This is an excellent triad movie. Instead of being a Hong Kong Godfather(1985) and A Better Tomorrow(1986) clone, it's completely original in it's characterization, and it's no nonsense, and vicious, the way HK movie were meant to be. The script, which is very well written, seems to be rushed probably due to the budget and expectations, but this does not effect the point director Chu Yen Ping tries to make, as this movie is very well acted and well shot. A break from the usual generic stock HK triad characterizations and the way the story and characters evolve is much natural than what you'd find in HK movies, due to the the differences between the Taiwanese and the HK people's ways of living life. A great change of pace. 4/5