If you like the "Infernal Affairs" series you will most likely enjoy this film as well. Andy Lau and Steven Chang also are in the cast of this film and the roles they play seem very similar to the ones created in the "Infernal Affairs" films. Regardless this is an enjoyable film told with great performances from Louis Koo and Andy Lau. Filmed three years before "Infernal Affairs" it clearly hasn't the budget of "Infernal Affairs". However the story of the film creates the same compassion for the character as "Infernal Affairs", so it is a very enjoyable film to watch. And Yes, I do think it is the same story. Watch it, it really is. A cop goes undercover to infiltrate the gang and becomes the sole insider reporting to one cop who may or may not be crooked... Very similar. But bravo for achieving the same theme as successfully with a much smaller budget.
5 Reviews
Better than Y&D at least
dyogenez1 January 2005
After watching the entire Y&D, watching this was a welcomed change. It has much more of a defined storyline, and with more violence with a reason. It starts with an undercover cop being sent to nail Fai-lone, the lead boss of the Hung Hing triad. He learns that Fai-lone is no longer a triad boss, but he is straight. As there is still corruption in the group, the undercover cop and Fai-lone have the same target in mind and must eliminate the betrayer. Only knowing that this film had Andy Lau in it was enough to draw me to watch. It turned out to be well worth it. The acting by him and number of the girls, including his wife in the girls, is great. Many of the guys play 'strong' emotionless characters with some room for development. The story is at least original, although most of it dragged on too slow. There isn't much action, but the dialog and situations are enough to sty interested most of the time. 7/10.
More than just another undercover cop in the Triads movie...
paul_haakonsen26 January 2021
Oddly enough with my fascination and love for the Hong Kong cinema, then I never heard about "Century of the Dragon" (aka "Lung joi bin yuen") before now in 2021 as I sat down to watch it.
One might argue for or against "Century of the Dragon" being just another triad and undercover police movie, but there is just something to the storyline that sets "Century of the Dragon" aside from the myriad of similar movies that flooded the Hong Kong cinema during the 1990s.
The storyline was pretty good, although it essentially was just another undercover police officer sent into the Triads movie. But the pacing of the story from writer Jing Wong in the hands of director Clarence Fok made it work out quite well, and saved it from slumping into being just another undercover cop in the Triads movie. Thankfully it didn't end up that way.
And I will say that the storyline does have enough turns along the way to remain interesting and thus preventing from becoming a generic and predictable one. So thumbs up to writer Jing Wong for that. There is a great combination of action, drama and suspense to the storyline to add variation to the movie as you watch it.
Something that definitely helped "Century of the Dragon" stand out was the cast ensemble, which included Hong Kong heavy weight actors Andy Lau, Louis Koo and Anthony Chau-Sang Wong. I must say that I really think Anthony Chau-Sang Wong is so well-cast for movies as this, just a shame that his character didn't have more on-screen time.
If you enjoy the undercover cops and Triads movies, then I can warmly recommend that you sit down to watch "Century of the Dragon", especially if you enjoy Hong Kong movies.
My rating of "Century of the Dragon" settles on a six out of ten stars. Definitely well-worth a watch.
One might argue for or against "Century of the Dragon" being just another triad and undercover police movie, but there is just something to the storyline that sets "Century of the Dragon" aside from the myriad of similar movies that flooded the Hong Kong cinema during the 1990s.
The storyline was pretty good, although it essentially was just another undercover police officer sent into the Triads movie. But the pacing of the story from writer Jing Wong in the hands of director Clarence Fok made it work out quite well, and saved it from slumping into being just another undercover cop in the Triads movie. Thankfully it didn't end up that way.
And I will say that the storyline does have enough turns along the way to remain interesting and thus preventing from becoming a generic and predictable one. So thumbs up to writer Jing Wong for that. There is a great combination of action, drama and suspense to the storyline to add variation to the movie as you watch it.
Something that definitely helped "Century of the Dragon" stand out was the cast ensemble, which included Hong Kong heavy weight actors Andy Lau, Louis Koo and Anthony Chau-Sang Wong. I must say that I really think Anthony Chau-Sang Wong is so well-cast for movies as this, just a shame that his character didn't have more on-screen time.
If you enjoy the undercover cops and Triads movies, then I can warmly recommend that you sit down to watch "Century of the Dragon", especially if you enjoy Hong Kong movies.
My rating of "Century of the Dragon" settles on a six out of ten stars. Definitely well-worth a watch.
Routine gangster drama
Leofwine_draca24 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
CENTURY OF THE DRAGON is a routine, little-known gangster drama from Hong Kong, chiefly of interest for teaming up two of the region's biggest stars, Andy Lau and Louis Koo. The former plays an old-time gangster, supposedly retired but still very much in the thick of things; Koo is an undercover cop come to sort things out. With director Clarence Fok at the help, this is a film which is all about melodrama and over-emoting from the central characters. A wealth of violent incident is interspersed amid the plotting and dialogue, but none of it means very much when the characters are underwritten and unlikeable in some instances. In the end, CENTURY OF THE DRAGON is a film that washes over you rather than drawing you in.
great cop/triad movie, beliveable charecters...
secrective29 June 2001
i caught this movie on the i-channel, but i missed the last 15 minutes of it... I've seen a lot of hk movies like this one, some arent as good, if you want to see an older classic, i reccommend "Hard Boiled" with Chow yun-fat
This movie is about a cop who gets assigned an undercover case working for the triad, until he can get enough evidence to bust them. What insues is a battle between the triads/rival bosses and the police. Its a good movie , i only wish i could have seen the end of it, if your planning to have a Hong Kong movie weekend, throw this one in.
This movie is about a cop who gets assigned an undercover case working for the triad, until he can get enough evidence to bust them. What insues is a battle between the triads/rival bosses and the police. Its a good movie , i only wish i could have seen the end of it, if your planning to have a Hong Kong movie weekend, throw this one in.
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