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Audio Format: DD 5.1, DTS-ES Video Format: Widescreen 1.85:1 (Anamorphic) Languages: Mandarin, Cantonese Subtitles: English, Chinese (T/S) Region Code: ALL Year Made: 2006 Running Time: 93
 Less cryptic than "The Longest Nite," which he produced, and less minimalist than "The Mission" -- two of To's best -- "Election 2" is a more traditional narrative that audiences can easily follow. It focuses on fewer characters, giving audiences a chance to keep track of the major players. It's a natural for Asian and genre festivals following its international debut Out of Competition at this month's Festival de Cannes, where To has a stellar reputation.
When the first film stopped -- because it didn't end by a long shot -- Lok (Simon Yam) had won the chairmanship election and feloniously consolidated his power. The saga picks up with Lok angling to extend his term for another two years, which goes against all tradition, and lining up his allies and targeting his foes.
The less aggressive, more entrepreneurial Jimmy (Louis Koo) is his biggest rival: He's popular with the uncles because he is a good businessman, and he knows the future is in mainland China. Bloody circumstances unfold that force Jimmy to make a string of violent decisions that do, in fact, lead to the chairman's throne as well as a suitably ambiguous ending.
An ambiguous ending doesn't mean that To isn't completely in control of his material. In what could be either a Hong Kong answer to "Kill Bill" (one long film in two parts) or "The Godfather," To seems to be exploring areas of the story that he didn't in "Election." Perhaps the first film's production inspired other avenues To wanted to explore. Whatever the case, where To and writers Yau Nai-hoi and Yip Tin-shing stripped the Triad of its underworld tone in the first film and painted it as the modern quasicorporation it is today, in "Election 2" the trio strips what remains of the Triad mythos -- its image as a heroic, loyalty-based brotherhood.
Jimmy turns out to be every bit as ruthless and brutal as Lok or the deceased Big D, and this discovery is where much of "Election 2's" drama lies. This sequel is considerably darker, literally and figuratively, than its predecessor, and the prevailing sense of dread and simmering danger is palpable.
Credit should go to shooter Cheng Siu-keung and score composer Robert Ellis-Geiger. The film is every bit as vivid in its portrayal of the brotherhood as To's "A Hero Never Dies"; it's just that the pendulum has swung the other way. That film was glamorous. This one is not.
But it's not all violence and brutality. To allows his morbid sense of humor to shine through. There are moments of absurd hilarity that don't necessarily lighten the mood so much as bring it down to earth. The performances are strong all around, especially from Koo, an actor known less for his thespian exploits than for his tan. Mark Cheng as hired enforcer Xi provides the lightest moments as he goes about adjusting his rates from situation to situation. To fans are going to be delighted, and it's a good start for viewers unfamiliar with his work.
 A sequel that makes sense. Election 2 takes the themes and stories presented in the original film and brings them to a logical and ingeniously appropriate end. Those who found the first film boring or unexciting will likely not find Election 2 much better, but fans of the first should be very pleased. So far, this is the class of 2006.
The post-1997 world of Chinese rule means that even the long-established Wo Shing Triad Society must change its ways and think north. But after the brotherhood was fractured by the ruthless grip of Chairman Lok, it was up to the younger generation to lead the way.
Jimmy is the perfect candidate: smart and entrepreneurial. Even the Chinese authorities are interested in what Jimmy has to offer. Only problem is, Chairman Lok isn't one who gives up power easily.
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