The ''Young and Dangerous''

film series A film series or movie series is a collection of related films in succession that share the same fictional universe, or are marketed as a series. It is a type of series fiction. This article explains what film series are and gives brief examples ...

() is a collection of

Hong Kong films The cinema of Hong Kong ( zh, t=香港電影) is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese-language cinema, alongside the cinema of China and the cinema of Taiwan. As a former Crown colony, Hong Kong had a greater degree of ar ...

about a group of young

triad Triad or triade may refer to: * a group of three Humanities * Trichotomy (philosophy), often called triads * Triad (sociology), a group of three people as a unit of study * Triad (relationship), or ''ménage à trois'' Music * Triad (music ...

members, detailing their adventures, dangers and growth in a Hong Kong triad society. The series is based on a popular comic book series known as ''Teddy Boy'' (古惑仔). The series contributed a lot to the public image of triads and was condemned by certain quarters as glorifying secret triad societies. However, it was immensely popular in Hong Kong and spawned nine sequels and spin-offs. Its main actors and actresses have also become major stars in their own right.

Andrew Lau Andrew Lau Wai-keung ( zh, t=劉偉強, born 4 April 1960) is a Hong Kong film director, producer, and cinematographer. Lau began his career in the 1980s and 1990s, serving as a cinematographer to filmmakers such as Ringo Lam, Wong Jing and ...

served as

cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...

and director for parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 as well as the spinoff '' Born to Be King'' and the prequel film, with radio personality

Manfred Wong Manfred Wong (; Wong Man-Chun; born 5 June 1957, in Hong Kong) is a Hong Kong radio personality, film producer, screenwriter, film director and actor. He is best known for his involvement as a writer for the ''Young and Dangerous'' film serie ...

writing scripts for the ongoing franchise.

The Series

Andrew Lau

The Young and Dangerous Saga (1996–2000)

* ''

Young and Dangerous Young and Dangerous may refer to: * ''Young and Dangerous'' (film series), a collection of Hong Kong films about a group of young triad members ** ''Young and Dangerous'' (1996 film), a Hong Kong crime film ** '' Young and Dangerous: The Prequel' ...

'' () (1996) :''Young and Dangerous'' tells the story of Chan Ho Nam (

Ekin Cheng Ekin Cheng Yee Kin (born 4 October 1967) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. Early in his career, he used the name Dior as a first name (because that was what it sounded like when his younger sister tried to call him Second Brother ()). He has als ...

), "Chicken" Chiu (

Jordan Chan Jordan Chan Siu-Chun (born 8 July 1967) is a Hong Kong actor, singer and dancer, known for starring in the ''Young and Dangerous'' film series and for his role in the 1998 TV adaptation of Louis Cha's novel, '' The Duke of Mount Deer''. In ...

), Dai Tin-Yee (

Michael Tse Michael Tse Tin-wah (born 15 July 1967) is a Hong Kong actor and singer. Career Michael Tse graduated from TVB's Dance Training Class and worked with TVB as a dancer for five years. He then left TVB and formed a boy band group called 風火� ...

), Pou Pan ( Jerry Lam), his brother Chow Pan (Jason Chu) and Smartie (

Gigi Lai Gigi Lai (born 1 October 1971) is a Hong Kong actress and singer. Entering the entertainment industry in 1985, Lai was under a contract with the television station TVB from 1991 until she retired in 2008. Nicknamed by the Hong Kong media as the " ...

) during their inclusion into the "Hung Hing" Society. The focus is on internal squabbling within the triad, spearheaded by "Ugly Kwan" (

Francis Ng Francis Ng Chun-yu (; born 21 December 1961) is a Hong Kong actor and director. He is known for his roles in the TVB series '' Old Time Buddy'' (1997) and '' Triumph in the Skies'' (2003), as well as in films such as '' Bullets Over Summer'' ...

). * ''

Young and Dangerous 2 ''Young and Dangerous 2'' () is a 1996 Hong Kong triad film directed by Andrew Lau. It is the first sequel in the ''Young and Dangerous'' film series. Plot In a flashback to '' Young and Dangerous'', "Chicken" Chiu ( Jordan Chan) heads into ...

'' () (1996) :The story in ''Young and Dangerous 2'' is told in two parts: the first focuses on Chicken and his exile in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...

skipped over in the first film. The second half deals with the Hung Hing Society trying to ally with Chicken's Taiwanese triad "San Luen". The character "Banana Skin" (Jason Chu) is recruited into Ho Nam's circle. At the same time, an election to obtain the branch leadership status of

Causeway Bay Causeway Bay is list of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong, an area and Victoria Park, Hong Kong, a bay on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, straddling the border of the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern and the Wan Chai District, Wan Chai ...

is underway, with Chan Ho Nam as its prime candidate, until a rivalry breaks out between him and another Hung Hing member, "Tai Fei" ( Anthony Wong). * ''

Young and Dangerous 3 ''Young and Dangerous 3'' () is a 1996 Hong Kong triad film directed by Andrew Lau. It is the second sequel in the ''Young and Dangerous'' film series. Starting from this movie, it is distributed by Golden Harvest Company. Plot Weeks after ...

'' () (1996) :Chan Ho Nam and Chicken are back again in ''Young and Dangerous 3'', this time taking on the rival "Tung Sing" triad, who is attempting to usurp Hung Hing influence in Hong Kong by having Tung Sing member "Crow" ( Roy Cheung) frame Ho Nam for the murder of Hung Hing chairman Chiang Tin Sang (

Simon Yam Simon Yam Tat-wah (; born 19 March 1955) is a Hong Kong actor and film producer. He is best known for his performances in films such as '' PTU'' (2003), ''Election'' (2005), '' SPL: Sha Po Lang'' (2005), ''Triangle'' (2007), '' Sparrow'' (2008), ' ...

). On the plus side, Chicken finds a new love interest in Wasabi (

Karen Mok Karen Joy Morris (; born 2 June 1970), better known as Karen Mok, is a Hong Kong actress and singer. She is considered one of the leading East Asian pop singers and actresses with a career spanning three decades. Mok is the first female Hong Kong ...

), the daughter of the comedic priest, Father "Lethal Weapon" Lam. * ''

Young and Dangerous 4 Young may refer to: * Offspring, the product of reproduction of a new organism produced by one or more parents * Youth, the time of life when one's age is low, often meaning the time between childhood and adulthood Music * The Young, an America ...

'' () (1997) :When the branch leader position is open for

Tuen Mun Tuen Mun () or Castle Peak is an area near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in what is now Hong Kong and can be dated to the Neolithic period. In the mo ...

, Chicken decides to run for it and is up against fellow Hung Hing member "Barbarian", who resorts to ruthless Tung Sing member "Thunder Tiger" ( Roy Cheung) for help in his candidacy. The triad also has to deal with finding a new chairman to the Hung Hing Society, Chiang Tin Yeung (

Alex Man Alexander Man Chi-leung () better known simply as Alex Man is a Hong Kongese actor. Born in Hong Kong to Hakka parents, Alex Man became a television actor for ATV in the 1970s. He joined TVB Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB; zh, t ...

), Chiang Tin Sang's older brother, who resides in

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. ''Young and Dangerous 4'' also brings in new characters first appearing among the Hung Hing ranks, such as "Sister 13" (

Sandra Ng Sandra Ng Kwan-yue (born 2 August 1965) is a Hong Kong actress, film director and producer. Early life and career The daughter of the actor , Ng was born in Hong Kong, where she attended St. Stephen's Girls' College. Encouraged by her parents, s ...

), Ben Hon ( Vincent Wan) and "Prince" (

Ken Lo Kenneth Lo Wai-Kwong (born 17 March 1959), professionally known as Ken Lo, is a Cambodian-Hong Kong actor, martial artist, and stuntman. He is known for his martial arts and stunt work as a former member of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team, most nota ...

). * ''

Young and Dangerous 5 ''Young and Dangerous 5'' () is a 1998 Hong Kong triad film. It is the fourth sequel in the ''Young and Dangerous'' film series. Plot Szeto Ho Nam from the Tung Sing Society attempts to take control of Causeway Bay by causing trouble at Chan ...

'' () (1998) :Although Chicken does not make an appearance, Chan Ho Nam finds a new love interest in the form of Mei Ling (

Shu Qi Lin Li-hui (born 16 April 1976) ( zh, c=林立慧), better known by her stage name Shu Qi ( zh, c=舒淇), is a Hong Kong–Taiwanese actress and model. Widely regarded as one of the most successful Taiwanese actresses of all time, Shu has receive ...

) and Big Head (

Chin Kar-lok Chin Ka-lok, sometimes credited as Chin Kar-lok ( Chinese: 錢嘉樂, Pinyin: Qián Jiālè, born 6 August 1965), is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, and television presenter. Chin was born in Hong Kong, the younger brother of actor a ...

). Meanwhile, Tung Sing returns to cause trouble again for Hung Hing, in the form of new leader Szeto Ho Nam (Mark Cheng). ''Young and Dangerous 5'' occurs during the transfer of Hong Kong sovereignty to China, with the "boys" becoming "men", as they develop and mature into more business-like dealings. * '' Young and Dangerous: The Prequel'' () (1998) :Showcasing the earlier years of Chan Ho Nam (

Nicholas Tse Nicholas Tse Ting-fung (born 29 August 1980) is a Hong Kong actor, singer, songwriter, martial artist, entrepreneur and TV chef.EEGmusic.EEGmusic." ''Nicolas Tse profile.'' Retrieved on 22 April 2008. Tse debuted as a singer in 1996 before shif ...

), Big Head (

Daniel Wu Daniel Wu Neh-Tsu (; born September 30, 1974) is an American actor. He is known as a "flexible and distinctive" leading actor in the Chinese language film industry. Since his film debut in 1998, he has been featured in over 60 films. A three- ...

), Chow Pan (

Benjamin Yuen Yuen Wai-ho (Simplified Chinese: 袁伟豪; Traditional Chinese: 袁偉豪, born May 11, 1981), better known as Benjamin Yuen is a Hong Kong actor and singer contracted to TVB and Shaw Brothers Pictures. Yuen’s career started when he became ...

) and Chicken ( Sam Lee), this prequel tells of their time during their willingness to follow Hung Hing's "Uncle Bee". * '' Born to Be King '' () (2000) :''Born to Be King'', also known as ''Young and Dangerous 6'', is the last and final instalment to the mainstream franchise and characters. This film is a return to form for the series with what is considered a fitting end by fans. Chicken is set to marry Nanako (Anya), the daughter of Japanese

yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them , while the yakuza call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yak ...

son Akira Kusaraki ( Roy Cheung), Jason (Jason Chu) and Lui Fu-kwan (

Peter Ho Peter Ho (, born September 13, 1975) is an American-Chinese singer, actor, producer and director. Active across Greater China, he is known for his roles in TV series ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (TV series), Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'', ...

) to tie relationships between the Taiwanese San Luen triad and Kurasaki's clan. When Chicken is set up and framed again for murder, he seeks his old friends from Hung Hing to clear his name.

Cha Chuen-yee

* ''

Once Upon a Time in Triad Society ''Once Upon a Time in Triad Society'' (旺角揸Fit人) is a 1996 Hong Kong action film produced and directed by Cha Chuen-yee. The film is a spin-off of the ''Young and Dangerous'' film series, focusing on the character of Ugly Kwan, played b ...

'' () (1996) :The story of a gangster "Ugly Kwan" (

)'s rise and fall in the Triads. This is a sort of spin-off from the Young and Dangerous series. While Ng is basically reprising his role as Ugly Kwan from Young and Dangerous 1 and the priest from the series (Lam) makes an appearance, their ends don't mesh with the Y&D storyline. * ''

Once Upon a Time in Triad Society 2 Once may refer to: Film, television and theatre * ''Once'' (film), a 2007 Irish musical film by John Carney ** ''Once'' (musical), a 2011 stage adaptation of the film * ''Once'' (TV series), a 2017–2019 Argentine telenovela * Canal Once (Mexi ...

'' () (1996) :Not a continuation of the original, the sequel stars Ng in the role of Dagger who has a reputation for being good with fighting. In reality his reputation has been overblown by rumours and he uses his wit to get out of lethal situations.

Yip Wai Man

* ''

Portland Street Blues ''Portland Street Blues'' (古惑仔情義篇之洪興十三妹) is a 1998 Cinema of Hong Kong, Hong Kong film directed by Yip Wai Man. The film is a spin-off of the ''Young and Dangerous (series), Young and Dangerous'' series of films, with th ...

'' () (1998) :''Portland Street Blues'' is the first spin-off to the franchise, providing a different contrast to the familiar ''Young and Dangerous'' films with more character development. This time, the story's focus centres on "Sister 13". In a triad underworld dominated by men, the film tells the story of how she faces the trials and tribulations of rising to become the Hung Hing's branch leader of

Portland Street Portland Street () is a popular street in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The street is the location of the business and retailing skyscraper complex, Langham Place, numerous restaurants and its red-light district. Geography Running north–south and par ...

, and her willingness to forgo a heterosexual relationship. The film also gives more details and insights on the rival Tung Sing triad and the mutual friendship between Sister 13 and Ben Hon. * '' Those Were The Days...'' () (2000) :This semi-prequel/spin-off follows the life of Chicken before he joined the Hung Hing triad. The film co-stars

Gigi Leung Gigi Leung Wing-kei (; born 25 March 1976) is a Hong Kong singer and actress. Early life She was born at Tsan Yuk Hospital in Sai Ying Pun on 25 March 1976 and was given the name Leung Pik-chi () for superstitious reasons; as a child, Leung suf ...

as Chicken's childhood friend and

Kristy Yang Kristy Yang (born 7 January 1974), also known as Yang Gongru, is a Chinese-Canadian actress based in Hong Kong. Early life Yang was born in Shanghai, China, to a Chinese father and Jenny Liu, Chinese-American. Ms.Liu was invited to play the role ...

as Cheung May Yun.

Kant Leung

* ''

The Legendary 'Tai Fei' ''The Legendary 'Tai Fei (古惑仔激情篇之洪興大飛哥) is a 1999 Hong Kong film directed by Kant Leung and starring Anthony Wong. It is a spin-off to the ''Young and Dangerous'' film series. Synopsis The film centralizes on the sto ...

'' () (1999) :In another spin-off, after Tai Fei obtains branch leadership status of

North Point North Point is a mixed-use urban area in the Eastern District, Hong Kong, Eastern District of Hong Kong. Located in the northeastern part of Hong Kong Island, the area is named after a cape between Causeway Bay and Tsat Tsz Mui that projects ...

in ''Young and Dangerous 4'', he discovers he has a son. Worse yet, his son is a member of the hated Tung Sing triad, now dealing in

narcotics The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "I make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...

. * ''Sexy and Dangerous 2'' (2000) :Sequel to the first spin-off

Felix Chong

* ''

Once a Gangster ''Once a Gangster'' ( is a 2010 Hong Kong crime comedy film directed by Felix Chong. Plot Gang leader Kerosene discovers that a new recruit is a talented cook and gives him the nickname Roast Pork. When Kerosene becomes the new don, he sets up ...

'' () (2010) :Once a Gangster is a 10th year anniversary spin-off parody. This film does not directly follow the mainstream plot. The film is an action comedy. Both

and

are starred in the film as "Sparrow" and "Roast Pork".

Billy Hin-Shing Tang

* ''Sexy and Dangerous'' (1996

:Another spin-off from the series.

Jingle Ma Chor-Sing

* ''Goodbye Mr. Cool '' () (2001) :Goodbye Mr. Cool is the successor of the Young and Dangerous film series.

and

are starred in the film as "Dragon" and "Queen of the Underworld". The plot follows a retired triad leader (Cheng) whose life of crime has been traded for a waiter's apron at the Kowloon Cafe. Queen of the Underworld (Mok) seduces Dragon back to the crime business. Though Dragon is reluctant to go back, it's only a matter of time before he plays a key role in a bloody gang war.

Daniel Chan Yee-Heng

* ''Young and Dangerous: Reloaded'' (古惑仔之江湖新秩序) (2013) :This film is a reboot to the series. On a dark

Mong Kok Mong Kok (Chinese language, Chinese: 旺角), also spelled Mongkok, often abbreviated as MK, is an area in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The Prince Edward, Hong Kong, Prince Edward subarea occupies the northern part of Mong Kok. As one of the major sho ...

night, May, the cousin of Dai Tin-Yee (Dominic Ho), is gang raped and murdered by Med King (Deep Ng) and his men. The furious Tin-Yee, together with his buddies, Chan Ho Nam (

Him Law Him Law Tze-yat (born Law Chung-him on 28 August 1984) is a Hong Kong actor currently contracted to TVB. Law began his acting career by starring as supporting characters in several well-known films, most notably in '' Mob Sister'' (2005), whic ...

), Chicken (

Oscar Leung Oscar Leung King Fai (, born 1979) is an actor previously contracted to TVB. His uncle is the actor Bryan Leung. Filmography TV dramas Films Micro Film , - ! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" , My AOD Favourite Awards , - , - ...

), Pou-Pan (

Jazz Lam Lam Tsz-sin ( zh, c=林子善; born 1982) is a Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong K ...

) tracked down Med King to revenge May's death. As Med King was under the wing of Ugly Kwan (

Sammy Sum Sammy Sum Chun-hin (born 4 May 1983) is an actor based in Hong Kong. Biography Sammy Sum speaks fluent Hong Kong Cantonese, Mandarin Chinese, Canadian French and North American English. He was born in Hong Kong, but at the age of 10 Sum moved ...

), a leader of the Hung Hing triad, Kwan gave orders to get rid of Ho-Nam by all means....

Cast includes

as Chan Ho Nam *

as Chicken / Little Chicken (''Those Were The Days'') *

as Smartie / Rong Yu (''Born to Be King'') * Jason Chu as Chow Pan (1) / Banana Skin (2–5) / Jason (''Born to Be King'') *

as Lui Fu-Kwan (''Born to Be King'') * Roy Cheung as Crow (3) / Thunder Tiger (4) / Akira Kusaraki (''Born to Be King'') *

as Mei Ling (5) / (''Born to Be King'') *

Jerry Lamb Jerry Lamb Hiu-Fung ( Chinese: 林曉峰) (born 28 September 1970) is a Hong Kong actor, singer, television presenter, and DJ. Career In 1993, Jerry joined Wharf Cable Television. In 1994, he appeared in the film '' He's a Woman, She's a Man ...

as Pou Pan *

as Big Head (5) / (''Born to Be King'') *

as Dai Tin-Yee / Michael (''Born to Be King'') *

as Ugly Kwan *

as Cheung May Yun (''Portland Street Blues'') / (''Those Were The Days'') * Anthony Wong as Tai Fei (2–5) *

as Chiang Tin Sang (1–3) *

as Chiang Tin Yeung (4–5) / (''Born to Be King'') * Vincent Wan as Ben Hon (4–5) / (''Born to Be King'') *

as Sister 13 (4–5) / (''Born to Be King'') *

as "Prince"

The Series

Andrew Lau

The Young and Dangerous Saga (1996–2000)

Cha Chuen-yee

Yip Wai Man

Kant Leung

Felix Chong

Billy Hin-Shing Tang

Jingle Ma Chor-Sing

Daniel Chan Yee-Heng

Cast includes

External links