| The Young and Dangerous series has been one of HK's most popular series of the last few years. Similar to what has happened in the US with the "slasher" genre (with films such as Scream), Young and Dangerous (released in 1996) took a popular genre of the '80's (the heroic bloodshed films popularized by movies by John Woo such as A Better Tomorrow and The Killer) and revitalized (perhaps "recycled" might be more appropriate) it by using hip young stars. While many scholars and politicians criticized Y&D for glamorizing the Triad lifestyle (similar to what happened with A Better Tomorrow), audiences didn't care. The film became a huge hit. Within a little over a year, three sequels were released and the "Triad youth" genre was born. Since then, there have been two other sequels, three prequels, two "spin-off" movies as well as many imitators or outright rip-offs. The series continues to be popular, with a new installment premiering during the summer of 2000.
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. |
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