Director Doze Niu set Monga in the 1980’s replete with terrible hairstyles and requisite Air Supply music. The five boys of the Gang of Princes had enough daddy issues to ask for a group rate at their local therapist’s office. The boys also dealt with the daily violence on the streets, betrayals, death, and unrequited love.

Mosquito’s father died after he was born and he’s been bullied everywhere he and his mother have lived. The bullying begins again at his new school over the chicken leg in his lunch. After school, Dog Boy and his crew jump Mosquito but the new kid acquits himself well and the real power gang led by Dragon Lee and Monk take notice and take Mosquito under their wing. While Dragon Lee is the leader due to his dad’s gang status, Monk, his second in command, provides the muscle and the brains. The boys become sworn brothers and spend more time together hanging out than in school. Life can be precarious on the streets as the brotherhood find out after a deadly mistake has repercussions, a secret touches the wrong ears, and a new player comes to town unafraid to shake up the old way of doing business.

Triads, gangs, and boys’ gangs have all been done. Doze put his own Taiwanese flair on Monga. The crowded, brightly lit streets deserved their own screen credits. The scenes were as loud and chaotic as the story. While there were plenty of fights, they often came across more balletic, especially with the soothing music playing in the background and slow-motion shots. Monk and Mosquito were the focus of the main plot and subplots. Monk’s feelings for Dragon Lee ran far deeper than brotherhood. He protected Dragon Lee from his own worst inclinations and took the punishment for his actions from Dragon’s gang boss dad. Monk also had his own aspirations and deeply held resentments. Mosquito was the innocent one of the crew. He was looking for family, for brothers, for connection---for a father. Much of the narration was told through his naïve eyes. Perhaps to bring a feminine element into the film or to give Mosquito a soft shoulder to lie on, Ning, a prostitute was introduced. Around the same age, the two fell into a tender friendship, limited by her contract at the brothel. Doze played the Mainland triad leader determined to take over Monga and who also had a connection to Mosquito and his mom.

Mark Chao in his film debut provided the character who could show horror and fear when called upon for the audience. At times a little stiff, but overall, a good first film performance. Ethan Juan was both mesmerizing and terrifying as Monk. With good reason he won the Golden Horse Award for Best Leading Actor for his primal portrayal of the young gangster. Rhydian Vaughan didn’t have as much to do, although he was saddled with the worst mullet outside of a redneck truck stop in 1980’s Texas. The veteran cast gave the proper gravitas to the criminal adults in the room.

The first half of the frenetic movie was all about bonding and hanging out, and navigating the different groups and their territories. When there was no turning back, the shift in tone was cataclysmic and there was no denying that blood would be shed, and vows would be broken. When war came to Monga, no one was ready for the consequences, not even those who thought they were above it. Blood would flow like cherry blossoms.

10 May 2024