Xin da xiao bu liang

I have always been a fan of Hong Kong cinema, being brought up by John Woo and Chow Yun Fat, so I took a chance and bought this movie even though I could find no reviews of it. I am glad that I did. The movie follows Hong, who leaves his "homeland" (it is not explained where this is in the movie) to pursue his fortune in Shanghai. He has friends in Shanghai, and on his first night in the city he goes to a nightclub where one of his friends works. At the club, his friend explains to him that there are three major gangs in the city, and all three of their leaders are interested in the same girl, who is the headline singer of the club. There is the obligatory fistfight, Hong joins in, and soon, with the help of his cousin, Captain Kang (a crooked police officer), Hong is climbing up the criminal ladder. The plot isn't that complicated, but can't really be explained in detail without spoiling the storyline, as there are crosses, double crosses, etc. Where the movie shines, though, are the action sequences. While they are definitely not as elaborate as something John Woo would put together, the gunfights are great, and director To Hoi Sang surely puts a lot of them in the movie. Added to this are some spectacular fisticuff scenes that add diversity to the movie. I recommend this movie to any Hong Kong movie fan (or any action fan for that matter).