Those Were the Days (2000)



	Those Were the Days		Return to Review Archive - T
	Year:	2000	Gigi Leung and Jordan Chan
	Director:	Raymond Yip Wai-Man
	Producer:	Manfred Wong
	Cast:	Jordan Chan Siu-Chun, Gigi Leung Wing-Kei, Jerry Lamb Hiu-Fung, Jason Chu Wing-Tong, Michael Tse Tin-Wah, Sandra Ng Kwun-Yu, Vincent Wan Yeung-Ming, Kristy Yeung Kung-Yu, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Ekin Cheng Yee-Kin, Ng Chi-Hung, David Lee Seung-Man, Lee Siu-Kei, Philip Keung Ho-Man
	The Skinny:	This is just the fix for Young and Dangerous junkies, who've been denied since 1998's Young and Dangerous 5. It's not a bad movie, either.
	Review by Kozo:	It may be the 10,000th HK film titled Those Were the Days, but it's also the long awaited Chicken Side Story! This Young and Dangerous spin-off focuses on Chicken (Jordan Chan) Chan Ho-Nam’s much-vaunted sidekick. Director Yip Wai-Man also directed the excellent Portland Street Blues, which spent much more time on character than the usual triad posturing. This film is no different. Those Were the Days is the story of Chicken and his life-long love Gi (Gigi Leung), who find themselves star-crossed lovers of the most annoying kind. When the two knew each other as children, Chicken promised to protect Gi forever. Flash forward to their adulthood and Chicken has become a triad - which Gi absolutely abhors. Still, the circumstances of their lives make it unable for them to separate emotionally from one another. Despite myraid problems that prevent their union, they still yearn to be together. Eventually, this brings us to the present as Chicken has risen to the rank of Tuen Mun boss. At the wedding of fellow bosses Ben Hon (Wan Yeung-Ming) and Sister Thirteen (Sandra Ng), Chicken finds Gi again. Will they be able to finally consummate their life-long ardor? Well, that question is handled in a manner that can only be called frustrating and appropriate. If we were to view Those Were the Days as some sort of morality play, then the eventual outcome is totally assured. Still, this is Young and Dangerous, where morality isn’t really a factor. It’s a given that these are righteous, good triads, so we can only want the best for them, even if it means we’re denied. Character is paramount in this spin-off story, as it’s really the decade-long relationship of the leads that drives the film. The plot manages to frustrate and annoy as Manfred Wong’s plot is loaded with plot devices designed to prevent any possibility of a happy ending. Still, Yip Wai-Man handles things in a remarkably sensitive manner and both Jordan Chan and Gigi Leung handle their roles with dignity. Despite some massive continuity gaffes (How can Tin Yee be alive in this movie?), this is a compelling movie for those who find the Young and Dangerous characters and storylines engaging. (Kozo 2000)
	Availability:	DVD (Hong Kong) Region 0 NTSC Universe Laser Widescreen Cantonese and Mandarin Language Tracks Dolby Digital 5.1 Removable English and Chinese Subtitles
	Also see:	Young and Dangerous (1996) Young and Dangerous 2 (1996) Young and Dangerous 3 (1996) Young and Dangerous 4 (1997) Young and Dangerous 5 (1998) Born to be King (2000) Young and Dangerous: The Prequel (1998) Portland Street Blues (1998)

		image courtesy of Universe Laser & Video Co., Ltd.
back to top