Infernal Affairs II Reviews

Not often does a sequel deliver..

Empire, Godfather 2 - not often do sequels outclass the original - but another has been added to that list -Infernal Affairs.

Set as a prequel this tell the story of how our protagonists started out. It explores the relationships between the Triads and delivers stunning action, fantastic performances and another magnificant soundtrack.

Often prequels are recommend viewing before the original but in this instance stick with the order.

Enjoy pure class !!

The Prequal's an Equal!

This prequal certainly looks as if it has taken it's influence from the Godfather part 2. Densley plotted, beautifully shot and featuring fantastic acting by a good looking and dangerous cast, it may not be better than the original, but it is certainly as great.

The stories twist and turn within each other developing the characters from the first film by colouring their pasts and defining their motives. American studios should look closely at both films and remind themselves that cinema can be powerful, beautiful and bold without costing millions or catering to bland tastes.

A fine follow up

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 periphiral 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 tragicilly 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 infliltrate Hau's gang but whose loyality 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 exellent 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 realationship 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 culmitates 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 sequal that lives up to the original........I shall be interested to see if Scorcese's remake can come close.

Mildly Infernal

Whilst not as good as it's predecesor there is still alot to recommend in this second installment.

I have to confess to have never seen a decent or better than the original sequel in Asian and Hong Kong cinema. Films such as Ring, Battle Royale and Dead or Alive have all had disappointing sequels. Maybe it's because they're so much more daring than U.S. cinema and aren't afraid to kill off main characters they don't automatically set themselves up for a second part, so what makes them great in the first place sadly means they will always be one of a kind.

Anyway, it's just a thought. Fans of Hong Kong cinema watch out for a cameo by Bey Logan.

[Highly rated reviewer]

smashed it

another hit from hk movies...... as far as sequels go.... dis isnt too bad... tryin to make sense of how the charaters evolved to its original predecessors was intrestin.... but y eddison chen??? sucha crappi actor and human being lmao.... other than dat.. whats got 2 thumbs and approves of this movie? jonathan Le :p

Indespensible Plot Explainer

This film has the same charisma, style and rush as the first and third films, and surprisingly the lack of Tony Leung or Andy Lao does not leave the hole that you'd expect. If you are a fan of the series then this is a must see, as it explains a lot of the questions from the first and third.

The only let down in this film comes with the over-long wrap-ups at the end of the film, where all of the smallest plot-pieces come together. Unavoidable I think, but still leaves a slightly uninspiring taste in your mouth at the end of a great film.

Stick with it and you'll get to see a vital piece of a superb trilogy.

[Highly rated reviewer]

The Asian Godfather

My heading says it all. This epic 6 year story follows one police man's struggle against the Triads and the events that lead to the original Infernal Affairs. Thrilling, gripping, suspense, it has the lot. A fine police/gang movie. This is how sequels are done.

Superb

This is a different kind of film to the first Infernal Affairs and more comparable to The Godfather or Goodfellas in that it tracks events and characters over a 6 year period up until the 1997 handover of Hong Kong to the Chinese. The comparisons I make to those classic films are wholly justified by this extremely accomplished and gripping film. The plot is complex and you will have to be patient for the first 20 minutes but it's made easier for you by the superb pacing and constant sense of urgency. The main characters in the film are actually the police boss and the Triad leader rather than the undercover cop and triad mole that were the focus for the first film.

Great movie

This is a really great movie.It as a terrific plot and builds up upon what made the first movie so successful.It shows what happened to the characters to meake what they were like in the first movie.This has great chemistry between the characters and the dialogue is gdd and laced with a dark sense of humour.It is gripping because the story is told in such an effectionate way which makes you care for the characters .it is not as good as the fiirst one but is still a masterpiece

Epic Asian Class

This expands massively on the first film, and is essential viewing for it's fans, although it is in many ways a different treat. Whereas IA was a taut thriller focusing on the two moles in the system, this is about their bosses, Sam and Wong, and details the close friendship between the two, which was barely hinted at in the original. As such this is more an Asian 'Godfather' as Sam rises through the Triad ranks to power. It's not a straight action thriller so much as a sweeping, complex gangster drama, and all the better for it. If the first film was Michael Mann then this is Coppola.