This is a pretty good Triad/action movie that is based on the true story. Tragic Fantasy is based on the life of Andely Chan who gained fame first as a Triad from the Wanchai district, and later as a race car driver in Macau.

Seemingly, this is your basic Triad film. It starts out with Simon and a group of his friends including Lau Chin Wan, and Roy Cheung as low level parking attendants. Simon portrays a character called “Hing” (not sure why they didn’t use Chan’s real name) that is more interested in having fun than real crime. He and his friends slowly climb up the gang ladder by making names for themselves protecting local clubs and restaurants. Local owners soon begin to hire them in droves, as the find that the cost of protection is much lower than insurance claims from the vandalism and damages they face. Simon has his own men’s problems to deal with as LCW has a severe gambling addiction that constantly leads to fights, and Roy seems to be more interested in scoring with women then the protection business. Added to all this is of course the love interest. Marianne Chan plays a good woman that Simon falls for. She likes him, but is not into the whole Triad lifestyle, and tries to get Simon to immigrate to Canada. Unfortunately for Simon, his gang’s sudden rise to success doesn’t sit well with rival Triads, and a plan is hatched to get rid of him.

As mentioned, this seems like your typical HK Triad story- only this time it is based on a true story. Having said that, I found myself really liking it. Something about the chemistry between the cast, and the flow of the movie made it really interesting. Throw in the charm of Simon Yam, and you really start to like the character of Hing (or Andely Chan). One area that could have used more work was the racing angle. Throughout the film, Hing is shown to have an interest in auto racing. Finally, after his legend grows, he is able to gain a sponsor and participate in the Macau Grand Prix. The racing footage is very weak and only lasts for a short time. The only shots we see of Simon during the race are close-ups of him wearing a racing helmet- followed immediately by stock footage of cars racing around a track! Chan did actually race in the Macau grand prix in 1993 and for movie purposes, he wins the race; but I think that is an exaggeration.

All in all, what could on the surface just be an average Triad film, actually turns out to be much better than that. This is due to the atmosphere, chemistry and especially the great fighting scenes. The action really stands out in the movie as Simon and friends really look they are fighting here! No glorified poses, no unnecessary moves, or obvious stunt doubles. Just real violent fight scenes.