So duk 2: Tin dei duei kuet

(2019) The White Storm 2: Drug Lords CRIME DRAMA/ ACTION THRILLER

Co-written and directed by Herman Yau that has the second film that is unrelated to the first "White Storm" movie except by only title. Even Louis Koo character is different who's name and perhaps persona is different that he played on the first movie. In other words, the second film can still be watched without the first one even being watched at all.

The synopsis opens with Yu Shun Tin (Andy Lau) girlfriend leaving him as a result of his gangster lifestyle. And is ordered by his boss, called Chief/ Yu Nam (Kent Cheng) to pick up a guy name Dizang and he turns out to be the same actor played by Louis Koo, who played as an undercover narc, So Kin-chow in the first "The White Storm". Louis Koo is a total different character in this one. This time he plays a gangster, Dizang aka Fung Chun Kwok who owns a few nightclubs and sells drugs, mainly coke. It appears, some of his guys have been dealing on the Chief's turf. And the Chief wants Dizang to put a stop to it, forcing Yu Shun Tin to punish him severely by removing some of his fingers, putting a strain on their long time relationship. The movie then jumps 15 years later, and Yu Shun Tin goes on his own, and is involved in a new relationship. This time it is with a speaker, Michelle Chow (Karena Kar-Yan Lam) and has become a successful investor, and is also involved in the narcotics bureau, while Dizang continues to do what he does which is to continue to produce drugs and dealing. Yu Shun Tin then receives a letter that the previous girlfriend who had left him at the opening, now tells him she has cancer is going to die that the last pregnancy she had, that the person she had a child was actually her son named Danny. And has apparently took the wrong path and is is an addict. Leading to the both of them to cross paths again, for it is just a matter of when.

As a action fan of 1990's movies I give this a pass and a slight improvement over the first movie that is full of way too many dramatic scenes that motivated me to use the mute button. There is at least 2 or 3 action sequences that I thought is worth watching- one after the 30 minute mark during the drug bust raid by the police. Actual car crashes and stunt men can clearly be seen, rolling off of cars and so forth, and the final car chase toward the end that led to an obvious CGI subway crash that would have costed a lot of money had it been an actual subway car that was used.

White Storm 2: Drug Lords, has nothing to do with the original. The sequel is interestingly a mixed bag, that probably has something for everyone, though only on a peripheral level. Tin (Andy Lau), begins the film as a member of the Triad, who is ordered by his uncle, the gang's boss, Yu Nam (Ken Chang), to punish his long-time friend of twenty years, Dizang (Louis Koo), who has been pedalling drugs, despite the gang's strictest rules to never touch the stuff. Thus, Tin chooses familial loyalty over his friend, gravely wounding him for his betrayal, and having him exiled from the gang.

Tin and Dizang's brotherhood is merely spoken about, and is never appropriately shown, making this moment not cut as deeply as it could have, though the acting of both leads marvellously propels the drama of this feature forward. Beginning in 2004, the film rushes chronologically through events until reaching the present day, glossing over Tin's achievements in leaving the Triad and becoming a successful businessman and philanthropist. This is seriously underdeveloped, his business being given little depth, while his financial situation is merely used as a plot device. His marriage to business partner, and lawyer, Man Fung (Karena Lam) is also provided no backstory. Their on-screen chemistry is limited to only a few scenes, while her professional duties are rarely glimpsed, the main drama being her battle to conceive, this dizzyingly beautiful actress not provided the screen time she deserves.

Not long into the movie, Tin receives a letter from former lover, Mei (Chrissie Chau), who, diagnosed with terminal cancer, reaches out to him about their son she had in secret, who has turned to drugs. This propels Tin back into the grisly underworld he escaped, which leads him back to Dizang. Koo does a terrifyingly good job at making his character appear psychopathically savage, though for the most part, he is unfortunately forced to portray a pseudo playboy, rather than the intelligent, ruthless mastermind that he is.

Thus begins Tin's battle to bring down the city's biggest drug lords, the film, annoyingly, rarely showing just how involved in this battle he is. Inevitably, his decisions put him at odds, with by-the-book police officer Lam (Michael Miu), who you would occasionally be forgiven for forgetting was even in the movie. With the death of his wife by the hands of drug addicts, and his daughter pleading for him to bring down those responsible, it is amazing that he believes justice will prevail, in a film that continuously shows how unjust society and human-nature can be. The main members of his unit however, Jack (Carlos Wan) and Apple (Michelle Wai), along with their supposed romance, are provided even less detail - if that is at all possible.

The film quickly jumps from one character to another, never giving anyone (exception, the two main leads) enough opportunity to shine, and nowhere else could this be truer than in the film's action set pieces. Here, the editing is as fast as an automatic weapon. True, this intensifies the excitement, with cars performing elaborate stunts and people shooting left and right, though the sporadic nature of the cuts makes establishing who's fighting who; who's pursuing who, and who is dead or dying, difficult to comprehend. It is also disappointing that the leads are seldom seen during these frantic moments, though they are given a fabulous moment together in a uniquely amazing car chase.

The film's drama is slowly built up until boiling point, through a series of melodramatic set pieces, threatening conversations and provocative staring competitions. The film is loud and boisterous, and left me thoroughly entertained, despite the serious lack of development of characters, relationships and agendas. This is a movie with a simple, but effective narrative, that desperately wants to get to its exciting ending, no matter the cost, and if the wild car chases and shoot-outs, and professional chops (and handsome faces) of Lau and Koo can't cut it for you, not much probably will.

Though billed as a sequel to the 2013 crime thriller 'The White Storm', there is in fact very little which this movie shares with its predecessor, besides the fact that both revolve thematically around the war on drugs which entwines the lives of a group of convicted individuals. Yet it is not difficult to guess why Universe Entertainment, which is behind both films, had wanted the association - not only was it widely praised for the excellent performances by Sean Lau, Louis Koo and Nick Cheung, that movie also boasted director Benny Chan's signature high-octane action choreography, which was recognised as among the best that Hong Kong cinema had to offer in recent years.

Except for Koo, none of the other contributors return for this standalone sequel; instead, taking over from Chan is prolific director Herman Yau, whose 'Shock Wave' catapulted him from the B-leagues into big-budget filmmaking. Yau's collaborators from that earlier movie are also on board this similarly-sized undertaking, which sees writers Erica Lee and Eric Lee retain the narrative structure of Chan's original by setting its events around three males - here played by Andy Lau, Koo and Michael Miu - whose paths will intersect with fateful consequences.

Their ill-fated connection is established right from the beginning, with an extended prologue set in 2004 that shows how the sworn brotherhood between Yu Shun Tin (Andy Lau) and Dizang (Koo) is torn asunder when the former is forced by his uncle Yu Nam (Kent Cheng) - and head of their gang Ching Hing - to punish the latter for selling drugs at the nightclub he manages. Besides cutting off three of Dizang's fingers from his right hand, Shun Tin also calls the police to raid Dizang's premises, which results in an unfortunate operation that claims the life of Narcotics Bureau chief Lam Ching-fung's (Miu) wife and colleague.

Fast forward fifteen years later, Shun Tin has transformed into a financial whiz thanks to his wife and mentor (Karena Lam), while Dizang has grown to become one of the most powerful drug barons in Hong Kong. Alas Shun Tin's past life continues to haunt him, including a drug-addicted teenage son he never knew existed until his ex-girlfriend (Chrissie Chau) appeals for his help on her deathbed to take care of, which in turn fuels his present-day determination to take drastic measures against the four big drug lords in Hong Kong - which besides Koo's Dizang, are represented in guest appearances by MC Jin, Cherrie Ying and Jun Kung.

Though Shun Tin is very aware that his actions will eventually set him up on a collision course with Dizang, it will be some time before Dizang finds out that it is his former best friend who is behind the series of guerrilla raids on his goods and factories. If you've seen the trailer, you would know that their personal vendetta will culminate in Shun Tin offering a $100 million bounty on Dizang's life. Meanwhile, even as he is frustrated by how the known drug lords continue to evade the arm of the law, Fung continues to uphold the integrity of due process, which puts him at odds with Shun Tin's unorthodox (and perhaps unlawful) methods.

Like his most recent 'Shock Wave' and 'The Leakers', Yau keeps the pace fast, even frenetic, throughout the movie. To Yau's credit, the speediness of the storytelling doesn't come at the expense of coherence, so there is perfect logic and order in the way the proceedings are organised. At the same time, it also means, for the casual viewer, that there is hardly a dull moment to be found within the duration of the film; in fact, even though there are a couple of memorable action scenes within, you'd probably feel as if the entire movie were itself a 100-minute continuous action-packed sequence that hardly pauses for you to take a breath.

But equally, it isn't long before you realise that the sheer momentum comes at the expense of meaningful character motivation and development, so much so that you never at any point fully grasp or empathise with any one of the three main characters, much less the supporting ones. How does Shun Tin feel about losing a sworn brother? Is he at all conflicted about exploiting his wealth to take the law into his own hands? How does he reconcile his past life with his present? What does Dizang feel about Shun Tin's betrayal? What drives Fung, other than to uphold the law? Does Fung sympathise with Shun Tin or deplore his methods? As inevitable as these questions are, you'll quickly find that you'll have to cast them aside if you're going to enjoy the film for what it is worth.

And yes, once you forgo any expectation of narrative or character depth, you'll probably be able to appreciate the fleeting pleasures it offers. For one, the three male leads each bring their own charisma, chemistry and gravitas to their respective roles, with Lau further honing his characteristically stoic persona, Koo chewing up the scenery as a baddie and Miu rehashing the righteous cop role from his TVB past. For another, the action is glorious old-school Hong Kong style, with shootouts, car chases and even a climactic setpiece right inside the heart of the Central MTR station. And last but not least, there is also the thrill of seeing a who's who list of Hong Kong actors in this, including Carlos Chan, Michelle Wai, Cheung Kwok-cheng, Lam Ka-tung and Sam Lee in varying blink-and-miss cameos.

Given how unrelated they are, it is almost unfair to compare 'The White Storm 2' with the earlier movie, but between them, the original is probably the better one. Yet, like we've said, this economical thriller does offer simple and straightforward gratification, especially if you're in the mood for an undemanding action thriller. But anyone expecting the likes of 'Infernal Affairs' will most certainly be disappointed, for there is little to no attempt to develop any of the weighty themes of crime and justice within in any meaningful way. If there should be another sequel, we hope it is a lot less superficial than this storm in a teacup.

All the leading actors in this movie did a great job. Unlike "The Invincible Dragon (2019)" that turned out to be a nothing-is-right big laughable joke, this movie about the Hong Kong drug cartel on the contrary, turned out to be everything-is-right serious and decent enough to be tagged as a "Pretty Good Movie" in 2019. The screenplay, the scenarios, the plots and the dialog are all quite mature, the casting, the acting, the directing, the stunt as well as the special effect, the editing, and the subtle soundtrack....all of them, one word: GOOD.

The plot is thin, the characters are facial, and the emotions are pale. All the backgrounds are clearly explained by a few lines, and even a one-second picture is not willing to be shaped. Except for violence, all the supporting roles are redundant. This script is estimated to be over and over again, and it has not been polished.