INFERNAL AFFAIRS 2 (2003)

The 2002 Hong Kong action thriller Infernal Affairs was a surprise slumbering success upon its release both in the East and West of the globe, so its perhaps little surprise that we now have a second and third (rattled off shortly after the second in 2003) to cash in on the winning moniker. The second film in the ‘Infernal’ series is played out as a prequel to events in the original, focusing on two police officers and two gang members respectfully and attempts to unravel the intricate and delicate interactions between their two groups.
The film opens back in 1991 amongst the bubbling of political change and dignitary shuffling. Superintendent Wong (Anthony Wong) of the Chinese police is attempting to build positive relations with an amicable triad member called Sam (Eric Tsang) in an attempt to find a way to oust the current powerful leader of the Ngai family. Sam, however is a wily old fox who has already put the wheels in motion to have the triad boss assassinated with the assistance of his wife Mary (Carina Lau) and young junior triad Ming ( Edison Chen). No sooner does the bullet rip through the body of the senior triad, up steps his eldest son Hau (Francis Ng) to seize control of the restless gang and flex his authority by tightening his grip on all the family’s middle dwelling bosses and take bloody revenge against those who have offended his family name. Meanwhile, as tensions rise within the triad ranks, rookie police cadet Yan (Shawn Yue) , whose half brother is the new triad boss Hau, is threatened with a disgraceful discharge unless he excepts the dangerous assignment of police mole within the family gang. But the police are not the only ones planting insiders as Ming is sent to infiltrate the police force.

Confused, well you bloody well should be! This dizzying and disorientating story with its many incidental characters and teasing sub plots that go nowhere is a tough one to follow. One of the basic problems that Alan Mak or Felix Chong’s script falls foul off is its attempt to improve on what was an excellent opener to the film series. The first ‘Infernal Affairs’ is now a classic Hong Kong action drama and, in an attempt to shoot for the stars, the screenplay has been over cook making it both overly ambitious and a good 20 minutes too long. On a positive note though, accompanying this attempt to spawn an epic comes some very nice cinematography capturing both the energy of the city along with some more tranquil locations which contrast beautifully.
In a distinct change of pace from the first movie, this sequel has a much slower and dramatic feel to it which may just be to the annoyance of fans of the first, but out of this amble comes an opportunity to leisurely develop several key characters which, in turn shows the quality of some of the films senior cast. Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang are effortlessly up to their roles as police Superintendent and gangland middle man but it’s their character contrast here which makes the two stand out so efficiently. Wong plays Wong (the character, not himself) like a man with a million problems on his mind, complete with furrowed brow and inner intensity, he is almost the complete opposite to Tsang’s Sam character whose jovial persona is almost infectious making for a very unlikely crime lord……but then again, if you have seen the first Infernal, you’ll know the out come of both characters despite their ‘pleasant’ interchanges here in the prequel. The films main younger cast played by pop singers Shawn Yue and Edison Chen are disappointing players when compared to the original films stellar pairing of Andy Lau and Tony Leung as cop and gangster. Failing in both the dynamic and charisma stakes Yue and Chen do their best to shine out from amongst the confusion of characters but ultimately pale against the much stronger and more experienced ‘grown-up’ cop and gangster boss.

Tartan Video's usual high standard of DVD presentation is again on show with their release of 'Infernal Affairs 2', with a colorful and vibrant widescreen anamorphic image which holds up well against the shadowy back street scenes and the brighter exterior day shots. It also boasts both a DTS 5.1 and DD 5.1 sound track to ensure a heady impact during the minimal action sequences. Rounding out the package are three deleted scenes, a 6 minute montage of ‘crew side’ footage and the original theatrical trailer.But best of the bunch is the 21 minute behind the scenes documentary which, with help from cast and crew interviews, offers an insight into the workings of the films story from both a technical and artistic standing.

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