While it suffers from an unoriginal plot and somewhat wooden acting from the lead Cheng, the film's quick pace and slick visuals, as well as a great villainous performance from Francis Ng, make Young and Dangerous a fairly entertaining and watchable film. A good introduction to the series that will likely make you wanting to see more.

Nam (Ekin Cheng) and his gang are small players in the Hung Hing triad who suddenly find themselves elevated in status when they are sent to Macau to sort a problem for their boss (Simon Yam). Unfortunately they are the victims of a set up and are lucky to escape with their lives. Their enemies are not prepared to leave it at that and move to have Nam expelled from the society. When Nam's immediate 'Big Brother' is murdered however, he decides enough is enough and becomes determined to punish those responsible.

This is a very glamourous portrayal of life in the triad (flash clothes, fast cars and gorgeous women) but one that I expect is far from the truth although it probably goes some way to explaining the film's massive success. The story is involved enough to remain interesting with several twists and the characterisations are well realised with each character given enough of a personality. Andrew Lau gives the film a very glossy finish with good cinematography and cool soundtrack. Many of the action scenes incorporate the slo-mo style used in Wong Kar-Wai's movies (such as 'As Tears Go By' on which Andrew Lau worked).

All actors give good performances but its Francis Ng as the villain and Gigi Lai as Nam's stuttering girlfriend with attitude who steal the show. Ekin isn't too bad either and admittedly he does have a fair amount of screen presence . Unfortunately Simon Yam isn't really given much of a chance to do anything.

Young and Dangerous is an entertaining movie and really thats all it sets out to be. With no regard paid at all to any moral issues the film doesn't really challenge the viewer leaving an overall impression of style over content.

While a lot of critics like to blather on incessantly about the parallels between the story and China's takeover of HK or how the characters reflect society, I tend to take the Y&D films for what they are -- pop entertainment. Sometimes I think film "experts" tend to forget that people watch movies for sheer enjoyment, not for deep philosophical meaning. And that is why I think the Y&D series is so popular -- it's just quite enjoyable to watch these young men, in a sense, grow up in front of us.

It doesn't hurt that director Andrew Lau (not to be confused with the pop star/actor Andy Lau) packs quite a visual punch in the movies. Using steadicams (hand-held cameras) and working with sync sound, the Y&D movies have a fresh, flowing feel to them that perfectly captures the fast-paced lifestyle of Hong Kong in the late 20th century. Acting-wise, the cast list for the Y&D series reads like a "who's who" list of HK celebrities, from veterans like Simon Yam and Anthony Wong to newcomers such as Jordan Chan and Sam Lee. Combined with the intriguing, long-running narrative and well-paced, often violent turns in the story, it's no wonder why Young and Dangerous became such a phenomenon. In fact, the series and the similar films it spawns have become their own mini-genre, the "Triad Boys" movies.

After working on Y&D, director Andrew Lau went on to work on some of the highest-grossing home-grown films in recent HK history, such as The Storm Riders and A Man Called Hero. The series' top stars (Ekin Cheng and Jordan Chan) have become two of Hong Kong's -- and Asia's -- biggest box office draws, appearing (often together) in such high-profile movies as Hot War and Tokyo Raiders.

The story begins as a group of kids are trying to play soccer when they are harassed by a local Triad boss, Kwan (Ng). Another boss, the kindly Bee, saves them from getting beat up too bad and the kids decide to join him in the Hung Hing Group. Flash-forward ten years and the kids, led by Ho Nam (Cheng) and his right-hand man Chicken (Chan), are quickly moving up the Triad ladder. They spend their days gambling, drinking and harassing women, among them a local hooker named Smartie (Lai) who steals Nam's car and then later his heart. The "president" of Hung Hing (Yam) decides it's time for the boys to get serious and sends them to Macao to conduct a deal. During their trip, it becomes apparent that they were set up by someone within Hung Hing. Ho Nam must try to clear his name and avenge his friends.

While it suffers from an unoriginal plot and somewhat wooden acting from the lead Cheng, the film's quick pace and slick visuals, as well as a great villainous performance from Francis Ng, make Young and Dangerous a fairly entertaining and watchable film. A good introduction to the series that will likely make you wanting to see more.