What a tangled web a studio can weave when they realize they desperately need to make some money off of a sequel to a film that didn't need one. That's not to say that this is bad, but it would strike me as an ordinary film even if I hadn't seen the extraordinary film that came before. This "sequel," despite the number, is actually a prequel, but it doesn't so much fill in the blanks as muddy up the waters; it's often confusing, it's not always clear if some of the new backstory really squares with the depictions we saw in the first one, and some of the more glaring questions are left unanswered (possibly for film number three). The young replacements the mole characters, previously played by Tony Leung and Andy Lau, are certainly not up to the task. Thankfully, the movie works because Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang reprise their roles as the respective cop and mob boss, and it is quite interesting to learn about a relationship between them that, from what I recall, was far from obvious before. I certainly wouldn't recommend watching this before the first one, despite the chronology, but I imagine it is worth satisfying the likely thirst for more that you will most likely have after watching the previous film.
56 Reviews
Engrossing and intelligent prequel
paulnewman200112 January 2005
A loose prequel to 2002's hit Infernal Affairs, this goes back to the 1980s and '90s when the Hong Kong police force and the city's ruling triad sent undercover agents into each other's organisations.
Tony Leung and Andy Lau are missed as the supermoles (played here by young look-alikes) but directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak have something smart up their sleeves, shifting the emphasis of the story onto the able shoulders of the pair's world-weary veteran superiors. Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang are excellent as the morally compromised cop and likable but capable capo, ageing friends who understand they stand just over the line from each other.
A knowledge of the first film helps navigate the labyrinthine plots of the dizzying opening act but once it finds its pace, it's a slick, slow-burning thriller all the way marred only by the directors' occasional lapse into Godfather pretensions while the backdrop of 1997's hand-over of Hong Kong is effective shorthand for the huge changes taking place within the forces of both law and disorder.
Tony Leung and Andy Lau are missed as the supermoles (played here by young look-alikes) but directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak have something smart up their sleeves, shifting the emphasis of the story onto the able shoulders of the pair's world-weary veteran superiors. Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang are excellent as the morally compromised cop and likable but capable capo, ageing friends who understand they stand just over the line from each other.
A knowledge of the first film helps navigate the labyrinthine plots of the dizzying opening act but once it finds its pace, it's a slick, slow-burning thriller all the way marred only by the directors' occasional lapse into Godfather pretensions while the backdrop of 1997's hand-over of Hong Kong is effective shorthand for the huge changes taking place within the forces of both law and disorder.
Outstanding and Recommended
Griffin-159 October 2003
After phenomenal success of "Wu Jian Dao (2002)" (or IA for short), a lot of hypes generated around when next two movies in the series are announced. I tend to ignore them and do not expect anything about IA2. Before I got into the cinema, "how would the screenwriters present this time,and how would they connect the characters between them?". After the movie, I would say I am not disappointed.
Like IA, this is also a drama about clashes of characters, not in the form of breath-taking kung fu / wire-work actions we find in traditional Hong Kong cop movie, but starting from their own desire, intentions, hate and positions. If you are looking for a non-stop action flick, I am afraid IA2 would not fulfill you.
But unlike last year's blockbuster, the main theme of IA2 is about the rise and fall of a great gangster family Ngai, other than about the police. The difficult part in making a prequel lies in the fact that as audiences all know too well the new appearences would drop-out one way or the other and the characters from IA must be okay. So the story does not waste efforts in describing most of the adventures, rather, concentrate on how these events shapes things to come. It is sure to the scriptwrites' credits and this alone casts a strong contrast to prequel movies like "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones" (2002).
Moreover, it is not surprising for many audiences relating this with similar movies like "The Godfather". I am not comparing them here, but rather I would point out that the actor Francis Ng, who plays the new gangster head of Nagi family, runs the show. He plays a young, well-educated, cool,calculating, witted, cruel, cunning -- and unpredictable leader. As some critics say, a CEO-style triad boss. On the other hand, he successfully shows Ngai is actually a passionate man whose family comes first. On the other hand, late gang leader is screened for one shot only (pun intended), his character is only reflected, not by flashbacks, but by short monologues recited by Ng. It is a quite demanding job and I would say Ng has done a really good job here.
Speaking of characters, another drift from IA, and many other traditional movies in the genre, female character actually plays "real" effects. Mary, played by Claudia Lau, is the closest girlfriend of Sam Hung. She is not just a powerless, declorative character. Like many female in the course of human history, she is the ignition point of the whole storm.
If the audiences has not forgotten IA actually hints that Inspector Wong (played by award-winning Anthony Wong) and Sam Hung (played by also award-winning Eric Tsang) have known each other for a long time. IA2 unveils their long-time mutual respects, and how all these change as the story flows along. Anthony Wong still delivers a high standard of acting just like in IA and how he plays the 3 ups-and-downs of Inspector Wong is simply terrific. On the contary, gangster Hung, Wong's arch-enemy in IA, is much lighter and more human. As with Wong, this character experiences changes which shapes of what to be seen in IA. However, I find the last party scene is unnecessary and does not seem to connect with the firece and uncanny Hung we used to know.
Relatively, the other major characters seems week. Mainland actor Jun Wu, plays another inspector who is a close partner with Wong. I could see the actor tries. Unfortunately, Wu's character is just too flat. His friendship and his clashes with Wong could not mark strong impressions among the audiences. I have a (probably false) feeling that this character is created to be destroyed and it is a waste of Wu's talents.
The actors portriating the young Wing-yan Chan (by Shawn Yu) and Kin-ming Lau (by Edison Chan) would be the weakest link in IA2. Except for a few scene, Edison puts up a regular expression of somewhat between arragonce and anger. For example, towards the end of airport scene, Lau would have a mixed feeling of guilt, anger, loss and vengence. This is an important scene for Lau's self-centered character, however, the actor simply fails to convince me.
The same goes to Shawn. He fails to play as someone who is torn between his role as a "policeman" and a triad member, his loyalty and duty. Most of the time, he just plays plain and "flat faced". To be fair, he gets a tad better towards the end of the movie as his character begins to merge with the character in IA.
Nonetheless, young actors weight must less as the others.
Speaking about continuity, IA2 does not fail in providing bits and pieces about the backstory of IA. And it is not hard for anyone to catch the images of other minor characters from IA. However, I have a few issues.
First, in IA, we see Hung was an ambitious and man of vision, that is why he implants many moles in the police department in the first place. However, the initial character of Hung seems too soft and passive. Why does he stand by Ngai in the time of crisis? We could not see his importance rises afterwards. Why didn't he use the chance and take out his opponents or expand his influence in the triad, then? Was he just covering himself for his long-term plan?
Also, why Wing-yan Chan remains in the end, even in light of his well-known ties with the Ngai family? How come does he becomes a subordinate of Keung? In IA, the position of Keung and Yan seems to have switched.
Apart from some goofs (accuracy of shooting from a paper bag, ignorance of emptied handgun and way of corspes could be burnt to ashes), the run of the movie stops rather abruptedly twice as timeline transits from year 1991 to 1995 and from 1995 to 1997. The effects on and changes of characters are not appearent so it leaves the audiences with a lot of imaginations and mental exercises. (Not that I hate mental exercises, it is rare for Hong Kong movies to make me enjoy doing so) I think the director could handle the storytelling a bit better smoother and tighter.
Despite of cliches, IA2 delivers a more powerful drama than the original. The acting, directing and many other technical aspects are top notch. The scriptwriters are very clever in telling from the other side of the theme and breaks away the shadow casted by the successful predecessor.
Looking forward to see the real "final" this December.
8/10
Like IA, this is also a drama about clashes of characters, not in the form of breath-taking kung fu / wire-work actions we find in traditional Hong Kong cop movie, but starting from their own desire, intentions, hate and positions. If you are looking for a non-stop action flick, I am afraid IA2 would not fulfill you.
But unlike last year's blockbuster, the main theme of IA2 is about the rise and fall of a great gangster family Ngai, other than about the police. The difficult part in making a prequel lies in the fact that as audiences all know too well the new appearences would drop-out one way or the other and the characters from IA must be okay. So the story does not waste efforts in describing most of the adventures, rather, concentrate on how these events shapes things to come. It is sure to the scriptwrites' credits and this alone casts a strong contrast to prequel movies like "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones" (2002).
Moreover, it is not surprising for many audiences relating this with similar movies like "The Godfather". I am not comparing them here, but rather I would point out that the actor Francis Ng, who plays the new gangster head of Nagi family, runs the show. He plays a young, well-educated, cool,calculating, witted, cruel, cunning -- and unpredictable leader. As some critics say, a CEO-style triad boss. On the other hand, he successfully shows Ngai is actually a passionate man whose family comes first. On the other hand, late gang leader is screened for one shot only (pun intended), his character is only reflected, not by flashbacks, but by short monologues recited by Ng. It is a quite demanding job and I would say Ng has done a really good job here.
Speaking of characters, another drift from IA, and many other traditional movies in the genre, female character actually plays "real" effects. Mary, played by Claudia Lau, is the closest girlfriend of Sam Hung. She is not just a powerless, declorative character. Like many female in the course of human history, she is the ignition point of the whole storm.
If the audiences has not forgotten IA actually hints that Inspector Wong (played by award-winning Anthony Wong) and Sam Hung (played by also award-winning Eric Tsang) have known each other for a long time. IA2 unveils their long-time mutual respects, and how all these change as the story flows along. Anthony Wong still delivers a high standard of acting just like in IA and how he plays the 3 ups-and-downs of Inspector Wong is simply terrific. On the contary, gangster Hung, Wong's arch-enemy in IA, is much lighter and more human. As with Wong, this character experiences changes which shapes of what to be seen in IA. However, I find the last party scene is unnecessary and does not seem to connect with the firece and uncanny Hung we used to know.
Relatively, the other major characters seems week. Mainland actor Jun Wu, plays another inspector who is a close partner with Wong. I could see the actor tries. Unfortunately, Wu's character is just too flat. His friendship and his clashes with Wong could not mark strong impressions among the audiences. I have a (probably false) feeling that this character is created to be destroyed and it is a waste of Wu's talents.
The actors portriating the young Wing-yan Chan (by Shawn Yu) and Kin-ming Lau (by Edison Chan) would be the weakest link in IA2. Except for a few scene, Edison puts up a regular expression of somewhat between arragonce and anger. For example, towards the end of airport scene, Lau would have a mixed feeling of guilt, anger, loss and vengence. This is an important scene for Lau's self-centered character, however, the actor simply fails to convince me.
The same goes to Shawn. He fails to play as someone who is torn between his role as a "policeman" and a triad member, his loyalty and duty. Most of the time, he just plays plain and "flat faced". To be fair, he gets a tad better towards the end of the movie as his character begins to merge with the character in IA.
Nonetheless, young actors weight must less as the others.
Speaking about continuity, IA2 does not fail in providing bits and pieces about the backstory of IA. And it is not hard for anyone to catch the images of other minor characters from IA. However, I have a few issues.
First, in IA, we see Hung was an ambitious and man of vision, that is why he implants many moles in the police department in the first place. However, the initial character of Hung seems too soft and passive. Why does he stand by Ngai in the time of crisis? We could not see his importance rises afterwards. Why didn't he use the chance and take out his opponents or expand his influence in the triad, then? Was he just covering himself for his long-term plan?
Also, why Wing-yan Chan remains in the end, even in light of his well-known ties with the Ngai family? How come does he becomes a subordinate of Keung? In IA, the position of Keung and Yan seems to have switched.
Apart from some goofs (accuracy of shooting from a paper bag, ignorance of emptied handgun and way of corspes could be burnt to ashes), the run of the movie stops rather abruptedly twice as timeline transits from year 1991 to 1995 and from 1995 to 1997. The effects on and changes of characters are not appearent so it leaves the audiences with a lot of imaginations and mental exercises. (Not that I hate mental exercises, it is rare for Hong Kong movies to make me enjoy doing so) I think the director could handle the storytelling a bit better smoother and tighter.
Despite of cliches, IA2 delivers a more powerful drama than the original. The acting, directing and many other technical aspects are top notch. The scriptwriters are very clever in telling from the other side of the theme and breaks away the shadow casted by the successful predecessor.
Looking forward to see the real "final" this December.
8/10
Deserving prequel
harry_tk_yung6 October 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Spoilers Warning !!!
Infernal Affair created a box office miracle in Hong Kong last year not because it is a particularly brilliant film, but because of the lame comparisons that went on before. Still, I.A. is a solid piece of work which, coupled with the hype that has been building up, becomes quite an act to follow. For I.A. 2 the scriptwriters' task is to strike a good balance of giving a life of its own and yet preserving an adequate link with the first one. The challenge is compounded by the fact that this is a prequel, dictating that the audience would know that the people they've seen before are not going to die here, a rather irritating handicap for a crime story.
The scriptwriters met this challenge with a combination of strategies. First, borrow the main plot of underworld feud from The Godfather. Next, add a story line of an entrancing woman (and cast an entrancing actress for the role). Then, package the story into an ensemble type of performance arena where the audience can enjoy watching a good number of different roles, major as well as minor. Finally, move the story towards a monumental backdrop, the return of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997. The result: an immensely watchable movie and a deserving prequel to the first Infernal Affair.
While I.A. 2 does not pretend to be a `Godfather', the movie does earn our respect, right from the opening shots, by demonstrating the meticulous efforts put into its production. Anthony Wong seems to be delivering a monologue, but is actually talking with Eric Tsang in a spartanly furnished room. Facing Wong, on the far wall, hangs a clock. As Wong's is shot from various angles, the tic-toc sound of the clock moves around the cinema, left, right, front and back, in relation to the angle of the shot. This is the technical aspect. This opening dialogue is also of paramount importance as it underpins the main theme of this prequel. What Wong says here explains his dark side not seen in I.A. 1, in a startling revelation later. In the brief synopsis that follows, I'll continue to use the performers' names instead of the characters', for simplicity.
(synopsis starts)
The story happens in three time slots, 1991, 1995 and 1997 (aptly correlated with the size of the mobile phones seen in the movie). Young Edison Chan's assassination of an underworld boss makes a blood bath seem unavoidable, in sparkling a feud among four lieutenants. However, thing are swiftly brought under control at the emergence of the victim's son Francis Ng, who, skilfully manipulating the four, put them in their place again. There is actually a fifth, Eric Tsang who has been most loyal to the dead boss. The irony is that the killing has been ordered secretly by his woman, Carina Lau, who thinks that Tsang should really be the man at the top. On the law enforcers' side, Anthony Wong sets up Shawn Yu (Tong Leung in I.A. 1) as a mole in Ng's gang, knowing that Yu is actually Ng's half-brother but trusting his intention to be a `good man'. At the same time, Chan (Andy Lau in I.A. 1) joins the police force as the gangster's undercover, as we have already seen in I.A. 1.
Fast forward 4 years, we see Ng, ready to clean up his house by getting rid of `the four', taking Tsang into his confidence. A startling revelation is now made to the audience: while Lau ordered the assassination 4 years ago, she had a corroborator: inspector Wong. Ng has actually found out about this and vows to revenge his beloved father's death on both Lau and Tsang, even though he knows that the latter was really innocent. On the pretext of sending Tsang to Thailand to set up some cocaine business, Ng intends to send him to meet his death. Simultaneously, by a brilliant double play, he eliminates `the four' and at the same time reveals to the police evidence of Wong's conspiracy in killing his father. We then see Tsang in a tight spot in Thailand but are not shown what eventually happens. In Hong Kong, Chan, who has all this time been a secret admirer of Lau, shields her from Ng's revenge (Ng does not know that Chan is the actual killer of his father). But when he fails to win her heart, Chan betrays Lau, sending her to her death in the hands of Ng's gunmen.
In 1997, approaching Hong Kong's historical moment, Wong is pardoned by the police as they need capable men like him to continue combating the underworld. He goes to Thailand to see Tsang whom we find had not been killed after all. In this prequel they are friends despite being in opposite camps, and have a common enemy in Ng. Back in Hong Kong, they continue to try to spin web around Ng, but find that all they have been able to lay their hands on will only put him behind bars for a few years, which is clearly not enough for Tsang for avenging his woman. Without going into details, it suffices to say that Tsang manages a plot that corners Ng, getting him eventually killed by the police.
(synopsis ends)
In this brief synopsis, I have left out a lot of details as well as some characters such as To Man-chat, who plays a less comic role here than in I.A. 1 and Wu Jun, mainland Chinese star playing Wong's partner and buddy. I want to mention also Roy Cheung (one of the five gunmen in Johnny To's masterpiece `The Mission' (1999)) who, without a single line here, has such a screen presence that leaves quite an impression.
I mentioned at the beginning that the main challenge of this movie is to strike a balance between having its own life and yet maintaining a link with I.A. 1. Let's look at each of these two aspects.
The new life is in the two new characters who could easily have been in a different story. The beauty is that they can be killed off (and they both ended up exactly that way), and the audience would expect some deaths in a crime yarn. Ng's story line, as mentioned, is primarily from Godfather. Ng, well known for his explosive screen image, is a completely different man here, composed, calculating, and it does not take a film critic or movie reviewer to see the resemblance to Michael Corleone. His story fuels the main plot of I.A. 2, giving it a life independent from the first one. Complementing this independence is Carina Lau, who adds glamour as well as femininity to enrich the movie's content. The scantily depicted but genuinely felt love between the visually most unlikely pair of Lau and Tsang is actually quite moving.
As to the link with the first one, the 4 key characters Wong, Tsang, Chan (young Andy Lau) and Yu (young Tony Leung) have received varying treatments. Unlike before (or afterwards, if that make more sense to your temporal awareness), Wong and Tsang are friends here. I think this arrangement is quite deliberate for the obvious reason that watching them in the same old conflict as in I.A. 1 wouldn't exactly be a thrill to the audience. Tsang plays a much more passive and subdued role throughout most of the movie. It isn't until after Lau has been killed by Ng that he fires up. Wong, on the other hand, is much more controversial displaying a dark side of his character, which the movie tries to explain in his opening dialogue about witnessing on his first beat the violent death of his superior under the hands of a mobster. The situation reminds me of the old Hollywood westerns, in which the invariable commandment was `thou shalt not take the law into thy own hands' no matter how evil the criminal is. Wong, gnawed by the torturing frustration from seeing the killer freed after just a few years, does take the law into his own hands. Of the two young ones, Edison Chan has considerably more to do in depicting the formation of Andy Lau's character. Chan has displayed a maturing self-assurance, particularly in that charming, almost child-like smile behind which hides a chilling soul. Shawn Yu on the other hand does not leave that much of an impression.
One more point and I'm done. The makers of the movie spared no pain in employing a staggering variety of background music. Choral chants are used lavishly, as are solo piano and guitar. Pulsating strings and urgent percussions are employed as usual in building up climaxes. Even the harmonic comes into play, and this one actually on screen at the conclusion of the extermination of `the four'. If I seem to make it sound as though background music has been over used, this is not my intention. Rather, they are employed skilfully and tastefully, contributing considerably to the success of the movie.
Infernal Affair created a box office miracle in Hong Kong last year not because it is a particularly brilliant film, but because of the lame comparisons that went on before. Still, I.A. is a solid piece of work which, coupled with the hype that has been building up, becomes quite an act to follow. For I.A. 2 the scriptwriters' task is to strike a good balance of giving a life of its own and yet preserving an adequate link with the first one. The challenge is compounded by the fact that this is a prequel, dictating that the audience would know that the people they've seen before are not going to die here, a rather irritating handicap for a crime story.
The scriptwriters met this challenge with a combination of strategies. First, borrow the main plot of underworld feud from The Godfather. Next, add a story line of an entrancing woman (and cast an entrancing actress for the role). Then, package the story into an ensemble type of performance arena where the audience can enjoy watching a good number of different roles, major as well as minor. Finally, move the story towards a monumental backdrop, the return of sovereignty of Hong Kong in 1997. The result: an immensely watchable movie and a deserving prequel to the first Infernal Affair.
While I.A. 2 does not pretend to be a `Godfather', the movie does earn our respect, right from the opening shots, by demonstrating the meticulous efforts put into its production. Anthony Wong seems to be delivering a monologue, but is actually talking with Eric Tsang in a spartanly furnished room. Facing Wong, on the far wall, hangs a clock. As Wong's is shot from various angles, the tic-toc sound of the clock moves around the cinema, left, right, front and back, in relation to the angle of the shot. This is the technical aspect. This opening dialogue is also of paramount importance as it underpins the main theme of this prequel. What Wong says here explains his dark side not seen in I.A. 1, in a startling revelation later. In the brief synopsis that follows, I'll continue to use the performers' names instead of the characters', for simplicity.
(synopsis starts)
The story happens in three time slots, 1991, 1995 and 1997 (aptly correlated with the size of the mobile phones seen in the movie). Young Edison Chan's assassination of an underworld boss makes a blood bath seem unavoidable, in sparkling a feud among four lieutenants. However, thing are swiftly brought under control at the emergence of the victim's son Francis Ng, who, skilfully manipulating the four, put them in their place again. There is actually a fifth, Eric Tsang who has been most loyal to the dead boss. The irony is that the killing has been ordered secretly by his woman, Carina Lau, who thinks that Tsang should really be the man at the top. On the law enforcers' side, Anthony Wong sets up Shawn Yu (Tong Leung in I.A. 1) as a mole in Ng's gang, knowing that Yu is actually Ng's half-brother but trusting his intention to be a `good man'. At the same time, Chan (Andy Lau in I.A. 1) joins the police force as the gangster's undercover, as we have already seen in I.A. 1.
Fast forward 4 years, we see Ng, ready to clean up his house by getting rid of `the four', taking Tsang into his confidence. A startling revelation is now made to the audience: while Lau ordered the assassination 4 years ago, she had a corroborator: inspector Wong. Ng has actually found out about this and vows to revenge his beloved father's death on both Lau and Tsang, even though he knows that the latter was really innocent. On the pretext of sending Tsang to Thailand to set up some cocaine business, Ng intends to send him to meet his death. Simultaneously, by a brilliant double play, he eliminates `the four' and at the same time reveals to the police evidence of Wong's conspiracy in killing his father. We then see Tsang in a tight spot in Thailand but are not shown what eventually happens. In Hong Kong, Chan, who has all this time been a secret admirer of Lau, shields her from Ng's revenge (Ng does not know that Chan is the actual killer of his father). But when he fails to win her heart, Chan betrays Lau, sending her to her death in the hands of Ng's gunmen.
In 1997, approaching Hong Kong's historical moment, Wong is pardoned by the police as they need capable men like him to continue combating the underworld. He goes to Thailand to see Tsang whom we find had not been killed after all. In this prequel they are friends despite being in opposite camps, and have a common enemy in Ng. Back in Hong Kong, they continue to try to spin web around Ng, but find that all they have been able to lay their hands on will only put him behind bars for a few years, which is clearly not enough for Tsang for avenging his woman. Without going into details, it suffices to say that Tsang manages a plot that corners Ng, getting him eventually killed by the police.
(synopsis ends)
In this brief synopsis, I have left out a lot of details as well as some characters such as To Man-chat, who plays a less comic role here than in I.A. 1 and Wu Jun, mainland Chinese star playing Wong's partner and buddy. I want to mention also Roy Cheung (one of the five gunmen in Johnny To's masterpiece `The Mission' (1999)) who, without a single line here, has such a screen presence that leaves quite an impression.
I mentioned at the beginning that the main challenge of this movie is to strike a balance between having its own life and yet maintaining a link with I.A. 1. Let's look at each of these two aspects.
The new life is in the two new characters who could easily have been in a different story. The beauty is that they can be killed off (and they both ended up exactly that way), and the audience would expect some deaths in a crime yarn. Ng's story line, as mentioned, is primarily from Godfather. Ng, well known for his explosive screen image, is a completely different man here, composed, calculating, and it does not take a film critic or movie reviewer to see the resemblance to Michael Corleone. His story fuels the main plot of I.A. 2, giving it a life independent from the first one. Complementing this independence is Carina Lau, who adds glamour as well as femininity to enrich the movie's content. The scantily depicted but genuinely felt love between the visually most unlikely pair of Lau and Tsang is actually quite moving.
As to the link with the first one, the 4 key characters Wong, Tsang, Chan (young Andy Lau) and Yu (young Tony Leung) have received varying treatments. Unlike before (or afterwards, if that make more sense to your temporal awareness), Wong and Tsang are friends here. I think this arrangement is quite deliberate for the obvious reason that watching them in the same old conflict as in I.A. 1 wouldn't exactly be a thrill to the audience. Tsang plays a much more passive and subdued role throughout most of the movie. It isn't until after Lau has been killed by Ng that he fires up. Wong, on the other hand, is much more controversial displaying a dark side of his character, which the movie tries to explain in his opening dialogue about witnessing on his first beat the violent death of his superior under the hands of a mobster. The situation reminds me of the old Hollywood westerns, in which the invariable commandment was `thou shalt not take the law into thy own hands' no matter how evil the criminal is. Wong, gnawed by the torturing frustration from seeing the killer freed after just a few years, does take the law into his own hands. Of the two young ones, Edison Chan has considerably more to do in depicting the formation of Andy Lau's character. Chan has displayed a maturing self-assurance, particularly in that charming, almost child-like smile behind which hides a chilling soul. Shawn Yu on the other hand does not leave that much of an impression.
One more point and I'm done. The makers of the movie spared no pain in employing a staggering variety of background music. Choral chants are used lavishly, as are solo piano and guitar. Pulsating strings and urgent percussions are employed as usual in building up climaxes. Even the harmonic comes into play, and this one actually on screen at the conclusion of the extermination of `the four'. If I seem to make it sound as though background music has been over used, this is not my intention. Rather, they are employed skilfully and tastefully, contributing considerably to the success of the movie.
powerful, but not that original
tkuo26 November 2003
This film is a good example for the fact that good and fertile story is the key of film making. "Infernal Affair II" shows how to inherit an original story and expend its scope in a reasonable, even creative way. It is a very good experience watching this film, the actors are good, the directing is skilled and the sequences are intensive, and the climax is stunning, but meanwhile, it always makes you have some ideas connecting to the Godfather series. No matter its epic scale and clues of scenes, you can feel their respect to(or, borrowing from?) the Coppola's legendary film(maybe only the first two...) that's a good try, but not an original one.
a very important work of Hong Kong Cinema in the 90s
Worth watching, especially with the original "Infernal Affairs" 7/10
a very important work of Hong Kong Cinema in the 90s
Worth watching, especially with the original "Infernal Affairs" 7/10
A fine follow up
steve_b336 February 2005
Thought the first one was one of the finest Cop thrillers in recent years and the follow up is equally brilliant - for obvious reasons its a prequel set in 3 time periods leading up to the events in the first movie. This time round Ming(Edison Chen - Andy Lau last time) and Yan(Shawne Yau - Tony Leung last time) are more peripheral characters - the main action concentrates on Inspector Wong(Anthony Wong) and his struggles against the Triads. The leader of the major gang has been murdered and his son Hau(Francis Ng) has taken over - he is a more ruthless boss and intends to take over all the territory that other leaders currently control. These include Sam(Eric Tsang) and its interesting how close Wong and Sam are before the events that end so tragically later - Wong would rather have Sam running things and it appears that Wong has conspired with Sam's woman Mary(Carina Lau) to have Hau's Father killed - only to see the son become worse than the Father. To complicate matters Yan is Hau's half brother who as a cop is willing to infiltrate Hau's gang but whose loyalty is put under pressure when he realises that Wong(who he is working for) had a hand in his Fathers murder.Meanwhile Sam is grooming Ming to become his mole in the HK Police(although Ming's attraction for Mary does complicate things).
How this all pans out and leads to the events in the first film I shall leave but its an excellent film - a little complicated at times as you have to work out all the dynamics buts worth the effort - as mentioned the most poignant part is the relationship between Wong and Sam - they may be on opposite sides but have a closeness that will prove to be the central point of the story later.
There is a fantastic scene where Hau contrives to have himself held in Police custody whilst the other gang bosses are murdered and the way the film cuts between his interview(where he reveals how he knows who killed his Father) and the other bosses being wiped out is worthy of comparison with Coppola's Godfather - the series has that whole epic feel and the way it culminates with the handover of power to the Chinese in 1997 with new bosses on both sides of the conflict coming to power is very well done.
For once a sequel that lives up to the original........I shall be interested to see if Scorcese's remake can come close.
How this all pans out and leads to the events in the first film I shall leave but its an excellent film - a little complicated at times as you have to work out all the dynamics buts worth the effort - as mentioned the most poignant part is the relationship between Wong and Sam - they may be on opposite sides but have a closeness that will prove to be the central point of the story later.
There is a fantastic scene where Hau contrives to have himself held in Police custody whilst the other gang bosses are murdered and the way the film cuts between his interview(where he reveals how he knows who killed his Father) and the other bosses being wiped out is worthy of comparison with Coppola's Godfather - the series has that whole epic feel and the way it culminates with the handover of power to the Chinese in 1997 with new bosses on both sides of the conflict coming to power is very well done.
For once a sequel that lives up to the original........I shall be interested to see if Scorcese's remake can come close.
Solid but unspectacular follow-up
Leofwine_draca4 September 2011
INFERNAL AFFAIRS II is a prequel to the smash-hit movie about undercover operatives and their parallel lives in the Hong Kong police and Triads. This one explores the early lives of the characters played by Tony Leung and Andy Lau in the original, the actors replaced by newcomers Shawn Yue and Edison Chen respectively (Yue and Chen had bit parts in INFERNAL AFFAIRS).
The problem with this prequel is that it feels hurried and unnecessary, lacking almost all the qualities that made the first film so good. Leung and Lau were engaging actors who brought subtle nuances to their roles, but Chen and Yue feel bland and too fresh-faced in comparison. Realising this, the film-makers spend a lot of screen time with rivals Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang instead, but you can't help feel but the plotting in this one is redundant in contrast to the life-or-death stakes of the gripping original.
There's a distinct lack of emotional involvement in the film as the story develops, and although the technical qualities are strong, the twisty-turny plotting isn't. There are the requisite betrayals, executions and bombings, but they have a slightly tired quality to them. This isn't a bad film by any means, but it's one that's easily lost and indistinguishable during a decade in which Johnnie To made seemingly endless variants on similar themes.
The problem with this prequel is that it feels hurried and unnecessary, lacking almost all the qualities that made the first film so good. Leung and Lau were engaging actors who brought subtle nuances to their roles, but Chen and Yue feel bland and too fresh-faced in comparison. Realising this, the film-makers spend a lot of screen time with rivals Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang instead, but you can't help feel but the plotting in this one is redundant in contrast to the life-or-death stakes of the gripping original.
There's a distinct lack of emotional involvement in the film as the story develops, and although the technical qualities are strong, the twisty-turny plotting isn't. There are the requisite betrayals, executions and bombings, but they have a slightly tired quality to them. This isn't a bad film by any means, but it's one that's easily lost and indistinguishable during a decade in which Johnnie To made seemingly endless variants on similar themes.
Unusually good prequel
paul2001sw-110 November 2006
Sequels are often a bad idea. If a second story is integral to our understanding of the first, it would have been included within it. Often, sequels seem like a cheap way to extract more life out of popular characters, by forcing the through fresh adventures which they either do not fit without contrivance, or which merely copy their previous escapades. 'Internal Affairs 2', however, is an exception. The first movie in this series was a complex thriller that was presented as the end game in a long battle between the Hong Kong police and criminal gangs; but the back story was only hinted at. This movie, actually a prequel, tells tells that story in such a way that it stands completely alone, and remains interesting although the audience already knows the ultimate ending; indeed, is arguably even more interesting because we know where the tale must end. One reason it works is because the film has different ambitions to its predecessor: that was a straightforward thriller of the highest order, whereas this film (no less good) is more character driven, and takes a wider perspective on Hong Kong society in general. Although the first movie was compared by some to Michael Mann's 'Heat', in fact it is this film that better bears the comparison as a tale of adversaries on opposite sides of the law, and it stands up to that comparison well: the subtle behaviours of the heroes and villains alike more interesting than the macho posturings of the gangsters and cops depicted in American movies. The only disappointment is the absence of Tony Leung from the original cast; but it's rare that two movies in a series are as complementary, and as good, as these two.
Uninterrupted Time
rollernerd24 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Welcome back to another edition of Adam's Reviews!! **queue in intro music**
Today's movie review is the Hong Kong crime thriller sequel Infernal Affairs II (2003), a prequel to the first flick. This where we kind of understand how and why Yan becomes an undercover cop in the triads and why Ming joins the police force. Both young men have their own agendas, which will shape the course of the Hong Kong underworld. The movie in itself, completely stands on its own and unlike the first film where I was intrigued by both acting, story and cinematography - I feel this film is more intriguing with the story and has more emphasis with character driven themes. The flick starts off with Ming gunning down the main boss of the triads who is actually the father of Yan. This death sends waves of anxiety through the ranks of other bosses of the city's underworld triads. The main boss's eldest son Hau takes up the reins and swears he will never forget the day his father was murdered. What happens next is Hau slowly plots his stance and we see a series of betrayals and brutal executions within the triad world.
In this prequel, we get to see a different relationship between Sam and Wong where Sam is depicted as a small-time crime lord who is madly in love with his partner called Mary and police officer SP Wong, is actually playing different angles regardless of how ruthless it may be, while working with Mary undercover. Both men do what they do not only to see better times in Hong Kong but also win the affection of one woman. To me honestly, is a movie really about Sam and Wong, which I didn't mind. What did fell through in this flick, is the overblown dramatic scene after scenes as it tries to create an epic tapestry linking to the original. Personally this would have been effective if it was underplayed and let it stand on its own. Carina Lau playing as Sam's wife Mary, should have had more screen time with many of the major and minor characters along with having more dialogue of her own. To me she is the major character that shifts the equilibrium. The actor who portrays Hau, does an awesome job as a man who must do what is best for his family regardless of the repercussions, which ironically is quoted by himself "whatever comes around, really comes around." A strong presence in the film, I would of liked to see more of him around his relationship with Yan. The film has a lot of throwbacks to the original including the song that has echoed throughout the first flick. I certainly wouldn't recommend watching this before the first one. Overall 6.5/10.
Today's movie review is the Hong Kong crime thriller sequel Infernal Affairs II (2003), a prequel to the first flick. This where we kind of understand how and why Yan becomes an undercover cop in the triads and why Ming joins the police force. Both young men have their own agendas, which will shape the course of the Hong Kong underworld. The movie in itself, completely stands on its own and unlike the first film where I was intrigued by both acting, story and cinematography - I feel this film is more intriguing with the story and has more emphasis with character driven themes. The flick starts off with Ming gunning down the main boss of the triads who is actually the father of Yan. This death sends waves of anxiety through the ranks of other bosses of the city's underworld triads. The main boss's eldest son Hau takes up the reins and swears he will never forget the day his father was murdered. What happens next is Hau slowly plots his stance and we see a series of betrayals and brutal executions within the triad world.
In this prequel, we get to see a different relationship between Sam and Wong where Sam is depicted as a small-time crime lord who is madly in love with his partner called Mary and police officer SP Wong, is actually playing different angles regardless of how ruthless it may be, while working with Mary undercover. Both men do what they do not only to see better times in Hong Kong but also win the affection of one woman. To me honestly, is a movie really about Sam and Wong, which I didn't mind. What did fell through in this flick, is the overblown dramatic scene after scenes as it tries to create an epic tapestry linking to the original. Personally this would have been effective if it was underplayed and let it stand on its own. Carina Lau playing as Sam's wife Mary, should have had more screen time with many of the major and minor characters along with having more dialogue of her own. To me she is the major character that shifts the equilibrium. The actor who portrays Hau, does an awesome job as a man who must do what is best for his family regardless of the repercussions, which ironically is quoted by himself "whatever comes around, really comes around." A strong presence in the film, I would of liked to see more of him around his relationship with Yan. The film has a lot of throwbacks to the original including the song that has echoed throughout the first flick. I certainly wouldn't recommend watching this before the first one. Overall 6.5/10.
Superior Prequel
weichuenwong27 October 2003
Now, IA 1 achieved what other normal cat-and-mouse cop flick couldn't: being inventive and intelligent. And it made a lot of money, so the directors decide to make 2 more films. Instead of cashing in through bad sequel and then worse prequel (Think Ringu, Ring 2/Rasen and the really bad Ring O), it breaks the cliched road by doing the prequel first and then the sequel, except that the prequel isn't bad or worse. Which BTW will become the subject of this review. IA 2 is one of the best HK film (possibly the best) in the year of 2003. In fact, it is far more superior than first. Here's why: 1. Instead of the normal gangster film, IA 2 gives us a glimpse of what really happened that changes the two IA 1 character into what they become in the future. Some might argue that this is supposed to be the film of the two main characters in IA 1. However, we must also consider the two supporting characters on why they become enemies and why they are hot on each other's tail. 2. Its story really sums up well. BTW, the reason why the triad boss took the undercover cop under his hands is that he still didn't know about the undercover's background.
In conclusion, IA 2 is far more superior than IA 1. Let's wait for the third installment.
In conclusion, IA 2 is far more superior than IA 1. Let's wait for the third installment.
Decent Prequel
coconutkungfu-3070417 February 2020
Nice prequel
liearn15 December 2003
IA2 has lived up to its predecessor's name. Although the supporting actors, Shawn Yue and Edison Chen, paled in comparison to their more experienced and classy leading men, their acting was A.
I just find it disturbing that in most triad and police movies in HK, the female roles are rather limited. This is in particularly true in IA1 ans IA2, where the female roles were either guest roles or supporting roles. Carina Lau's character should have been given a bit more coverage, esp she's such a fine actress and would be able to handle a much bigger role by herself.
Eric Tsang, Francis Ng and Anthony Wong were in fact the ones who brought their movie characters to life. A good effort to Shawn and Edison but kudos to the older actors! Hopefully, IA3 would be as good as IA and IA2.
I just find it disturbing that in most triad and police movies in HK, the female roles are rather limited. This is in particularly true in IA1 ans IA2, where the female roles were either guest roles or supporting roles. Carina Lau's character should have been given a bit more coverage, esp she's such a fine actress and would be able to handle a much bigger role by herself.
Eric Tsang, Francis Ng and Anthony Wong were in fact the ones who brought their movie characters to life. A good effort to Shawn and Edison but kudos to the older actors! Hopefully, IA3 would be as good as IA and IA2.
Bloated, But Good
NIXFLIX-DOT-COM12 October 2003
INFERNAL AFFAIRS 2, the prequel to the popular film from 2002, is a bloated movie trying to make its way into "epic" status. The film runs almost 2 hours long, is at least 30 minutes too long, and too many characters are introduced, leaving the original two leads -- the two people the film is supposed to be "exploring" -- standing in the background with nothing much to do. One of the main character commits a murder in the beginning that sets off a gangland war, but other than that the two main characters could have been excised completely from the film.
In a nutshell, INFERNAL AFFAIRS 2 is THE GODFATHER 2, but with Chinese actors and triads instead of mafiosos. Narratively, the two films are identical, and the writers of IA 2 even re-uses elements and sequences made popular in that other film. It's not very hard to spot, but I guess we can count is as homage rather than theft. Perhaps.
In any rate, IA 2 is a good enough movie, but in truth, it really shouldn't have been called IA 2, or a prequel to the far superior INFERNAL AFFAIRS. As another movie entirely, without relations to INFERNAL AFFAIRS, IA 2 would have been quite a terrific film. But alas, it comes to us with baggage.
7 out of 10
(go to www.nixflix.com for a more detailed review of this film)
In a nutshell, INFERNAL AFFAIRS 2 is THE GODFATHER 2, but with Chinese actors and triads instead of mafiosos. Narratively, the two films are identical, and the writers of IA 2 even re-uses elements and sequences made popular in that other film. It's not very hard to spot, but I guess we can count is as homage rather than theft. Perhaps.
In any rate, IA 2 is a good enough movie, but in truth, it really shouldn't have been called IA 2, or a prequel to the far superior INFERNAL AFFAIRS. As another movie entirely, without relations to INFERNAL AFFAIRS, IA 2 would have been quite a terrific film. But alas, it comes to us with baggage.
7 out of 10
(go to www.nixflix.com for a more detailed review of this film)
Rather confusing for my tastes, and I like Hong Kong cinema
The-Sarkologist25 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I can't say that I thought too much about this movie, though I have since found out that it is the prequel (as opposed to a sequel, which most movies ending in a 2 are). While there were action scenes, and a lot of shooting, it did seem hard to follow with no real continuity between the scenes. What I gathered was that this movie begins in 1993 and leads up to the hand over of Hong Kong to the Chinese (where it ends) though this event is only in the background.
This movie follows the story of a police officer whose goal is to bring down the triad family, the Ngai, before the handover of power, but in doing so sees many of his colleges killed. However, within the Ngai family, the patriarch has died, which has left the family in a vacuum, and the various sons are all wrestling for control. While this is happening, one of the sons is expelled from the police force due to his family connections, but is then recruited by another officer to infiltrate the family and collect evidence, and his reward is a position as a police officer.
As mentioned, this movie was quite confusing, difficult to follow, and seemed to have too much going on at once with too many characters. While things do become clear as one gets to the end of the film, the movie does drag on quite a bit, and once the end arrives, you feel glad that it has.
This movie follows the story of a police officer whose goal is to bring down the triad family, the Ngai, before the handover of power, but in doing so sees many of his colleges killed. However, within the Ngai family, the patriarch has died, which has left the family in a vacuum, and the various sons are all wrestling for control. While this is happening, one of the sons is expelled from the police force due to his family connections, but is then recruited by another officer to infiltrate the family and collect evidence, and his reward is a position as a police officer.
As mentioned, this movie was quite confusing, difficult to follow, and seemed to have too much going on at once with too many characters. While things do become clear as one gets to the end of the film, the movie does drag on quite a bit, and once the end arrives, you feel glad that it has.
Interesting a very different movie from the first film but sadly an inferior one too
bob the moo23 August 2004
Set before events in Wu Jian Dao, the murder of the head of the Ngai family see his son, Hau, stepping up immediately upsetting the power balance in the region. Small time boss Sam has a close relationship with officer SP Wong both of whom wish to see the Ngai family removed from the scene. Meanwhile, triad Lau Kin Ming is sent to infiltrate the police force and gradually work his way up with help from Sam while Wong sanctions Chen Wing Yan (the half brother of the Hgai family) to infiltrate the triads and work his way up to Hau.
I approached this film wondering what it would do how would it manage to be interesting given that we already know (from part 1) how it goes. I also expected it to be roughly the same as the first film in terms of being an enjoyable thriller however this was not the case and it was hard to get into the film for what it was. The story is not really about Yan and Ming so much as it is about the leading figures behind them this film belongs to Sam, Wong and Hau and this was a bit of a surprise but one I was able to get over quickly and settle into a pretty interesting story where we see the shift of power in the HK crime families unsurprisingly framed by the shift of political power from Britain to China. However interesting it is the film lacks in several areas. Firstly the praise for the first film seems to have got to the makers' heads and part 2 is a much more overblown affair that injects every scene with a sense of overblown drama that it tries to create as oppose to earn. This is a little tiring as it seems to be forcing us to accept the film as some sort of epic where it would have been much more effective to underplay the story and let it stand on its own. Making this more annoying is the fact that the script doesn't really help the audience much and only the sharpest viewer will make it through the first 20 minutes without struggling to get hold of the story and work out who everybody is.
In stark contrast to the tight thriller of part 1, this film is a much bigger story and, as such, occasionally struggled to keep me emotionally involved. Sure, the politics of crime were interesting and produced plenty of good stuff but only occasionally did I get behind the characters and struggle to know who to support like I had in part 1 in fact the film could have easily lost Yan and Ming without losing much story. However it is still worth seeing as it does manage as a bit of a twisty crime story (but not a thriller) but even as this it doesn't really stand out as being that great. The loss of the great performances from Lau and Leung is a massive hole that neither Chen or Yue ever get close to filling the fact that the material gives them no help either is not their fault. As before, Wong and Tsang are both good and they benefit from being the focus of the prequel. Ng is a good addition as Hau and he is suitably professional, cold and has a powerful presence suiting his character it also helps that he was very easy on the eye too! As with the prequel, the female parts are pretty thin and the potential to use Lau's Mary better is not taken.
Overall this is not a bad film by any means; in fact it is an OK story of crime between the ruling families (as shown by a few individuals) however the film hurts itself by trying to force itself into the shape of a 'sprawling crime epic' when nothing in the material actually justifies this aim. The poor use of Yan and Ming is a problem that is only slightly helped by the increased focus on Sam and SP Wong. An OK film but not a scratch on the original and not even necessary viewing to enjoy that better film.
I approached this film wondering what it would do how would it manage to be interesting given that we already know (from part 1) how it goes. I also expected it to be roughly the same as the first film in terms of being an enjoyable thriller however this was not the case and it was hard to get into the film for what it was. The story is not really about Yan and Ming so much as it is about the leading figures behind them this film belongs to Sam, Wong and Hau and this was a bit of a surprise but one I was able to get over quickly and settle into a pretty interesting story where we see the shift of power in the HK crime families unsurprisingly framed by the shift of political power from Britain to China. However interesting it is the film lacks in several areas. Firstly the praise for the first film seems to have got to the makers' heads and part 2 is a much more overblown affair that injects every scene with a sense of overblown drama that it tries to create as oppose to earn. This is a little tiring as it seems to be forcing us to accept the film as some sort of epic where it would have been much more effective to underplay the story and let it stand on its own. Making this more annoying is the fact that the script doesn't really help the audience much and only the sharpest viewer will make it through the first 20 minutes without struggling to get hold of the story and work out who everybody is.
In stark contrast to the tight thriller of part 1, this film is a much bigger story and, as such, occasionally struggled to keep me emotionally involved. Sure, the politics of crime were interesting and produced plenty of good stuff but only occasionally did I get behind the characters and struggle to know who to support like I had in part 1 in fact the film could have easily lost Yan and Ming without losing much story. However it is still worth seeing as it does manage as a bit of a twisty crime story (but not a thriller) but even as this it doesn't really stand out as being that great. The loss of the great performances from Lau and Leung is a massive hole that neither Chen or Yue ever get close to filling the fact that the material gives them no help either is not their fault. As before, Wong and Tsang are both good and they benefit from being the focus of the prequel. Ng is a good addition as Hau and he is suitably professional, cold and has a powerful presence suiting his character it also helps that he was very easy on the eye too! As with the prequel, the female parts are pretty thin and the potential to use Lau's Mary better is not taken.
Overall this is not a bad film by any means; in fact it is an OK story of crime between the ruling families (as shown by a few individuals) however the film hurts itself by trying to force itself into the shape of a 'sprawling crime epic' when nothing in the material actually justifies this aim. The poor use of Yan and Ming is a problem that is only slightly helped by the increased focus on Sam and SP Wong. An OK film but not a scratch on the original and not even necessary viewing to enjoy that better film.
much more gripping and exciting than the first movie
disdressed1218 March 2010
this prequel to the first movie is mixed bag,in my opinion.at times,i found it even more muddled and hard to follow than the first film.however the action sequences are very good here.and there are some really gripping edge of your seat moments.once i could figure out what was going on and who was who,i actually found myself getting really involved in the story and the action.overall,i did think it was more exciting than the first film and i cared more about the characters,which makes sense since the movie does delve into the past of the main characters.even though the movie felt muddled at times,the excitement and the gripping moments made up for it.for me,Mou gaan dou II is a 7/10
Francis Ng's coming-of-age
edmond-ng4 September 2006
It was great to see Francis Ng's tour de force performance in Infernal Affairs II. Really great to see an actor's coming-of-age. The intricacies of his character was handled with great sensitivity.
I thought the casting of Mainland actor, Jun Hu, as Luk as was rather odd at first. While he played his part well alongside Anthony Wong, his lines had to be dubbed into Cantonese. Then when I looked the company credits I realised IA 2 was a co-production between HK and the Mainland. Having Hu (and Dao-Ming Chen in IA 3) in one of the leading roles was perhaps a commercial decision (for the Mainland market) or a requirement of the co-production deal with the Mainland co-producer.
While the younger version of Yan and Lau did not quite live up to the very high standard set by Tong Leung and Andy Lau in IA 1, IA 2 was more than salvaged (or excelled IA 1 some might say) by the best ensemble performance that Hong Kong had to offer by Eric Tsang, Anthony Wong, Francis Ng and Carina Lau.
I thought the casting of Mainland actor, Jun Hu, as Luk as was rather odd at first. While he played his part well alongside Anthony Wong, his lines had to be dubbed into Cantonese. Then when I looked the company credits I realised IA 2 was a co-production between HK and the Mainland. Having Hu (and Dao-Ming Chen in IA 3) in one of the leading roles was perhaps a commercial decision (for the Mainland market) or a requirement of the co-production deal with the Mainland co-producer.
While the younger version of Yan and Lau did not quite live up to the very high standard set by Tong Leung and Andy Lau in IA 1, IA 2 was more than salvaged (or excelled IA 1 some might say) by the best ensemble performance that Hong Kong had to offer by Eric Tsang, Anthony Wong, Francis Ng and Carina Lau.
Okay but not in the same league as the first film
grantss16 June 2021
The first Infernal Affairs was great - no wonder Martin Scorsese remade it into The Departed. Infernal Affairs 2 is okay but isn't in the same league as Infernal Affairs. Overly complex, and multi-stranded, plot, and thus less engaging.
Direction is solid though, and performances are OK.
Direction is solid though, and performances are OK.
A proper gangster epic
teresaband29 March 2008
Taking a completely different approach to the original, this is a prequel that serves to flesh out the character backgrounds, mainly focusing on Sam's rise to power, and it does a very satisfying job.
The cat and mouse tension of the original is missing, mainly because we all know what the status quo is going to be by the end, but it's still great to see the journey that took the characters there, and it lends a lot more weight to the relationships in the first film.
The performances are again brilliant throughout, especially considering the intricacies of showing these characters develop into the people we recognise from the original, and it's a joy to see recognisable mannerisms coming to the surface as the film goes on.
A proper gangster epic, and a great example of something genuinely worthwhile being done with a sequel.
The cat and mouse tension of the original is missing, mainly because we all know what the status quo is going to be by the end, but it's still great to see the journey that took the characters there, and it lends a lot more weight to the relationships in the first film.
The performances are again brilliant throughout, especially considering the intricacies of showing these characters develop into the people we recognise from the original, and it's a joy to see recognisable mannerisms coming to the surface as the film goes on.
A proper gangster epic, and a great example of something genuinely worthwhile being done with a sequel.
"Evil prevails. Only the good die young."
planktonrules14 January 2017
"Infernal Affairs 2" was a completely unnecessary prequel to the fantastic Hong Kong film "Infernal Affairs". While the story is quite good, it suffers in many ways. First, the two leads from the original film are not in this film (though many of the other actors are). Second, because you've already seen "Infernal Affairs" there is no sense of suspense and you KNOW how the big battle between the mob bosses must end. And, third, it does nothing to further the story from the first film---just fill in some missing pieces that were just as well left missing.
This story picks up as the two leads from the first film, Inspector Lau Kin Ming and Chen Yan, enter the academy. However, Inspector Lau Kin Ming is NOT a major player in the film at all...he's there in a few scenes but not much more. Instead, it follows the path of Chen through the mob and shows the big shakeup that leaves Hon Sam in charge (as he was in the first film). The only really interesting element is how Superintendent Wong Chi Shing mistakenly thought he could work with Hon Sam....something he'd regret by the end of the film.
So, you have an interesting story that is completely unnecessary if you've seen the previous film (which almost all viewers probably have). It's well written and an interesting gangster saga....but I can't see how it was necessary for anything other than to suck more money out of the public who loved the first film. Perhaps I'll think more of the third film, as it picks up just after the first--a much more logical place to begin.
This story picks up as the two leads from the first film, Inspector Lau Kin Ming and Chen Yan, enter the academy. However, Inspector Lau Kin Ming is NOT a major player in the film at all...he's there in a few scenes but not much more. Instead, it follows the path of Chen through the mob and shows the big shakeup that leaves Hon Sam in charge (as he was in the first film). The only really interesting element is how Superintendent Wong Chi Shing mistakenly thought he could work with Hon Sam....something he'd regret by the end of the film.
So, you have an interesting story that is completely unnecessary if you've seen the previous film (which almost all viewers probably have). It's well written and an interesting gangster saga....but I can't see how it was necessary for anything other than to suck more money out of the public who loved the first film. Perhaps I'll think more of the third film, as it picks up just after the first--a much more logical place to begin.
Destined to be a classic
ebiros26 June 2009
This is the second installment of Infernal Affairs trilogy, and a prequel to part 1. In this movie the reason for Lau's association with Sam, and Sam's relation with Anthony Wong's character is fleshed out, and how Sam became the triad boss is also told. Edison Chen plays the role of young Lau in the police academy. Two new players Carina Lau, and Kelly Chan plays the role of Sam's wife, and a shrink who would play an important role in part 3.
This is one of the best trilogy to be ever made in cinema history, that rivals and may surpass former greats like the God Father. Interesting that the whole drama sort of gets started with human weakness of Lau to various temptations. Although this is a prequel to the first installment, it stands on its own as a good movie, and even if you saw this first, you'd be impressed by the story.
One part that's not immediately clear is that the character played by Edison Chen is young Lau, and I'm sure that threw many viewers as to what's going on.
The good of this movie was Kelly Chan in her role as the psychologist. She was beautiful, and added key point to the story.
If you've seen the other Infernal Affairs movie you'd definitely need to see this one. In fact, Part 3 doesn't make sense unless you've seen Part 2. Great movie to watch by any standards.
This is one of the best trilogy to be ever made in cinema history, that rivals and may surpass former greats like the God Father. Interesting that the whole drama sort of gets started with human weakness of Lau to various temptations. Although this is a prequel to the first installment, it stands on its own as a good movie, and even if you saw this first, you'd be impressed by the story.
One part that's not immediately clear is that the character played by Edison Chen is young Lau, and I'm sure that threw many viewers as to what's going on.
The good of this movie was Kelly Chan in her role as the psychologist. She was beautiful, and added key point to the story.
If you've seen the other Infernal Affairs movie you'd definitely need to see this one. In fact, Part 3 doesn't make sense unless you've seen Part 2. Great movie to watch by any standards.
Not quite the same but a worthy follow-up.
Anonymous_Maxine24 February 2008
There is an unusual relationship between Infernal Affairs and Infernal Affairs II, which is the first sequel but is also a prequel and may even be better viewed before the first film. One of my Chinese friends, who suggested the trilogy to me, gave me part II first and said I could watch that before the original film, but I waited until I could buy the entire trilogy and watch them all in order. As it turns out, I may as well have listened to her.
The premise is pretty much the same, a police officer working undercover for a mafia godfather, while the godfather has a trusted lieutenant working as a successful police inspector. Like the first film, it is an interesting play in the space between breaking and protecting the law, as each side is simultaneously living life as a criminal and law enforcement agent, which is clearly a difficult task.
There is an interesting backdrop of the film of the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the 10 year anniversary of which I experienced here in central China last June. And let me tell you, these people are really happy to have Hong Kong. They don't mess around with fireworks. For the Chinese New Year, for example, fireworks are set off almost nonstop for WEEKS. Trust me. I'm literally hearing the last of it outside my window at this very moment. None of this 30 minutes just after midnight nonsense!
It's true that the sequel is slightly lesser than the brilliant first film, but it is an engaging crime drama, especially impressive because of the performances of Police Inspector Wong (Anthony Wong) and the gangster Sam (Eric Tsang), who were in charge of placing the moles on the opposing team, you might say. They are good friends and seem to have an easy relationship, except that each pretty much knows what the other is doing, they just don't know everything. And like in the original, this is a recipe for a pretty absorbing crime film.
The premise is pretty much the same, a police officer working undercover for a mafia godfather, while the godfather has a trusted lieutenant working as a successful police inspector. Like the first film, it is an interesting play in the space between breaking and protecting the law, as each side is simultaneously living life as a criminal and law enforcement agent, which is clearly a difficult task.
There is an interesting backdrop of the film of the return of Hong Kong to China in 1997, the 10 year anniversary of which I experienced here in central China last June. And let me tell you, these people are really happy to have Hong Kong. They don't mess around with fireworks. For the Chinese New Year, for example, fireworks are set off almost nonstop for WEEKS. Trust me. I'm literally hearing the last of it outside my window at this very moment. None of this 30 minutes just after midnight nonsense!
It's true that the sequel is slightly lesser than the brilliant first film, but it is an engaging crime drama, especially impressive because of the performances of Police Inspector Wong (Anthony Wong) and the gangster Sam (Eric Tsang), who were in charge of placing the moles on the opposing team, you might say. They are good friends and seem to have an easy relationship, except that each pretty much knows what the other is doing, they just don't know everything. And like in the original, this is a recipe for a pretty absorbing crime film.
slightly confusing but just as great as the first
movieman_kev9 March 2007
Time hopping and "Godfather" homages are the order of the day in this prequel to the masterpiece of Infernal Affairs 1. Helping to flesh out the back story of Ming, Yan, Inspector Wong and future Triad boss Sam. Sam's rise to power is damn good, and Francis NG really came into his own with this film and proved he definitely has the chops as a rival Triad boss whom both sides want taken down. Also it's interesting to see how the rising of the 'bad guys' corresponds with the downfalls and hardships of the 'good guys'. Lines are blurred further then they were in the first film. But this film is very impenetrable if one hasn't seen the first film (and if you haven't, shame on you go buy/rent it NOW), hell it's still a tad confusing even if you did. And the original's fast pace is replaced by more of a methodical slow-burn (not to be mistaken for boring as this film is definitely not that). Despite the differences, this film remains the same awesome quality as the original and comes highly recommended
My Grade: A
My Grade: A
Well worth a look. Superior HK action drama.
oneguyrambling27 November 2010
Like A Better Tomorrow 3 this is actually a prequel to Infernal Affairs 1. This confusing development in film needs to be fine tuned before it gets out of control and logical sequels start going backwards.
I can't wait for Stallone's next film Rambo -1, when he goes forward in time to fight cavemen in a spaceship before he is even born as an old man! Infernal Affairs became better know as "the film they turned into The Departed so white people could like it" a few years back. In my recent review I pointed out that they are so similar that you could watch either and have a good handle on the other without seeing it.
I'd love to see how Hollywood would rip this, as for a period of time it is so confusing and intricately plotted that I couldn't tell who was selling who out and who exactly was being screwed over.
(I am a big advocate of subtitles instead of dubbing, but reading and seeing who is saying the lines can be hard when there are heaps of characters on screen and a lot of dialogue. That was the case here, sometimes I had to rewind the thing a few seconds to see who was saying the line before I could even try to guess why they were saying it. Not the filmmakers fault I don't speak Chinese, just the facts though.) We enter the story in 1991. The bad guy from I.A. 1 (This will be stupid, I can see it already), Sam is at this stage a henchman to the crime boss Ngai, who runs a friendly family crime operation. Sam has a girlfriend Mary, she is ruthless and calculating, (though never when Sam is around), and will do anything to help Sam and further their position, including ordering jobs on the side.
Sam also happens to be good buddies with Inspector Wong, who you will rightfully guess is a police representative. Inspector Wong has a blurred idea of right and wrong at times, he tends to side with who will provide him with the most benefit at the time. This is complicated when his 2IC and another good friend, becomes very close to uncovering his dark secrets through the film. Inspector Wong basically is a good cop as long as he doesn't have to bust anyone that greases his palms along the way.
There is the usual lies, deceit and betrayal (why can't crime lords just get along?), as several of Ngai's "colleagues" express displeasure at how he is running the show and refuse to put in, leading to a clever exchange with Ngai simultaneously working all four of them to get his way, while Same sits at the same table eating noodles.
Now being a pre-sequel to Infernal Affairs there are duplicitous gents with feet in both camps. The new good-rat is Yau, who happens to be Ngai's half-brother (again like A Better Tomorrow), and the naughty-rat is Yan, who is in close with: and lusts after; Mary.
Fast forward to 1995. Ngai tells all around him he wants out. He plans to retire back to mainland China before the handover of Hong Kong in 1997 (do your history kids). He tells Sam first that the future of crime is in drugs, specifically cocaine, and he sends Sam to Thailand for a reconnoiter.
All the while Yau (Ngai's half bro remember? And a cop.) has decided that Ngai's is a pretty good bloke for a vicious crime lord and can't bring himself to bust him.
Much to his surprise (and to anyone who hasn't watched a movie before, I thought it was obvious), Ngai switches up the pace and bumps off all his major threats, including the sub-bosses who all thought they were going to move into the hot seat once he retired. In another twist he also tries to put an end to Sam. Smart move, basically the primary threat to a retired crim are other crims who know his secrets.
____________________________________________________________ As things start to fall apart the cops are forced to take action, and take Ngai into custody, along with almost everyone he knows, including the two rats, both of whom are perilously close to being identified and erased.
As sh*t crumbles around them, Inspector Wong, Yau, Yan, Mary and Sam each must question where their loyalties lie, and Ngai and the police frantically try to work out who is loyal and who is a threat.
Infernal Affairs isn't your standard crime thriller, no-one is all bad or all good. Even Ngai as the kingpin of the whole operation is quite smooth and likable mostly. Also, as alliegances switch through the film and everyone sells out everyone else it is hard to keep track.
The easiest way I found was to think of who ended up in the first film, that gives you an unfair advantage in guessing who will survive the prequel.
Although confusing, the ending to Infernal Affairs 2 is really well done as everything is almost wrapped up neatly. I found that in the first half the sheer number of characters and convoluted situations became a little too complicated, but the finale made it all worthwhile.
Final Rating – 7.5 / 10. A worthy sequel/prequel to a solid first film. Well worth a look.
If you liked this review (or even if you didn't) check out oneguyrambling.com
I can't wait for Stallone's next film Rambo -1, when he goes forward in time to fight cavemen in a spaceship before he is even born as an old man! Infernal Affairs became better know as "the film they turned into The Departed so white people could like it" a few years back. In my recent review I pointed out that they are so similar that you could watch either and have a good handle on the other without seeing it.
I'd love to see how Hollywood would rip this, as for a period of time it is so confusing and intricately plotted that I couldn't tell who was selling who out and who exactly was being screwed over.
(I am a big advocate of subtitles instead of dubbing, but reading and seeing who is saying the lines can be hard when there are heaps of characters on screen and a lot of dialogue. That was the case here, sometimes I had to rewind the thing a few seconds to see who was saying the line before I could even try to guess why they were saying it. Not the filmmakers fault I don't speak Chinese, just the facts though.) We enter the story in 1991. The bad guy from I.A. 1 (This will be stupid, I can see it already), Sam is at this stage a henchman to the crime boss Ngai, who runs a friendly family crime operation. Sam has a girlfriend Mary, she is ruthless and calculating, (though never when Sam is around), and will do anything to help Sam and further their position, including ordering jobs on the side.
Sam also happens to be good buddies with Inspector Wong, who you will rightfully guess is a police representative. Inspector Wong has a blurred idea of right and wrong at times, he tends to side with who will provide him with the most benefit at the time. This is complicated when his 2IC and another good friend, becomes very close to uncovering his dark secrets through the film. Inspector Wong basically is a good cop as long as he doesn't have to bust anyone that greases his palms along the way.
There is the usual lies, deceit and betrayal (why can't crime lords just get along?), as several of Ngai's "colleagues" express displeasure at how he is running the show and refuse to put in, leading to a clever exchange with Ngai simultaneously working all four of them to get his way, while Same sits at the same table eating noodles.
Now being a pre-sequel to Infernal Affairs there are duplicitous gents with feet in both camps. The new good-rat is Yau, who happens to be Ngai's half-brother (again like A Better Tomorrow), and the naughty-rat is Yan, who is in close with: and lusts after; Mary.
Fast forward to 1995. Ngai tells all around him he wants out. He plans to retire back to mainland China before the handover of Hong Kong in 1997 (do your history kids). He tells Sam first that the future of crime is in drugs, specifically cocaine, and he sends Sam to Thailand for a reconnoiter.
All the while Yau (Ngai's half bro remember? And a cop.) has decided that Ngai's is a pretty good bloke for a vicious crime lord and can't bring himself to bust him.
Much to his surprise (and to anyone who hasn't watched a movie before, I thought it was obvious), Ngai switches up the pace and bumps off all his major threats, including the sub-bosses who all thought they were going to move into the hot seat once he retired. In another twist he also tries to put an end to Sam. Smart move, basically the primary threat to a retired crim are other crims who know his secrets.
____________________________________________________________ As things start to fall apart the cops are forced to take action, and take Ngai into custody, along with almost everyone he knows, including the two rats, both of whom are perilously close to being identified and erased.
As sh*t crumbles around them, Inspector Wong, Yau, Yan, Mary and Sam each must question where their loyalties lie, and Ngai and the police frantically try to work out who is loyal and who is a threat.
Infernal Affairs isn't your standard crime thriller, no-one is all bad or all good. Even Ngai as the kingpin of the whole operation is quite smooth and likable mostly. Also, as alliegances switch through the film and everyone sells out everyone else it is hard to keep track.
The easiest way I found was to think of who ended up in the first film, that gives you an unfair advantage in guessing who will survive the prequel.
Although confusing, the ending to Infernal Affairs 2 is really well done as everything is almost wrapped up neatly. I found that in the first half the sheer number of characters and convoluted situations became a little too complicated, but the finale made it all worthwhile.
Final Rating – 7.5 / 10. A worthy sequel/prequel to a solid first film. Well worth a look.
If you liked this review (or even if you didn't) check out oneguyrambling.com
Sighs
jeremy-lee-1530 July 2006
I was and still am huge fan of the first film AI, sadly after much anticipation and hype about AI2, all i can say is sigh... I have to say, it would have been pretty hard to expand the first film's story, especially with 3 of the 4 main characters biting the dust, so kudos for the writers for coming up with this prequel's story line. As is usually the case, whenever the prequel is released, the story becomes incoherent, the prequel expects the viewer to understand the sequel, at the same time, discover the various motivations behind the original film. The movie itself had a lot more characters than the first, which in my opinion, was a classic mistake of Singaporean film-makers, making the movie lose its essence of having a few main characters and really developing their characters to the extent that viewers want to watch the prequel and follow their story. The beginning was a complete mess, strange new faces appearing all over, each seemingly important but felt like a total stranger. Whats more, the story seems to centralize on the two supporting cast in the first film, but towards the end, I'm still puzzled over the relationship between the superintendent and Sam, to me, this prequel fails to account fully for the bad blood between the two. To add to my disappointment, the 2 main cast from the 1st film failed to make an appearance, all in all, sigh...
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