8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Emotionally moving ..., October 22, 2002
This review is from: Young and Dangerous: The Prequel (DVD)
I'm not much for overhyped movies, and usually that downgrades my viewing experience because I expect a movie to be far greater than it actually is.
This movie, however, delivers.
The premise is not extremely catchy, but the movie itself is fantastic. The movie and its related series by the same name follow the adventures of Chan Ho Nam as he matures as a man. The movies presents in amazing clarity the sacrifices Chan Ho Nam makes and all his losses as he becomes a gangster. From his ejection from school, to his rejection by the girl he likes, to the family stryfe he suffers, he realizes that he has no choice but to follow Brother Bee, who tells him that his is the path of hell; to choose the life is not a decision that can be turned back on. As we follow Chan Ho Nam, we see his fear, joy, laughter, sadness, anger, rage, pain, longing, and we begin to feel these too. The way the movie truly draws a viewer in is astounding, and I for one have never cared so much for "evil" characters. Like "Goodfellas" or "The Talented Mr. Ripley," the
protagonist in this film is in a certain moral ditch, yet viewers will still sympatize with him as if he were any Mr. Joe Samaritan.
A somewhat subtle feature that attracted me to this film is the focus on very Chinese values, such as honor, courage, respect, superstition, and family. The movie touches upon each of these ideas in a non-extroverted manner, unlike many of the martial arts films most Americans are used to. I particularly enjoyed the portrayal of many different types of characters; nobody is a particular shade of black or white, everyone is in a bit of the grey zone. Chan Ho Nam's mother, for example, is a very loving character, and we can see that Chan Ho Nam loves her very much. But as a conflicted youth, we see him make decisions that hurt her, and we are made to reflect on our own past decisions that may hurt others.
Why does this movie not deserve a 5? I HAVE to say this about the series: the constant reuse of popular actors/actresses is VERY obnoxious. Shu Qi plays multiple parts in the series; they're big parts too. Brother Bee plays different parts as well, among some of the other repeated actors/actresses. My guess is the studios contracted the actors first before writing the scripts, which is indeed a shame for many consistency freaks. Also, as for THIS movie in particular, even though the movie is set in 1989, there are certain details which are anachronistic. Fortunately, these details do not detract from the overall value of this wonderful film.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gwo Wook Ji...the prequel, July 21, 2002
This review is from: Young and Dangerous: The Prequel (DVD)
In the first Young and Dangerous movie, the boys are introduced in a fight on a soccer field, where they get harassed by Ugly Kwan, and helped by Brother Bee ,who the young Ho Nam swears to follow. Then ten years later, the story begins, and the boys are triad members. Now with Young and Dangerous -- the Prequel, we are taken back to that same soccer field, and see a re-enactment of that opening scene, this time with fresh, young actors playing the same roles, and the story continues from there. This is the very beginning of the story of the Hung Hing boys
We get to see young HoNam getting his krazy dragon tattoo, and Chicken nailing his first prostitute.....
This movie outdo some of the original series like the y&d 2 and stuff, Nicholas Tse and Sam Lee were amazing and Hsu Chi was a nice touch....
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Strong and Fabulous, February 14, 2001
This review is from: Young and Dangerous: The Prequel (DVD)
I saw Young and Dangerous 2 first and was really impresed by the quality of character and amazing drama. When I found the first movie on DVD it was an essential purchase.
The sequel had a lot to offer, but due to it's great drama you felt like a little bit more action would have been great. What it lacked was omnipresent in it's sequel. The same intensity of Drama and characterisation was there, along with some great moments of Triad action, not a gore fest but good solid fighting fun.
It was a real treat and both movies interlock so well it is practically seamless, working together you get a fantastic piece of modern Hong Kong drama/action. Andrew Lau's direction is marvellous mixed with some great acting by the same cast that appear in both movies.
Relish in the joy that is Hong Kong cinema.
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