Election 2

In ‘Election’, Simon Yam’s Lok was the Nick Clegg-like nice guy in the election race for the position of Wo Shing Society Chairman. By the films’ conclusion, however, he makes a Clegg-like U-turn, showing his ruthless streak in order to gain power. With his term coming to an end, Lok once again starts to show his David Cameron side, seeking to go against Society tradition and serve a second term as Chairman, running against his five god-sons.

Another Hong Kong DVD gone missing, ‘Election 2’ is Johnnie To’s sequel to his multi-award winning, let’s-show-a-lack-of-originality-in-film-reviewing-and-compare-it-to ‘The Godfather’ ‘Election’, with the same power struggle scenario rearing its ugly head once more. This time, it’s the turn of Jimmy (Louis Koo) to play the nice guy forced to show a ruthless side, as he seeks to gain the Chairmanship in order to aid his business plans in mainland China. Up against his four brothers, he is the clear favourite, having both the best hair and tailored suits. But at this, Lok seeks to alter the Society tradition and serve a second term.

The original was a sleek film, showing the race for the baton between two lead candidates, but ‘Election 2’ suffers a little from sequel syndrome, lacking the originality, obviously, of its predecessor and resorting to scenes that feature more shock and gore than true quality. But, that said, ‘Election 2’ is a worthy sequel with some good cinematography and atmosphere. Many of the cast from the original – those whose characters are still alive – are reunited, though many are more as cameos than lead roles. The focus here is much more on Jimmy, with even Johnnie To favourite Simon Lam pushed a little further down the bill in place of his successor. The suspense as to the outcome is, therefore, less apparent than in ‘Election’ and has a sense of inevitability about it.

This won’t win any votes as the best of Johnnie To’s work, but certainly helps his position as one of Hong Kong’s top directors.