Goo wak chai 3: Jek sau je tin

Since I hadn't seen the previous Y&D flicks I didn't really know what to expect but being a fan of other Hong Kong action flicks such as The Killer, Bullet in the Head, A Better tommorrow etc. I decided to give it a go. Now the action scenes ain't that good, and the acting is pretty over the top, and the lines are really strange at times but it is the story that really has something going for it. Although fast paced young and dangerous 3 certainly has a very complex and exciting storyline which is filled with many colorful and interesting characters. The ending was a bit disapointing as I waited the whole movie for a really spectacular finale but the fighting was too messy and disorintating as it took place during a full scale riot. But the story still kept me hooked from start to finish and there is a really surprising and almost shocking twist just before the finish that will probably shock the fans of the series and people that are familiar with all of the characters from previous films. All in all a pretty standard Hong Kong action flick that stands just a par above the rest for it's complex and engaging storyline.

The Young and Dangerous series, prequel through Part 5, is usually entertaining and engaging, but drags in part 3, "Gu huo zai san." How many times can Chan Ho Nam be framed? How many times can Smartie suffer like a voodoo doll? Ekin Cheng does his trademark soulful look. Jordan Chan, usually the best entertainment value, has a painfully embarrassing scene with a grenade that makes no sense at all. Fai does his nose picking thing.

The Priest shakes his stick. Karen Mok provides the only new material, and could have stolen the show, had she been permitted some proper fight scenes.

If you are a Young and Dangerous fan, go ahead and sit through this one, but don't say that you haven't been warned.

This is unquestionably my favourite in the YnD series - and I'm a huge YnD buff. You have all the "stars" of the franchise here, Chn Ho Nam, Chicken, Stammer, the priest, but also great support characters played by Anthony Wong Chau Sang and Karen Mok, probably the two best HK actors of their generation. You have a bad guy who's really really really bad, and you have that sense of a documentary film about a Hong Kong which does not exist anymore, already after the British colonial period, and still before the Chinese takeover (and there's quite a few humorous lines about that in the movie). A Hong Kong society that almost belonged to itself. OK, the storyline is in fact a direct copy of the first film in the series (they just changed the characters and locations), but you won't notice unless you're a real expert of the series. I miss those times.

These comments assume one has seen the previous two films so don't need full introductions to characters previously introduced or their various relationships. If you haven't already I would strongly recommend watching the first two films before this.

Shortly after Chan Ho Nam is made leader of the Causeway Bay section of the Hung Hing his friend Chicken returns from Taiwan and rejoins the society. Meanwhile rival gang, the Tung Sing, are plotting to take their territory; this gang is led by Camel Lok. Camel's lieutenant, Crow, works to undermine Nam, eventually framing him for murder. Away from their gang lives; Nam's girlfriend Smartie has awakened from her coma but has lost her memory and Chicken gets involved with the priest's foul-mouthed daughter.

I enjoyed the previous 'Young and Dangerous' films so went into this with fairly high expectations... and wasn't disappointed. It delivers some solid action scenes, quite a few laughs and one genuinely shocking moment. The action is nicely spread throughout the film; the highlight being the final confrontation where a mass brawl breaks out at a funeral. The central drama is interesting and takes the protagonists all the way to Amsterdam for a key event before they return to Hong Kong. The drama is nicely balanced by the more comedic elements; the funniest involving Chicken and Shuk Fan, the priest's daughter who isn't quite as pre as her father thinks. The cast are on good form; notably returnees Ekin Cheng, Jordon Chan and Gigi Lai as Nam, Chicken and Smartie and new arrivals Roy Cheung and Karen Mok as Crow and Shuk Fan. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of the previous films in the series.

These comments are based on watching the film in Cantonese with English subtitles.