Election 2

Aka Election 2 -- continuation of crime drama

It's Election time again , and this time the lead candidates are Kun - the Baton retriever who served jail time for running over cop , and Jimmy - the leading money-maker in the Wo-Sing and Society Favorite ..

Jimmy doesn't want to run for prez , he wants to go clean as a businessman . But after getting busted in undercover sting, he's coerced by the head Inspector to become the new Chairman if he has any dreams of running business on his grounds .

Lok on the other hand , doesn't want to give up power either ,, and is plotting a second term which is against Society rules ... As the time ticks closer things get more and more antsy

9/10

"Triad Election" takes viewers deep into a ritualized world of the Triad Society crime organization which is full of betrayal, backstabbing, and power-grabbing moves for power. The movie contains complex characters, scheming political machinations, and explosive action sequences that creates balance against Jonnie To's unique directorial style and subversive plot twists. "Triad" is the sequel to the wildly successful "Election" (2005), which earned a number of awards and nominations including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Screenplay at the Hong Kong Film Awards in 2006. The "Triad" storyline expounds from its predecessor with a political subtext: the candidates here, elegantly played by Koo and Yam, are not only trapped by their own lust of power or wealth, but also by the mainland Chinese government's omniscient influence. To merges an intelligent screenplay with the hardball tactics of the Hong Kong underworld which contains political undertones and transcends an otherwise conventional crime drama storyline.

The slow burn caper maintains a business-like atmosphere, while its general sense of tranquility is interrupted with sudden bursts of intense violence. Noticeably absent is the trademark two-fisted gun play, sunglasses, and highly stylized action sequences so prevalent in Woo's films. To underplays the spectacle of violence -- he's more interested in the how the escalation reveals the character of the candidates. The majority of "Triad Election" is about the political maneuvering of organized crime, but when the conversations end, make no mistake, the blood flows mightily. "Triad Election" strongly resembles "The Godfather Part II" (1974), but it's resolutely a Chinese story, reaching back to the origins of Hong Kong crime syndicates, and showing how they struggle to keep a foothold in a modernized world. There are great modern crime movies out there -- Michael Mann's "Heat" (1995), Martin Scorsese's "Goodfellas" (1990), and Andrew Lau and Alan Mak's "Infernal Affairs" trilogy. "Triad Election" unquestionably belongs with such illustrious company.

This film doesn't take half measures that's for sure. It's time to elect a new chairman again amongst the triad world, and the baton by tradition has to pass on. Our lead from the original is reluctant to hand it over, and is playing off people to secure a second term. On the other hand is the initially reluctant Jimmy who claims to want to distance himself from his gangster linked past but to secure business access into the mainland, he becomes brutal and merciless to become the newly elected leader for his own "business" purposes.

I enjoyed this more than the first. It's quite a difficult film to follow at times with some references to the original plus a large multitude of characters. There are various threads through the movie and if you give it time you will find it engrossing. Tense at times with violence always not far off, it doesn't let up. There are too many nods to "Infernal Affairs" with many of the same actors and some parts which seem to pay homage to it. In fairness, can't always be 100% original, and this film is not a rip at all.

Acting is fine but camera work doesn't have anything special. There was scope to have some incredible filming here with some of the locations and actors, but it doesn't seem to have been a priority, which is a shame.

A good film with some intriguing plot lines, and if you're into gangster films then you'll find this a good addition to the HK genre.

Spooky? Funny? Yeah!

In 2006 HK Cinema, few movies warrant a second viewing, but clearly Election 2 is one that improves in its 2nd running. Johnny To is a versatile director and needless to say, whatever tension that is lacking in its sequel, Johnny makes up for it with twice the brutality and further destruction of those in power. While the first film emphasis on one struggle for power and its ability to corrupt even the most ingenious of humanity, the second one further this notion, that the only way to secure power is through eliminating all its challengers. Perhaps Bush is right - "you are either with us or against us" as this notion is never proved so strongly correct. Needless to say, Election 2 is already fast becoming of the finest work from the little territory this year.

One of the most memorable yet shocking scenes is without doubt the chopping sequence of arms, legs and body parts of a living person and then churning it out into dog food. Fear is a factor that allows those in power to control the masses. It is at that moment that Louis Koo becomes a greater evil than Simon Yam. His goal is money, not triad power and glory. The saying goes: "money is the root of all evil" and at that moment, Koo have metamorphoses into a wild animal – crazy and no longer human. It is crazy to imagine what one can do for money as Koo's silent assassin screams out: "Add money" repetitively even the moment before he die, is both humorous yet bitterly ironic. In dicing a human into dog food, Johnny alludes to 90s' human pork chop movies and most notably – The Untold Story starring Anthony Wong. Luckily, Election 2 does not exactly show the vivid scene in full detail, or else it will probably break even the most carefree of censorship boards.

Like in the first film, the only way to survive in the dark underworld is to remain in power, as the Chinese saying goes: "one mountain can not shelter two tigers." Unlike the 1st film, Simon Yam takes a back seat, despite showing some quite credible acting chops. His expression upon kicking the old man down the stairs is calculatingly evil and so is the memorable expression as he holds on to the leader baton, with the type of grin hiding behind an ambitious smile. He is ultimately ambitious, yet an extremely flawed character. Louis Koo takes on the leading role, this time around in full force and perhaps one of his finest performances in years since Bullet Over Summer. His aim for business and money is noteworthy and the ambition hidden within the scene where he chops up arms and legs is equally startling to watch. A much underrated actor deserves to appear in more material like this. Other appears here and there and Lam Suet is once again funny in a cameo role. As usual Nick Cheung is fast becoming one of the coolest actors in HK cinema.

Following Neo's statements above of this being 2006's finest work isn't really an understatement, despite the poor quality of productions in most HK films. To have been able to embark a sequel that matches the original is alone a heck of an achievement. It is a beautiful piece of work and along with the ironic trademark finale, Johnny is back on the circuit. With many more productions ahead, one can only expect heaps better stuff to be made. Yes, to be perfectly honest, it is disgusting, but at the same time, it is really good to endure. (Neo 2006)

I rate it 9/10.

• www.thehkneo.com

Election 2 is a sequel to the excellent Hong Kong gangster drama released one year earlier. The director and most of the cast have returned for this intriguing sequel. This explains why the movie doesn't only live up to expectations but is as great as the first part.

The film takes place about two years after the events of the previous movie. The two-year term of triad chairman Lok is about to expire as the next election nears but the chairman plans on refusing to step down and wants to keep his position. His biggest concurrent is businessman Jimmy who is forced into becoming a chairman by Chinese police officials to expand his business into China. Another opponent named Kun initially plans on murdering Lok but the current chairman proposes a joint bid instead and tricks Kun into kidnapping Jimmy's supporters. Lok then manipulates another potential candidate named Jet, an assassin living in the shadows, by promising him to become his successor if he helps him eliminating Jimmy. The smart businessman is however well aware that his life is in danger. Jimmy sends his wife to a safe house, plans on pinning recent crimes on Lok and thus become the next chairman.

This gangster movie convinces with a surprisingly realistic story. Despite its epic proportions, the director created a calm, coherent and fluid movie that is easy to follow even if you might not have watched the first film. The different characters are often diversified, dynamic and profound. The film has a dramatic, sad and serious tone that sometimes shifts to nihilistic, overwhelming and violent passages. The three most memorable scenes are Jet's assassination attempt on Jimmy, the gruesome torture sequences by Jimmy and his supporters and the final defeatist conclusion that offers food for thought and room for debates.

It doesn't happen too often that a sequel is as great as the original film but it's certainly the case for the Election duology. It wouldn't be exaggerated to call the Election duology Hong Kong's take on the Godfather trilogy. It would have been amazing to get even more entries into this franchise. Anyone who appreciates gangster movies should watch and purchase both parts without hesitation.