Mafia.com (2000)

Forget the title. Mafia.com isn't about technology. Instead, Alan Lo's film tells a tale of urban drift with Hong Kong characteristics. Small-time gang members Chiu (Lui), Chung and Andy Wah have had enough of life in rural Shau Tau Kok. They say farewell to their old boss (Shing Fui-on) and head for the bright lights and money of Kowloon. Former villager Seven Wong (Ben Ng), or Killer for short, runs just about all of the peninsula and they hope he can be their boss.

Killer takes a liking to them and kits them out in the latest fashions ready for work. The lads are informed about the importance of Hong Kong gangsters - "In fact, triad is a society observer", explains thoughtful Killer - and they're handed Nathan Road* to watch over. Soon they switch to some Tsim Sha Tsui East valet work and Chiu takes on an assassination job. Later, catching wind of Killer's match-fixing activities, they decide to relieve their boss of a million dollars as they start their rise to the top.

A small side plot sees Grace Yip thrown in as Chiu's flame from the village (and apparently Shing Fui-on's sister, if the subtitles are to be believed). She's not so pleased with Chiu's triad lifestyle and hits back by becoming a beer-guzzling nightclub hostess. Other characters include Roy Cheung playing swanky drug dealer Karl Sung, and Danny Lee as Chiu's older cop brother.

Nothing to rave about with this lightweight and rarely enjoyable film, though fans of overblown triad shenanigans may find some interest. The script is clunky as it gradually charts the travails of Chiu and his mates. The ending is drawn out. Action sequences are slipped in throughout the film but are far from exciting - one moment has Ben Ng outrunning a gang of chopper-wielding thugs, while he's carrying his mother in his arms. Actors are reasonable in their roles, with Ben Ng trying hard with a facial quirk that switches on and off and doing an enjoyable portrayal of a stereotypical gangster.

Mafia.com is not without it's few highlights, however, including the big screen return of Shing Fui-on. One of the more interesting (though undeveloped) aspects is a "Warrant by the Underground" pasted all over town. Should your name be pasted all over town on one of these yellow pieces of paper, all Hong Kong's nasties will be after your head. Another fun bit involves a gangster stand-off in the middle of Nathan Road outside Chungking Mansions - it's somewhat amusing to watch the large circle of posturing gangsters blocking three lanes of nighttime traffic.

Danny Lee takes the lead on the Imperial Cinema's Mafia.com painted billboard

* Nathan Road is the main road running the length Kowloon.

Credits:

Scripted and directed by Alan Lo
Starring Jackie Lui, Remus Mook, Ben Ng, Danny Lee Sau-yin, Shing Fui-on, Roy Cheung, Helena Law Lan and Frankie Ng Chi-hung