The Cult Film Archive

Life in the Triads begins at a young age as Nam and his school-friends are intimidated by Kwan and they pledge their allegiance to Bee. Ten years later they are all part of the Hung Hing Triad, bumping off rival Ba-Bai with the aid of a fashionable hairdryer. Who says coiffure need be dull when you can spice it up with an assassination? Nam starts dating the stammering Smartie after she tries to steal his car. He is then is set up by Kwan - drugged and filmed having sex with Chicken's girlfriend, while Chicken's enjoying the company of three lovelies in a hotel room. Despite Chicken's own dalliance he's unimpressed with Nam's attitude. Chicken must lie low in Taiwan for a while and Nam, disgraced, faces the wrong end of a bundle of incense (lit naturally, they aren't so menacing when just in a packet) and sets up a greasy chopstick cafe. Months later Nam returns to pay his respects to Bee and his family, who were brutally murdered by Kwan. Maybe with his debt paid he can ditch the kitchen job, reunite the old school chums and head out for a bit of Hung Hing vengeance.

Kau Man's Teddy Boy comics provide more than just the inspiration for Andrew Lau's surprise hit, they are woven intrinsically into the fabric of the film, serving as punctuation to the onscreen events as shots fade to cartoon. But it comes as some surprise that the finished result proves to be as far from a comic book adaptation as you are likely to see. Instead of the exaggerated excesses of the gangster film with its high body count and extreme emotion, Young and Dangerous offers us a relatively quiet drama with short bursts of violence, making for a far more believable and engaging tale. The combination of fashionable clothing, an easy-to-watch cast and nice haircuts proved to be box office gold. Chicken in particular seems to go through more costume changes than the leading lady of any Bollywood epic you care to mention. Success bred sequels, prequels and a several spin-offs.