On DVD: Election

Directed By Johnnie To

Starring Simon Yam, Wong Tim Lang

Let me start out by saying I'm not a fan of Triad films.  So, when I sat down to check this one out I wasn't enthused but I am a friend of Tartan's Asia Extreme so I hoped to be surprised by Election.

The Movie

The time has come again for the Wo Shing clan to elect a new chairman.  This is no ordinary election though.  Yes members of the crime syndicate vote but they are brought to their decision by a mix of violence and bribery from the two men up for the election. 

Once the votes are cast all that remains is the ceremonial transfer of an ancient dragonhead baton to the new chairman.  Now this isn't going to be a simple and elegant transfer.  What we get is a bloody battle for control of the baton.

The plot of this film is fairly basic and the characters are stereotypical but the execution of the film pushes it above the limitations of the story.  Election is slick and full of all the violence you'd expect and some humor you might not have expected.  There are commentaries in the film about what it is to be family and what denotes true loyalty.  Again, these thematic elements are common in Triad and Yakuza films but seldom are they wrapped in such a slick and entertaining film.

That's really what we end up with in Election, a pure testosterone infused piece of entertainment that's at the top of the stack for the genre in which it exists.  The characters don't get too deep but the actors that portray them are all top notch and the direction of them is also well done.  Even if you aren't a fan of Triad films if you do enjoy action films this is a must see film.  It's action packed and predictably visceral, which is a good thing.

8/10

The Video

The anamorphic widescreen presentation is a very unbalanced experience.  Colors are vibrant and detail is good in parts, then in other parts there's a good bit of aliasing and grain.  Darker scenes drop off in detail and bring in some grain.  Overall the presentation is acceptable but it's nowhere near demo quality.

6/10

The Audio

Audio is presented in the original Cantonese language and is available in Dolby and in DTS 5.1.  The standard Dolby and the DTS are both solid mixes with the DTS featuring a slightly better dynamic range with specifically more bass.  The film is fairly front loaded in the surround environment but there are some instances of rear channel use giving the film some depth in those scenes.

7/10

Packaging and Bonus Features

The single disc release comes in a standard amaray case with a slipcover bearing the same artwork as the case.  The art is good but not mind-blowing.

First up there's a half hour interview with director Johnnie To.  The interview offers some behind the scenes information but more often it To gets a bit introspective on his reasons for doing the film.  The most interesting part of the interview comes when To discusses the controversy behind the marketing of the film.

Next up there's a series of brief interviews with the main cast.  There's a good bit of back slapping from the actors to Johnnie To but there are few tidbits that make the interviews worth checking out.

The Making of Election Featurette is a really brief look at the making of the film.  It doesn't get very deep in the information department but there is just a bit of behind the scenes footage.

Lastly there's a trailer for the film.  The information doesn't get to in depth but there's more here than we usually get from imported films.

6/10

This is a really energetic film and a must for action film fans.

Overall (Not an Average) 8/10

The Review

The Movie 8/10

The Video 6/10

The Audio 7/10

The Packaging and Bonus Features 6/10

Overall (Not an Average) 8/10

-Stephen Lackey