On the Wrong Track is a 1983 Shaw Brothers drama film, starring veteran Shaw badass Yueh Hua in one of his very, very last cinematic outings for the Shaws, as well as Hong Kong megastar Andy Lau before he's famous.
A coming-of-age drama set in 80s Hong Kong, the film revolves around the Chan brothers, Paul (Andy) and Dee (Yim Chau-wah), a pair of delinquents and teen rebels.
Their divorced father, Larry (Yueh) is a decorated member of the police force and a prison officer, who constantly disagrees with his sons on their choice in relationships with their girlfriends and demanding for them to focus on their studies and school performances.
Their father's subordinate in the police force, local cop Officer King Kong, also picks on the brothers constantly, believing that they will grow up into becoming criminals.
After failing his SAT to secure a better future in a prestigious college, Paul unexpectedly meets up with Shi-shi (Prudence Yip), a refugee from an illegal Vietnamese refugee camp. Inevitably falling in love with each other, things take a nosedive for the worse when Paul's disapproving father finds out.
Contains Examples of:
- Calling the Old Man Out: Paul and Dee towards their father, Larry. Multiple times.
- Coming of Age Story: One of the rarer films starring Yueh Hua which is in this genre.
- Delinquents: The main character, Paul Chan, is a juvenile delinquent who constantly rebels on his policeman father.
- Disproportionate Retribution: A rich man called the Chan brothers a pair of punks. They respond by setting his sports car on fire and destroying it.
- Downer Ending: Not only does Paul fail to outlive the credits, but things aren't looking good for Shi-shi, still stuck in a refugee camp. That's not going into the issue of how Larry outlives both his sons, because of his overly-controlling "Well Done, Son" Guy attitude, which will haunt him for the rest of his life…
- Floating Head Syndrome: The above poster, and the DVD's cover, features Paul's head taking most of the upper part.
- Growing Up Sucks: A reocurring theme of the film revolves around the brothers Paul and Dee facing adulthood, having a disapproving father who forbids their relationships with their girlfriends and intending to send them to military school in Taiwan, and the general trials and tribulations of growing up.
- The Hero Dies: Paul, via Boom, Headshot! by Officer King Kong.
- Innocence Lost: Paul, after being sent to prison for months, and later witnessing his brother's death.
- Inspector Javert: The police officer, King Kong, spends most of his screentime trying to catch Paul and Dee red-handed in their crimes, thinking these punks are going to be criminals soon.
- Knight of Cerebus: Inverted version, but the film quickly goes From Bad to Worse when Paul witnessed his brother, Dee, getting shot dead by Officer Kong.
- Like Father, Unlike Son: Paul is a juvenile delinquent and teen rebel, while his father Larry Chan is a police officer. Goes without saying that both father and son spends the entire film arguing and butting heads.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Larry's reaction after Paul fled from home in the aftermath of their father-son argument.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: The cop who repeatedly picks on the brothers is only known by his nickname, which is... King Kong. Huh.
- Outliving One's Offspring: The film ends with Larry Chan outliving both his sons, Paul and Dee, because of his overly-controlling nature on his boys.
- Parents as People: A reoccurring plot point of the film for Paul's father, Larry Chan. A decorated member of the police force, but also a father to two highly-rebellious, violence-prone teenagers.
- Pretty Little Headshots: Paul's fate at the end of the film, after attempting a Self-Destructive Charge at Officer King Kong, ramming his car in the officer's direction, despite the fact that King Kong had a pistol trained on Paul. K Ong is forced to pull the trigger, the car crashes, and one scene later Paul is shown slumped on the dashboard with a tiny bullet hole in his head.
- Struggling Single Mother: Gender-flipped version with Larry Chan, the divorced father of two sons, which he struggles to raise while maintaining his duties as a decorated police officer. It doesn't end well.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Paul Chan, a student and teen rebel and Shi-shi, an illegal immigrant and refugee from Vietnam who lives in a refugee center. It ends as badly as you'd expect.
- Teens Are Monsters: Officer King Kong's opinions towards Paul and Dee, even before Paul getting thrown into prison. To be fair, the boys torched a man's car for shits and giggles.
- Took a Level in Cynic: Paul, after finding out his father's plans to send him to a military school in Taiwan.
- Tragic Dropout: Paul, halfway through the film, after being expelled.
- You're Not My Father: Paul quotes this line in the middle of a really heated argument, after finding out his single father, Larry, intends to send him all the way to Taiwan in order to keep him away from his girlfriend, Shi-shi, having opposed their relationship. He regrets it later, to no avail.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Larry Chan, towards his sons, which results in both of them becoming teen rebels with highly destructive tendencies.
