Hak se wui: Yi woo wai kwai / Election 2 (2006) - Caught in a web of manipulation - 8/10 (09/10/20)

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.