Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Election 2 Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 7, 2009

Winner of the Best Film Award granted by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society, Johnnie To’s “Election II” (2006) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Panorama. All of the special features are placed on a separate SDVD. Amongst them are exclusives interviews with Johnnie To and cast members, Making-of documentary and more. All of the supplemental features are perfectly playable on Region-A hardware. English-friendly and Region-Free.

We have to vote again!

Chairman Lok (Simon Yam, Sparrow) has led the Wo Shing Society to prosperity. Its leaders have become wealthier and expanded their business far beyond Hong Kong. Now that it is time for chairman Lok to step down, they are looking to elect a man who would continue his legacy.

Everyone agrees that if Jimmy Lee (Louis Koo, Flash Point), a young and ambitious businessman, decides to run for the post, he would easily win. But if he does not, the selection of a new chairman would be an extremely challenging task.

Running the Wo Shing Society, however, is the last thing on Jimmy’s mind. He is interested in teaming up with legit investors for the construction of a massive highway in China that would effectively separate him from his murky past.

But while negotiating with a high-ranking government official, Jimmy is told that it will be impossible for him to invest in China unless he is well positioned within the Wo Shing Society. Confused and enraged, Jimmy goes back to Hong Kong and immediately announces his intention to run for chairman.

Meanwhile, chairman Lok asks the leaders of the Wo Shing Society if they would agree to let him serve a second term. Most of them are displeased to hear that he is even entertaining the idea because one could never hold the prestigious post twice in a row. But chairman Lok is convinced that he is the only man that could lead the different factions within the Wo Shing Society and in an attempt to preserve the existing status quo hatches an elaborate plan to eliminate Jimmy and retain the Dragon Head baton.

Johnnie To’s follow-up to Election (2005) is a darker, more violent and disturbing film. Also, instead of focusing on personal drama as the first film did, it examines the complex nature of global crime and politics. Its visionary commentary on the inevitable merger of the business interests of the triad society and the communist government in China is particularly impressive.

Despite the thematic expansion, however, Election II is a minimalistic film that routinely chooses silence over action. (It is why some of the best footage in it is dialog-free). To and cinematographer Cheng Siu-keung carefully use locations and manage shadow and light to support this preference.

But it is the quality of the characterizations that elevate Election II above the original film. Indeed, even the smaller players easily leave lasting impressions because they all legitimize their presence in the best way possible. Of course, this makes perfect sense too because in global crime and politics the small and big players constantly have their status altered.

Film editor Patrick Tam did not work on Election II, but Cheung Ka-kit (Black Night) and Law Wing-cheong (Tactical Unit: The Code) are just as effective. Composer Robert Ellis-Geiger (After This Our Exile) has replaced Lo Tayu, but his score is as atmospheric as that of his predecessor.

Election 2 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Johnnie To's Election II arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Panorama.

Election II looks slightly sharper and better detailed than Election. Its color scheme, however, is as complex as that of Election. There are plenty of scenes where grays, browns, blues, and whites look somewhat soft. The heavy shadows I addressed in my review of Election are once again of utmost importance in this film -- there are certain scenes where you could barely see the faces of the main protagonists. Again, I assume that all of this is intentional. This being said, I noticed a bit of very light edge enhancement (see second capture) popping up here and there but it is hardly something that would affect your viewing experience. I also spotted bits of digital noise. Macroblocking, however, is not an issue of concern. Aside from a few tiny specks that I saw early into the film, there are no disturbing debris, scratches, or dirt to report in our review. To sum it all up, if the few issues I noted above were not present, Election II would have looked exceptional. Still, I have absolutely no problem recommending this disc to you. (Note: This is a Region-Free disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Election 2 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 and Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1. I opted for the Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

Once again, I am very pleased with the audio treatment. The Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track has been mixed exceptionally well - the bass is convincing, the high frequencies not overdone and the rear channels intelligently used. The dialog is crisp, clean and very easy to follow. The music score by Robert Ellis-Geiger is delicately mixed with the dialog. There are no disturbing pops, cracks, or dropouts that I detected.

And once again, the Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 track is not a match for the Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. This is not to say that it is a flawed track, but it most certainly does not match the dynamic intensity of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. Interestingly enough, this is most obvious not during the action scenes, but when Robert Ellis-Geiger's soundtrack is more prominent. For the record, Panorama have provided optional English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese subtitles. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame.

Election 2 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

(Note: All of the supplemental features are placed on a separate SDVD. All are in 480/60i and perfectly playable on Region-A players. All of the supplemental features arrive with optional English and Simplified Chinese subtitles).

Exclusive interview with Johnnie To -the director talks about the history of his films at the Cannes Film Festival, their unique style, the themes they address, etc. (12 min).

Exclusive interviews with selected actors - Lam Suet (18 min) and Lam Ka Tung (15 min) talk about the characters they play, they impressions of Johnnie To and organized crime in Hong Kong,

Making of documentary - a short piece on the production history of Election II. (7 min).

Trailers-there is only one trailer for the main feature.

TV Spots- three TV spots.

Photo Gallery -

Election 2 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I enjoyed Johnnie To's Election II a lot. In my opinion, it is a lot better than Election. It is darker, grittier and more violent. It is also better paced and with a lot more complex narrative. If you enjoy intelligent crime films, where style and substance are well balanced, do not miss it. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Panorama, looks and sounds very good. Highly Recommended.