← Back to Reviews
in
Infernal Affairs 2
Despite the romanticisation of its American counterpart, the Infernal Affairs trilogy is not a glamorous experience one would get excited about. If anything, it paints a very bleak picture of humanity, and that's probably why many fans of the original (particularly the Asians) didn't respect what the more cheapened experience, The Departed, has done. You don't walk out of the theater after watching an Infernal Affairs movie going, "Oh, that was such a fun thriller!" This is especially true with the sequels, which seem to tread a more pessimistic path with each sequel.
Despite my earlier review, I don't really hate Infernal Affairs as much as you might think. In case you were wondering, I was aware that the first film was merely part of a trilogy that was compressed into a single movie by Scorsese. What I failed to mention in my recklessness was that I did get what the first movie was trying to say, and I really liked the concept. I even searched for the song that appeared at the end credits of the first movie because it had such a nice tune to it, and I was then won over by the lyrics conveying the overall theme of the franchise.
The only real problem I had with the first movie was that the execution bothered me quite a bit. That said, in the second movie, even though it's not an amazing improvement, this is actually a much better movie than the first one. The execution still has a few rough spots, but the way the theme and philosophies are tightly knitted together that it impacts the audience so effectively more than makes up for its flaws.
One of the best things about this prequel is an effective tool that many filmmakers failed to utilise properly in prequels - dramatic irony. The irony here is used as a means of continuing the themes addressed in the first movie as you begin to make sense of why the characters did what they would do in IA1, why they would become who they are in IA1, and how it all plays out in the big picture, how it contributes to the overall message of the story. I might need a few more rewatch or study other reviews to understand the exact message, but from what I could make out, the idea of 'fate' and 'destiny' are played with quite often throughout the two movies, something The Departed clearly neglected when Costello gave the same speech about "taking what you want" that Hon Sam gave in IA1. They are clearly two different messages with two different context due to the religious and spiritual undertone.
The great thing IA2 did was push against the ideal of "take what you want" Hon Sam had back in the day. Sam learns some harsh lessons here about having to 'pay' when you're in the business of crime from the triad boss, Ngai Wing-hau. As his life in the triad starts to get a little more chaotic (as expected when you're in a mafia), the whole belief of being in control of your own destiny starts to fall apart. Even though the ending doesn't deliver as powerful a punchline as IA1's ending in regards to foreshadowing Sam's inevitable demise, there lies a great pathos by the end of IA2 that makes you pity the eventual fates of these characters, not just because you know what's coming for them, but also because these are genuinely likeable characters (save maybe Lau; he's Edward Cullen in this movie) who could have made better choices and be better people but were instead forced onto their tragic paths because of unforeseen circumstances. So much for being the master of your own fate. It's a depressing picture that tells you that sometimes, karma can be a real b****.
One thing I must note is how incredible Eric Tsang is in this film compared to IA1. I love him. This is what I'm talking about! His charm is very well utilised in the story here. You see moments of badassery from Sam that makes you root for the guy because he's portrayed as this quirky and lively fellow who's just out there to make a living. The thing about Hong Kong gangster movies is that they are gangsters as glorified as the mafia you see in American movies, kinda like in The Godfather series. They are portrayed as anti-heroes instead of outright villains, and that fictionality works fine here in IA2 as it makes us like Sam a lot more.
Another great acting I failed to address in my IA1 review is Chapman To's character, "Crazy" Keung, who is definitely a lot more notable to me than the American counterpart (though mostly attributed to the recognisability of Chapman's face...). I find the chemistry Chapman shared with both 'Chan' actors, particularly Tony Leung, very good and he made for an entertaining comic relief as opposed to whatshisname in The Departed.
As for the pair of actors portraying the younger versions of Chan and Lau, I don't really have any complaints about them - they did a decent job - though Edison Chen's role is written into quite a few creepy moments, particularly those dealing with Sam's wife, Mary. It's not necessarily a bad thing, especially when it further reveals the vulnerability of Lau's character... but I am getting a bit of an Anakin Skywalker vibe here. Yeah, not the older Anakin either, naturally.
I haven't talked a lot about Anthony Wong's character in either of my IA reviews, mostly because Wong Chi-shing's tough but sympathetic cop persona in IA1 and the corrupted cop persona in IA2 just didn't strike me as very interesting or original, neither of them did. He's a good actor, and yes, his character is definitely more fleshed out and better-written than Queenan the Forgettable, but it still isn't enough to make me sing cheers about him. He's kinda just 'there', though that can be said for most of The Departed side characters. I do admit though that what his character contributes to the overarching theme of the story is very effective as it shows us his own struggle with mastering his fate as a cop. The sudden death of his partner, I must say, was very well-timed and well paid off, especially with how much screentime there was devoted to bonding those two together. The little gimmick with deciding who gets to have the say using a rigged deck of poker cards is very appropriate as well.
The music for the sequel didn't annoy me as much as the first one. Though the dramatic church hymns have returned, they aren't inserted in the scenes in an awkward fashion like in the first movie, and they work pretty well to heighten the emotions of the scenes.
Although the movie did feel a little dragged out after half the movie was over, when the final part of the film appeared, I was at the edge of my seat because we got to see Eric Tsang in his most badass moment ever, one-upping Wing-hau with a set-up to counter Ngai's set-up. It was a little bit convenient, but I couldn't care less as I got to see Eric show off his terrific acting. Oh, it was such a joy to watch his performance that I didn't care that the movie was dragged out as long as it was at that point. And the final scene where Wong was forced to kill another person yet again (even though he didn't directly kill Kwun)! I was wondering how Sam and Wong's relationship got sour in IA1, and even though the explanation in IA2 feels a bit shoed in at the last moment, it makes sense and fits in with the overall context of the story. Two powerful figures who each have their own history of bloodshed they regretted over, and they finally duke it out in IA1 through the dishonourable usage of moles, despite having said regrets. You can't have a more epic setup than that.
Overall, Infernal Affairs 2 impressed me more than I had initially anticipated. Its atmospheric character study proves much more intriguing than a Scorsese movie of all things, and I'm definitely looking to the final epic conclusion that's Infernal Affairs 3.
1st April
Infernal Affairs 2
Despite the romanticisation of its American counterpart, the Infernal Affairs trilogy is not a glamorous experience one would get excited about. If anything, it paints a very bleak picture of humanity, and that's probably why many fans of the original (particularly the Asians) didn't respect what the more cheapened experience, The Departed, has done. You don't walk out of the theater after watching an Infernal Affairs movie going, "Oh, that was such a fun thriller!" This is especially true with the sequels, which seem to tread a more pessimistic path with each sequel.
Despite my earlier review, I don't really hate Infernal Affairs as much as you might think. In case you were wondering, I was aware that the first film was merely part of a trilogy that was compressed into a single movie by Scorsese. What I failed to mention in my recklessness was that I did get what the first movie was trying to say, and I really liked the concept. I even searched for the song that appeared at the end credits of the first movie because it had such a nice tune to it, and I was then won over by the lyrics conveying the overall theme of the franchise.
The only real problem I had with the first movie was that the execution bothered me quite a bit. That said, in the second movie, even though it's not an amazing improvement, this is actually a much better movie than the first one. The execution still has a few rough spots, but the way the theme and philosophies are tightly knitted together that it impacts the audience so effectively more than makes up for its flaws.
One of the best things about this prequel is an effective tool that many filmmakers failed to utilise properly in prequels - dramatic irony. The irony here is used as a means of continuing the themes addressed in the first movie as you begin to make sense of why the characters did what they would do in IA1, why they would become who they are in IA1, and how it all plays out in the big picture, how it contributes to the overall message of the story. I might need a few more rewatch or study other reviews to understand the exact message, but from what I could make out, the idea of 'fate' and 'destiny' are played with quite often throughout the two movies, something The Departed clearly neglected when Costello gave the same speech about "taking what you want" that Hon Sam gave in IA1. They are clearly two different messages with two different context due to the religious and spiritual undertone.
The great thing IA2 did was push against the ideal of "take what you want" Hon Sam had back in the day. Sam learns some harsh lessons here about having to 'pay' when you're in the business of crime from the triad boss, Ngai Wing-hau. As his life in the triad starts to get a little more chaotic (as expected when you're in a mafia), the whole belief of being in control of your own destiny starts to fall apart. Even though the ending doesn't deliver as powerful a punchline as IA1's ending in regards to foreshadowing Sam's inevitable demise, there lies a great pathos by the end of IA2 that makes you pity the eventual fates of these characters, not just because you know what's coming for them, but also because these are genuinely likeable characters (save maybe Lau; he's Edward Cullen in this movie) who could have made better choices and be better people but were instead forced onto their tragic paths because of unforeseen circumstances. So much for being the master of your own fate. It's a depressing picture that tells you that sometimes, karma can be a real b****.
One thing I must note is how incredible Eric Tsang is in this film compared to IA1. I love him. This is what I'm talking about! His charm is very well utilised in the story here. You see moments of badassery from Sam that makes you root for the guy because he's portrayed as this quirky and lively fellow who's just out there to make a living. The thing about Hong Kong gangster movies is that they are gangsters as glorified as the mafia you see in American movies, kinda like in The Godfather series. They are portrayed as anti-heroes instead of outright villains, and that fictionality works fine here in IA2 as it makes us like Sam a lot more.
Another great acting I failed to address in my IA1 review is Chapman To's character, "Crazy" Keung, who is definitely a lot more notable to me than the American counterpart (though mostly attributed to the recognisability of Chapman's face...). I find the chemistry Chapman shared with both 'Chan' actors, particularly Tony Leung, very good and he made for an entertaining comic relief as opposed to whatshisname in The Departed.
As for the pair of actors portraying the younger versions of Chan and Lau, I don't really have any complaints about them - they did a decent job - though Edison Chen's role is written into quite a few creepy moments, particularly those dealing with Sam's wife, Mary. It's not necessarily a bad thing, especially when it further reveals the vulnerability of Lau's character... but I am getting a bit of an Anakin Skywalker vibe here. Yeah, not the older Anakin either, naturally.
I haven't talked a lot about Anthony Wong's character in either of my IA reviews, mostly because Wong Chi-shing's tough but sympathetic cop persona in IA1 and the corrupted cop persona in IA2 just didn't strike me as very interesting or original, neither of them did. He's a good actor, and yes, his character is definitely more fleshed out and better-written than Queenan the Forgettable, but it still isn't enough to make me sing cheers about him. He's kinda just 'there', though that can be said for most of The Departed side characters. I do admit though that what his character contributes to the overarching theme of the story is very effective as it shows us his own struggle with mastering his fate as a cop. The sudden death of his partner, I must say, was very well-timed and well paid off, especially with how much screentime there was devoted to bonding those two together. The little gimmick with deciding who gets to have the say using a rigged deck of poker cards is very appropriate as well.
The music for the sequel didn't annoy me as much as the first one. Though the dramatic church hymns have returned, they aren't inserted in the scenes in an awkward fashion like in the first movie, and they work pretty well to heighten the emotions of the scenes.
Although the movie did feel a little dragged out after half the movie was over, when the final part of the film appeared, I was at the edge of my seat because we got to see Eric Tsang in his most badass moment ever, one-upping Wing-hau with a set-up to counter Ngai's set-up. It was a little bit convenient, but I couldn't care less as I got to see Eric show off his terrific acting. Oh, it was such a joy to watch his performance that I didn't care that the movie was dragged out as long as it was at that point. And the final scene where Wong was forced to kill another person yet again (even though he didn't directly kill Kwun)! I was wondering how Sam and Wong's relationship got sour in IA1, and even though the explanation in IA2 feels a bit shoed in at the last moment, it makes sense and fits in with the overall context of the story. Two powerful figures who each have their own history of bloodshed they regretted over, and they finally duke it out in IA1 through the dishonourable usage of moles, despite having said regrets. You can't have a more epic setup than that.
Overall, Infernal Affairs 2 impressed me more than I had initially anticipated. Its atmospheric character study proves much more intriguing than a Scorsese movie of all things, and I'm definitely looking to the final epic conclusion that's Infernal Affairs 3.