Young And Dangerous: The Prequel: Viewer Comments

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Young And Dangerous: The Prequel
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    by BB424




Fans of the "Young And Dangerous" series of films will be familiar with the lives of the characters in this film. For those of us that have never taken a shine to the Y&D series, this movie probably achieves in one movie what is attempted in the 5 movie set: a look into the often turbulent and gritty lives of a group of young men as the progress into their local triad. Director Andrew Lau reveals a realistic and often endearing look at what life is like for this group of Hong Kong youth. For those of us in the West who are continually feed an image of the Chinese top student, this film provides some welcome relief. Finally, here are some Chinese young people I can identify with. School doesn't work for everyone and it does little to protect and prepare these young people for their future. Lacking in male role models in other parts of their lives, the boys are introduced to the local triad boss, Bee. In him they find the leadership, respect, protection and care they can't seem to get from anywhere else. Its a type of seduction that is played out beautifully in this film, despite all else you can't help but admire Brother Bee. Not that this film doesn't have its fair share of pop stars. This is Nicolas Tse's debut movie appearance. I've seen many of his subsequent movies but this one is by far his best acting to date. Sam Lee also gives an excellent performance as Lam's sidekick Chicken. He looks right at home in this film and brings a natural-ness to the role that Jordan Chan should be happy with.

Overall this is one of my favorite Hong Kong movies and created a burning desire to see HK for myself which I did last year. Forget that the movie is old-ish (1998), the messages and characters in the film are as relevant now as then.

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    by SM33561


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    by KF22621


This film was a good retrospect because we are able to get a glimpse of life for Chan Ho Nam, Chicken and the others as kids and how hard life was for them; and what pushed them to take the direction in life that they did. Nicholas Tse and Sam Lee stepped in and made us believe that they had, in fact, developed the characters of Chan Ho Nam Chicken as played by Ekin Cheng and Jordan Chan. The character portrayals just seemed to fit and flow, to fall in step with what had already been committed to film by the latter two actors. This was an enjoyable prequel.
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    by Ali Hassannia


This is one of my favorite movies ever....mostly because of the supurb acting of newcomer, Nicholas Tse. His protrayal of Chan Ho Nam was exceptionaly well done. He captures the essense of the character. I truely believe that he has great talent. I've watched it many times over.

The anger in the eyes of Chan Ho Nam, when he was beating up the pimp, it was this point in the movie where he demonstated his complete change, from a "all talk" kid to a rascal.

In my opinion this is the best of the Young And Dangerous series.

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    by ManAlone Ho

Adding the 1989 Chinese Student Movement is indeed awkward and the scenes at the projects and at the peak are reminiscent of Fruit Chan's Made in Hong Kong. But they are all empty images. For without the support of emotions, the script comes across as anemic. The idea of an adolescent Chan Ho-nam is, not unlike God of Gamblers 3 -- The Early Years, an effort to capitalize on a brand name and is therefore lacking in creativity. As for the whitewashing of the triad, it is already apparent in the two previous chapters - if a kid can't succeed in school, the only alternative is the mob. This is not so different from the message in Johnnie Mak's exploitative "bargirl pictures" - girls who fail in school have no alternative but be prostitutes.
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    by Pierre Lam

I always think that someone who has a brain between his ears will never be Chan Ho-nam. But then the young Ho-nam can already think. I never doubted that the mature Ho-nam needs to be self-analytical but if he's so aware when he's a kid, then all the ignorant restlessness and wild impulsiveness of gang youth are erased. The film is more concerned with describing the times then with depicting the generation. The most tension-filled scene is the one in which everyone is confused and lost when the young Ho-nam is injured, the most disappointing is the wasting of Chicken as a character and the most awkward is the love between Nicholas Tse and Shu Qi. This is not a truly adolescent-oriented Young & Dangerous.
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    by Li Cheuk-to



After five films and one spin-off (Portland Street Blues), it's not a bad idea to make a prequel of the Young and Dangerous series. And to have Nicholas Tse play the young Chan Ho-nam and Sam Lee the kid Chicken is indeed inspired. But other than the portrayal of the "father-son" relationship between Ho-nam and his mentor Big Brother B, who died in Part I, the other characters' appearance is little more than rehashing old stuff. There is also nothing surprising about the development of the friendship between the four main characters. Andrew Lau's mad rush into movement and pacing with his camera is lacking in creative energy. A lot happens in the film's almost-two hour length, but all seems familiar. The school principal and the other parents' bias against Ho-nam's poor upbringing in the film's first half is all so formulaic and the association of June Fourth and the rumble in the end is so unconvincing it's embarrassing.
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