The film's main drive involves plotting and scheming rather than outright violence, though -- unlike the sequel -- the basic good guy-bad guy conflict is pretty standard.
Comment
01/03/08
Election (2005)
86
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:22
Fresh:19
Rotten:3
Average Rating:6.8/10
Synopsis: The drama-thriller ELECTION centers on the power struggles within Hong Kong's organized crime culture. Every two years, the Wo Shing society, the oldest and most powerful triad in Hong Kong, has to... [More]
Reviews for Election
Some real genius and understated power . . . transcends its genre and turns the venally criminal into the profoundly human.
11/19/07
Not To's greatest film, but an interesting examination of the inner workings of Hong Kong's triad gangs.
10/30/07
The film's violence erupts in rare, staccato bursts, all the more horrifying for coming out of nowhere.
08/24/07
Election feels routine at times, though less formulaic than other genre exercises from Hong Kong. The depiction of crime customs is sociologically detailed.
07/13/07
Top Critic[Director To's] talent for documentary-style realism and navigating complex political systems sets him apart, though his nationalism puts him squarely in the mainstream.
07/12/07
Dense, demanding concentration, lacking any romantic (but plenty of sordid) violence, extremely involving and rewarding of careful attention.
06/21/07
Top CriticUltimately, Election and Triad Election -- which benefit from being seen back to back -- play like a mature reevaluation of [Johnnie] To's long-standing talent for splashy, eye-popping violence.
06/08/07
Top CriticReveals [director] To as a master of lean, close-quarters action.
06/07/07
Nobody familiar with [director] To will be surprised by the way he presents stylish violence in innovative and humorous ways.
04/27/07
has more hits than misses
04/26/07
There is social commentary to be sure, but there are also some solid action thrills.
04/25/07
Election, the first installment in Johnnie To's two-film Hong Kong gangland serial, is a densely plotted, pulpy procedural.
04/25/07
Top CriticUnlike the American crime genre, violence is viewed only as the last resort. In both films, there is a subtle suggestion that the children of the chairmen may pay the highest price for the criminal ascendancy of their fathers.
04/18/07
It's a thrilling premise. What a shame, then, that Election can't get the basics right.
10/28/06
To’s double shot is a landmark work for HK cinema.
10/28/06
We are plunged into this dispute, but with insufficient time to get to know any of these players, they never fully come to life.
10/28/06
Top CriticEven the violence is unexpectedly unexpected, eschewing the usual cathartic frenzy of bloody chopsocky and arcade-game gunplay in favour of calmly viewed and human-scaled acts of brutality.
10/28/06
It's easy to see why a sequel was quickly cranked out.
09/13/06
May feel a little aloof and dry, not to mention confusing, but there's a solid resonance within the story.
06/06/06
Latest News for Election
September 25, 2006:
Toronto Wrapup: Senh, Jen And Tim's Raves And Rants From The Festival
We saw some great movies, some of them big ("Babel") and some tiny ("The Patterns Trilogy"). We saw some interesting failures ("The Banquet") and... More...
September 16, 2006:
TORONTO: "Away From Her," "The Prisoner," "El Cantante," And More Purchased at Fest
Picturehouse led the pack of acquisitions at this year's Toronto International Film Festival, nabbing North American rights to "El Cantante," the biopic of Salsa... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
Dressing Wonderland 
Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.
Wes Anderson on Fox
The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Win Glee DVDs
We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.
Win tickets to Cold Souls
Double passes up for grabs to the new comedy starring Paul Giamatti.
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser
Win the entire 007 collection
Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection
IGN RSS Feeds