After the success of the Young and Dangerous series of films, it was inevitable that spin-offs of the series would occur, and The Prequel is exactly that.

Basically this film charts the teenage lives of Chan Ho-nam and his buddies, focusing on his school-days and the reasons why he joined the triads. We learn more about Ho-nam's family background: his father was also a triad, and was tragically knifed to death; his mother had remarried and have two young kids of her own; he now lives with his grandmother; they are poor, etc.

As a film, the Prequel doesn't really offer much in the way of plots, and we just follow Ho-nam and his buddies trying to learn the ropes of triad-ness, as they are plunged into one mission after another to gain experience and respect. Because a life of a triad could be relatively short, and gaining respect as quickly as possible should be one of your main objectives.

The biggest message within the whole film was the easy way in which Ho-nam was expelled from school. This is actually a very good reflection on the current education system in Hong Kong, whereby good students are treated like gold and misfits are literally treated like shit.

Many of these kids, who hail from poor backgrounds, do not want to join the triads, but it is when the authorities and adults let them down, that they feel they are trapped with no way out. That is why triad recruitment in HK is so high, especially so after films like the Young and Dangerous series, which glamourises the triads to such an extent that kids hoped and wished they could be like Chan Ho-nam.

The message is clear: join the triads and you will have power, money, and respect.

Nic Tse puts in a dashing performance as Chan Ho-nam, and you could easily imagine him growing up to be Ekin Cheng. The others fit their roles well, but most of them are overlooked with the exception of Sam Lee who plays Chicken, although I can't imagine Sam Lee growing up to be like Jordan Chan.

As for the other supporting roles, Francis Ng and Ng Chi-hung simply reprised their roles they previously played out in the Young and Dangerous series; roles they could play in their sleep. Shu Qi and Daniel Wu were also simply by-the-numbers, and didn't add much to the plot.

Overall, the Prequel offers little in the way of pure enjoyment, and some of the fight scenes are tired stuff. If you are a fan of the Y&D series, this is another that can be placed in your collection, otherwise, I'd stay pretty well clear.

NB: watch out for a brief appearance by Sandra Ng and Kristy Yang. They are playing the roles they played in Portland Street Blues.