Mongkok Story
1996; directed by Wilson Yip

The Mongkok area of Hong Kong is the most densely populated urban neighborhood in the world, featuring everything from high-end shopping to seedy "hostess" clubs. In terms of the Hong Kong film universe, Mongkok has come to symbolize Triad gangster activity, with the ideas and myths perpetuated by stylish crime dramas like Wilson Yip's Mongkok Story. The film is a nice change of pace from the usual Triad fare, but its' wild changes in tone ultimately make it feel too disjointed to become a truly successful release.

Mongkok Story can be roughly divided into three parts. The first follows the "Triad boys" template popular at the time with productions like Young and Dangerous dominating the local box office. Edmond Leung plays Ping, a waiter whose only excitement comes from hearing stories from the gangsters that come into his restaurant. So, when the local big boss, Long (Roy Chueng), asks Ping to join the gang, he jumps at the chance. Apparently joining the Triad means you have to play heated games of soccer, since there's a scene thrown in that defies any logic or plot development.

The "WTF?" feeling only gets bigger as we move on to the second section, which turns into more of a raunchy comedy, as Long's rival, Lone (Anthony Wong), enters the picture. Lone is one of the more unique characters presented in a Triad film: he's a bisexual gangster with aspirations of becoming a movie star. Unfortunately, besides a funny parody of Robert Rodriguez's Desperado, the character's potential is tossed into a sea of homophobic and sophmoric humor that will most likely inspire groans rather than laughter.

Thankfully, things come back into focus during the final portion, which turns into more of a "new New Wave" picture ala Johnnie To and the Milkyway crew. The emphasis in this section is put on Roy Cheung, and he is more than up to the task. Cheung is pretty much ubiquitous with Triad movies, having appeared in dozens of them, and after seeing his work here, you can see why. Simply put, Cheung turns Long from your standard "dai lo" into one of the coolest bastards you're ever gonna see in a gangster movie. It's on the strength of his performance, and the film's strong finish, that makes Mongkok Story something more than the usual Triad movie.

RATING: 6