Infernal Affairs II

Infernal Affairs II

**1/2

Reviewed by: David Haviland

The first Infernal Affairs was a wonderful surprise, a gritty, stylish police thriller about two undercover agents, one a cop in a Triad gang, the other the same gang's police mole.

Infernal Affairs II was produced in haste after the success of the first, and it shows. The film is a prequel, so the original stars (Andy Lau, Tony Leung) are absent and missed.

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Where the original was rich in psychological drama and tension, this time we just get plot, and lots of it. The film leaps between a number of story strands, treating each with Godfather-style reverence.

As a result, there's no chance to fully engage with any of the characters, particularly given the high death rate, and the labyrinthine plot is barely comprehensible.

Reviewed on: 06 Aug 2004
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Prequel to Infernal Affairs is plot heavy, with a soaring death rate.
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Director: Wai Keung Lau, Siu Fai Mak

Writer: Felix Chong, Siu Fai Mak

Starring: Edison Chen, Shawn Yue, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Francis Ng, Eric Tsang, Carina Lau

Year: 2003

Runtime: 119 minutes

BBFC: 15 - Age Restricted

Country: Hong Kong/China/Singapore

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