Reviews

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  ★★★½ review by hellohellox2 on Letterboxd

  Saw this at #TIFF this past week. It's better than what most reviewers gave it credit for, in my opinion. While it's not I'd call cinema gold, it's perfectly servicable and entertaining, and wonderful to see an almost entirely asian-american cast. Fans of gangster/grindhouse/hong-kong genre movies will enjoy it, I think. Biggest drawback I could see was that it just wasn't finished. Color correction, score, and editing need tightening up.

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  ★★★½ review by cesare borgia on Letterboxd

  the reviews for this one are pretty negative / bad. in all honesty i liked it, it's not a perfect film, the dialogue sometimes is off-putting and it goes all over the place, very fast paced. ex: a dude gets shot 8 times, survives but is like in a coma ??? and a couple of scenes later, he's asking for revenge. i won't compare it to other films based on the writer / director / producer or whatever. it is what it is. kept me intrigued,,, even tho it didn't have that much substance. EN FIN, before i keep rambling, flawed but decent.

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  ★★★★ review by Steve Rogers on Letterboxd

  A film that covers the Asian-American experience in the 1980s and 90s is well done, features a wealth of Asian-American talent. This is not a high gloss action film but one grounded in reality and based on true events in NYC. It will probably not be given a release in theaters but will be available on online services. This is violent street games of the late 20th century and how coming to America reflects the othe immigrant film The Gangs of New York. It's about carving a place out for yourself in any manner you can.

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  ★★★½ review by Matt Johnson on Letterboxd

  Traveling across an ocean or desert and into a new country, one becomes subject to different rules, and vulnerable to thugs who know the system better. Those unable or unwilling to control their own destinies in this new climate, invite others to do it for them. "Captain leads, sailor sails," is the saying, and some unsavory, yet deceptively wholesome looking, captains appear at the helm. The American dream depends more on one's luck, resources and strength of character, than on equal opportunity, liberty or other tenuous threads. Based on actual events from the 1980s, the film follows the lives of Chinese immigrants to New York City who are pressured into gangs, menial labor and violence. The main characters are two boys who become part of the notorious Green Dragon gang. Despite shaky acting and disjointed transitions, it is an intriguing and insightful glimpse into the underworld of U.S. immigration. Many scenes are predictable, yet there were some twists and turns, especially at the end, that I did not see coming. Seen at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.

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  ★★★½ review by Des Saint on Letterboxd

  Movie based on a Chinese gang from Queens, N.Y. that ruled China town throughout the late 80s, early 90's.
  
  Although based on real events, some of the characters roles in the movie were fictionalized, such as Sonny (Siu Man Wong ), who in real life ratted out his gang brothers in order to get a reduced sentence.
  
  Paul Wong, the real life gang leader portrayed in the movie is still at large and believed to be in China, where he is one of the major traffickers of heroin and illegal Chinese immigrants into the U.S.

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