revolves around the passing of the power baton within one of Hong Kong's largest crime syndicates. With two principle candidates in the running for the looming election, there seems a clear division about the future of the Triad. There's the old-school man of action, Big D (Tony Leung Ka Fei), and the more contemplative choice, Lam Lok (Simon Yam). Each has his supporters and each has a different vision for the future of the organization. When one wins the election, the other refuses to relinquish his claim and this political battle takes to the street. But this isn't a mindless shoot-em-up, this is a grim dance for power. The action sequences are well done, but "Election" is a mental challenge as well as a visceral one. I loved the final conflict resolution and the last minute betrayal is pure magic. The two leads, mentioned above, are extraordinary--but Yam's evolution into a power player is surely one of the most chilling things I've seen in a while.
Triad Election: "Triad Election" takes place a couple of years later when guess what? That's right, it's election time again! But the victor of "Election," (and I won't name him) despite custom, might not want to be unseated. Louis Koo as Jimmy Lee takes center stage in what is also referred to as "Election 2." Jimmy Lee was a supporting player in the first film, a reluctant henchman who wanted to legitimize his life. Set up in a successful business venture, Jimmy Lee (much like Michael Corleone) can't extricate himself from the Triad life. Put forth as a candidate for the new boss, he has no interest. But it's not easy to defy expectations and the future he wants seems dependent on him ascending to the throne. With a detached intelligence, he's able to see where the true danger lurks. And as the current boss manipulates others to take Jimmy down, it's not going to be an easy task. Koo is absolutely fantastic here and the power of the "Election" films is to see men who are trapped, despite all instincts, into an inescapable violence.
Triad Underworld (4 Stars): This unrelated Triad film succeeds with a narrative sleight-of-hand that is very effective. One of my favorites, Andy Lau, plays the mob boss. When a hit is ordered on his life, the grounded leader must contend with his volatile best friend (Jacky Cheung) and a trio of opportunistic associates. Lau and Cheung, having grown up together, have very different management styles and there is heated discourse about the best way to handle the complexities of the night before them. The scenes between the friends have an escalating tension that is riveting. The highpoint of the entire movie is a dramatic discussion at a dinner table that seems to be floating through the air. It's a simple visual device that ratchets up the drama in an extraordinary way. In addition to this story, we also see a young gangster who agrees to take on his first hit. As a single evening unfolds, everyone must contend with the violence that being a part of the Triad brings--and a final bloody showdown is orchestrated with precision. More than anything, the film's screenplay holds the tale and its intricacies in check. It is smart and twisty enough to entertain even the most jaded of fans. The movie begins on a very chaotic note as it introduces all of its characters. In fact, it took a little while for the film to find the right balance--but once it settles into the main story line, the actors are allowed to really sell the narrative. KGHarris, 1/12.
5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By raymond lee
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Three films compressed into one single disc, this is the worse Blu-ray transfer I've seen some part even worse than VHS. Please don't buy!
By JT
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
Election 2, like its predecessor and the acclaimed "Infernal Affairs", seems to usher a new wave Hong Kong crime cinema. Highly stylized and almost completely devoid of the typical "action" sequences that HK gangster pictures have become associated with, Election 2 is also one of the coldest films in recent memory.
The plot is somewhat unremarkable and predictable, but in this case its how the film is told that makes it stand apart. The underworld depicted by director Johnny To is populated by sullen, disaffected thugs in expensive suits, with no loyalties held sacred but to their insatiable greed. The isolation of these men, (and Louis Koo as Jimmy in particular), as they trade away the remaining scraps of their humanity is a chilling thing to behold. The lighting, music, and sparse sets all echo the overwhelming emptiness and dread radiated by these characters, excellently performed by an ensemble of talented actors. Characters carried over from the first film seem to have developed in the two year interim to Election 2, and have become much more realized than the rather thin caricatures of the original.
Johnny To also seems to have a better grasp of the subject; wisely opting for a more serious approach, he injects a political theme that elevates the material out of the typical power fantasy of gangster films. Although the film certainly has its share of violent scenes, they are a good deal less gory than the majority of "shock cinema" today, and somehow even more harrowing. One particularly chilling scene is almost completely silent, save the blood-freezing soundtrack's eerie drone. Presented in such icy fashion that it becomes savagely artistic, Election 2's violence will stay with you long after the credits run. Despite the fetishistic renditions of violence and Triad traditions, these power obsessed sociopaths are hardly glamorous; their quiet panic becoming palpable as the realization sets in that greed has condemned them all. It is a testament to the director's talent that even without a single likable character for the audience to root for; the film remains compelling right to the bitter end.
Election 2 is an uncompromising film; violent, serious, politically controversial, and spectacularly unsympathetic. It also depends in large part on the viewer having seen its prequel, a similar if inferior examination of the same subject and themes. It is also one of the most interesting crime dramas in some time. Special note must be given once again to the score, which raises the tension significantly, and gives it a unique flavor more akin to a horror movie than a gangster film. Johnny To has shaped a bleak monster out of the typical conventions of crime noir; it leaves the viewer with much food for thought on subjects many would find distasteful, but anyone with an interest in the shallow, ruthless underbelly of organized crime is recommended to give it a look.
The plot is somewhat unremarkable and predictable, but in this case its how the film is told that makes it stand apart. The underworld depicted by director Johnny To is populated by sullen, disaffected thugs in expensive suits, with no loyalties held sacred but to their insatiable greed. The isolation of these men, (and Louis Koo as Jimmy in particular), as they trade away the remaining scraps of their humanity is a chilling thing to behold. The lighting, music, and sparse sets all echo the overwhelming emptiness and dread radiated by these characters, excellently performed by an ensemble of talented actors. Characters carried over from the first film seem to have developed in the two year interim to Election 2, and have become much more realized than the rather thin caricatures of the original.
Johnny To also seems to have a better grasp of the subject; wisely opting for a more serious approach, he injects a political theme that elevates the material out of the typical power fantasy of gangster films. Although the film certainly has its share of violent scenes, they are a good deal less gory than the majority of "shock cinema" today, and somehow even more harrowing. One particularly chilling scene is almost completely silent, save the blood-freezing soundtrack's eerie drone. Presented in such icy fashion that it becomes savagely artistic, Election 2's violence will stay with you long after the credits run. Despite the fetishistic renditions of violence and Triad traditions, these power obsessed sociopaths are hardly glamorous; their quiet panic becoming palpable as the realization sets in that greed has condemned them all. It is a testament to the director's talent that even without a single likable character for the audience to root for; the film remains compelling right to the bitter end.
Election 2 is an uncompromising film; violent, serious, politically controversial, and spectacularly unsympathetic. It also depends in large part on the viewer having seen its prequel, a similar if inferior examination of the same subject and themes. It is also one of the most interesting crime dramas in some time. Special note must be given once again to the score, which raises the tension significantly, and gives it a unique flavor more akin to a horror movie than a gangster film. Johnny To has shaped a bleak monster out of the typical conventions of crime noir; it leaves the viewer with much food for thought on subjects many would find distasteful, but anyone with an interest in the shallow, ruthless underbelly of organized crime is recommended to give it a look.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Won't Be Ripped Off
Won't bother to buy this, based on the reviews. If three movies are being crammed into one Blu-ray and the quality is poor, why bother?
Published 11 months ago by Rob Walton
1.0 out of 5 stars
Upscaled garbage
How do you fit three movies onto one blu-ray, when their original Hong Kong releases required a disc each? Read more
Published 13 months ago by J. Fulton
