Triads: The Inside Story

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DanTheMan 2 If Triads: The Inside Story is supposedly an inside look at how the titular gangs operate, one must wonder how on earth they managed to stay in power for so long if their work was as snooze-inducing as this. The greatest tension here is whether or not you can stay awake. Everything moves at a snail's pace, and when events do happen, there's no explanation given to them, so that you're not only left bored, but confused. Taylor Wong's extremely simplistic and flatly disconnected direction lends the film an almost documentary-like quality, as the camera merely rolls while men converse in a room, creating a sense that the audience is virtually eavesdropping, with scant style or dynamism to maintain any form of engagement. Although there are occasional moments of flair and creative shot choices during the film's limited action, this is an exhaustively unengaging affair. Every character in this film is just so wishy-washy, it was nearly impossible to find someone to care about, much less root for, a product of incredibly half-baked writing. The result is that this might be the closest I've come to seeing Chow Yun-fat phoning it in; he's still got a lot of natural charm and charisma to burn, but he ends up spending most of the film on the sidelines until it's necessary that he finally springs into action right at the end, even then it feels too little too late. But honestly, who can blame him when he's been lumped with something this generic in a year he was delivering absolute winners and some of his best performances? There are at least some reliable performances from genre regulars Roy Cheung and Shing Fui-On, although far from their respective bests. Despite a decently produced musical score and a smattering of great car stunts, Triads: The Inside Story is a film I can only truly recommend for the Chow Yun-fat completionists among us, myself included. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 05/25/25 Full Review Audience Member It's not my idea of fun getting beaten up! Li Man-Ho is a business man that comes home after his father is brutally murdered. His father is in charge of a Triad gang that is weakened after his assassination by a rival gang. Li is an honest man who wants nothing to do with violence, murder, and illegal activities; however, he may be forced to help his father's gang out or many lives may be lost. Taylor Wong, director of No More Love No More Death, The Truth, Spiritual Love, Pursuit of a Killer, Stars & Roses, and Rich and Famous 2, deliver Triad: The Inside Story. The storyline for this picture is not very well presented or executed. It felt unnatural and awkward. The cast delivers below average performances and includes Chow Yung-Fat and Kenneth Tsang. I came across this picture on Netflix and thought the film may have potential. Unfortunately, the film starts promising with a documentary feel with facts about the Triads, but then becomes a poor gangster film. I recommend skipping this. Grade: D Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member good but hardly the far-reaching exposé of triad Mafiosi that its title promises. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Expected so much more... So boring ... zzz Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Some nice stunts but the story is a bit complex. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Highly influential triad movie from Taylor Wong and arguably his finest work ever. Not only does it anticipate the neo-noir of the likes of Johnnie To, but it also stands out among contemporary gangsterflicks for being more of a characterbased drama that mindblowing actionmovie. It furthermore features a breakthrough performance from an incredibly young Roy Cheung as the annoying hothead Kong, miles away from the cool and silent Cheung of later date. Even your old Chow Yun Fat gets to show some range in his acting skills here. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Triads: The Inside Story

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