Young and Dangerous 2

The first Young and Dangerous film was good, but not spectacular. This second part ups the stakes. It's obvious that Lau was getting into his groove here, the familiarity with the characters and the clear build-up towards an epic franchise only add to the fun. People who weren't entirely convinced by part one should really give this sequel a fair shot.

Chan Ho Nam maintains a good relationship with Chicken, who built his own little Triad gang in Taiwan. Nam tries to unite the two groups, but not everyone is happy with this evolution, as it is certain to shift the power balance. When Nam returns from Taiwan, he gets into trouble with Tai Fei, who controls the Causeway area. A dispute that is poised to blow up.

The start of the film is a little slow, but once Anthony Wong joins the party, part 2 gets a serious quality injection. There are a lot of characters to keep track of, but they play clear roles in the setup of the broader intrigues, and Lau has a solid grip on the narrative, keeping things easy enough to follow. The result is a fun Hong Kong crime flick that should get people excited enough to watch the rest of the series.