Simply A Masterpiece

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Don't listen to the negative reviews

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Huo boa xing dong (White Lotus Trio), features a little rock-em-sock-em, a little comedy, a little cops and robbers, a family reunion, warring triads and a whole lot of unintentionally hilarious captioned translations. Fare such as "Are you a dump ?" and "All beautiful woman stupid" had me rolling on the floor. That's really it's only saving grace. Mediocre plot, mediocre effects (sometimes the gun's bullets 'explode' when they hit, other times they seem like normal bullets), and clichéd acting make this a real 'dump' otherwise. The at-times nonsensical, always hilarious captions steal the show--I'd watch it again just for that !

I came across Avenging Trio as White Lotus Trio in a bargain 10-pack of movies called Shaw Martial Art Legends.It starts out with a five to ten minute sequence of bad camera-work and acting. Three friends rob the triads to support their pregnant wives. They get blown away the next day and the wives vow revenge through their kids. It's not clear if the triads get their money back.The only problem is that there's no revenge. Instead, it fast forwards 18 years and turns into a movie where the three children of the slain friends, Li Kar Sing, Cheung Yan Lun and Wong Shu Ching find each other while involved in a triad vs triad vs cop plot. Well, they try to steal business away from Chiu too.The only act of revenge taken is when Li throws sparking darts at Chiu, one of the four triads running a gambling place. But this is to setup a quick triad war as it's right after Chiu, Hon Yip, Fok Chin Tin, and Szeto Kwok Wah feud over a botched horse racing operation.Most of the action (100% cheesy) belongs to the unnamed police chief (Gordon Liu), his all female squadron, and the Triads. There's a random high seas weapons sting and a random forest incident. Li and Cheung do get some action in a random fight over stolen money and a botched burglary. The trio are merely spectators in the end though as the chief and Yip chase one another through a pier.The most random and funniest scene is when Li and Cheung hijack a truck. The truck is moving along when a woman acts like it knocked her off her bike. The guys get out and the woman turns out to be a guy. Then Li, Cheung, and a random dude jump them. Afterwards, Li and Cheung drive off with the truck. You don't see the crossdresser or the random guy before or after that scene.Lastly, the kids aren't born yet at start. Yet after only 18 years, Li and Cheung are criminal masterminds or high ranking Triad, and Wong is a high-ranking undercover cop. It seems the director wanted to make a different film later on but mashed the ideas together. And no, this is not some spliced up Godfrey Ho style flick either.