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31 out of 32 people found the following review useful: A brilliant sequel, but see Part 1 first to understand it, 28 December 2003 Author: Rod Parkes from Hong Kong
Infernal Affairs 3 builds cleverly on the plotline of the first movie, but with its complex story and frequent switches between past and present, is likely to seriously confuse anyone who comes to it without having seen Part 1 first to understand the two main characters. For those who have, this film brings out further details of the relationship between the two, superbly played again by Tony Leung and Andy Lau. With frequent flashbacks, the film focuses on extending the story of Triad mole Ming (Andy Lau), warping up the tension as the stresses of his double life become intolerable. Leon Lai's usual expressionless performance, which mars his other films, works well here as it leaves you few clues about his character's motivation until the climax.If you enjoyed Part 1, you will enjoy this. (I haven't seen Part 2 yet.)
24 out of 31 people found the following review useful: Feel the heart of the Chef, 29 December 2003 Author: Philay Chan from Hong Kong
I've watched Infernal Affairs I, II & III, in a year time. I loved the first one very much. It gave me a very unexpected feeling. It's simple but strong in impact. Though one could mention a lot of flaws in the plot, I just couldn't resist its charm. The second one made me disappointed because it lacked the kind of impact the first one gave me. Now after watching the third one, I realise why there needs to be a second one in totally different style than the first one. It's a preparation for the audiences adapting to the change in the third one.I like this third one. Without the second one, probably I would have been like the other audiences critising the change of style from the first one. It's this kind of change, it's made the film more solid, full of human feeling. The first one indeed was touching only the surface of the hole. This third one is more into the content of it - the heart of the people.I love particularly the part describing Andy Lau's psychological sufferings and changes. The shadowing effect he had with Tony Leung should deserve a credit for script writing, directing and editting. The interlacing of stories between that happened before and after Tony Leung's death has been editted great. I feel sorry for people who don't read this or who don't like it. It's certainly the best part of the film which should earn a credit rather than negative critics.I would conclude that the first one is like spicy cuisine which is strong in taste and quick in making one like it immediately if you can stand it. The third one is somehow a French cuisine where you have to be patient, taste it slowly together with the wine before you appreciate the marvellous cooking skills and feel the heart of the Chef.
13 out of 13 people found the following review useful: The quiet men of violence, 14 November 2006 Author: paul2001sw-1 (paul2001sw@yahoo.co.uk) from Saffron Walden, UK
If you loved the first two 'Internal Affairs' movie, then you'll probably find it easy to also enjoy this concluding part: if not, you may find it more difficult. Part one was a tense thriller; part two, more epic in tone, a prequel that filled in the back story, concentrating on some of the secondary characters from the first film. But it's not completely clear where there's any plot left to fill a third part. What this film does is overlay the previous stories with an additional layer of romanticism and complexity; but there's a certain lack of focus to the plot, with almost all of our favourite characters already dead by the end of the second film (although, in flashback, there's a rebirth for the great Tony Leung, absent from part two). Indeed, the film works almost entirely by encouraging us to feel differently about scenes we have already witnessed. I still liked this third story about the quiet men of violence, and it did succeed in feeling like something more than just a repeat of the earlier films. But it's not so clear how much it adds to them.
14 out of 19 people found the following review useful: Tying up loose ends--for the fans., 18 December 2003 Author: Eric Fu-Wah (fluidicmethod@yahoo.com) from Minneapolis, MN
While in the U.S. the 3rd movie of anything is suppose to be the large-scale, big-budget, battle-destruction-galore ending to a series, Infernal Affairs 3 shamelessly does the opposite and delivers an introspective look devoid of any "battle" scene at all. Now that IA has become somewhat of a cult following (ironically the story is not meant to go any further) it seems fitting that we are delivered a film as if the cutting-room floor pieces were placed together from the previous two movies and sequenced for the conclusion.The story attempts to elaborate the most important details of the series and not presenting them in sequence, only a handful of present scenes exist which each are periodically given a large delve into the past. IA 3 explores what happened leading up to many scenes in the first Infernal Affairs which is really pretty neat for anyone who watches movies and seen the first. As a result its a jumble and mix of scenes giving you dates of when they occur (sometimes eliciting humor) and glimpsing every single character in the series as if they were the past but really filmed new for the movie. And in this way follows Yan and Ming's characters as they progress to their fates.But it seems perhaps that by doing so, the movie is simply what was left out in the first film and anyone new to the series will obviously not understand the significance of what is going on other than the artsy cinematography of white-washed cool hues, steady camera work, and continual sponsorship of devices and products. This also includes the chaotic, dizzy feeling of progressing back and forth sometimes not knowing when you are (as with scenes that occur in Ming's mind only). Perhaps only the avid movie goer will realize Mo Gan Do 3 is a representation of hell in a high-tech world, the redemption of Yan and Ming's fall into insanity. But most will be confused about why until they see it all.
8 out of 9 people found the following review useful: An effective film if you love the series and the characters; an OK one if you have seen the first two films and a pointless one if you haven't seen anything, 18 December 2006 Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK
Where Scorsese's recent version of Infernal Affairs all the loose ends pretty much got tied up during the film whereas with the original we were left with an open (but much more emotionally impacting) conclusion. The first sequel was a prequel so part III was left to pick up afterwards while also going back over the original film and filling in more detail. In doing this it marks itself out as one that is aimed at the fans rather than being just out for money. The downside of this is of course that if you are not a fan you might find this hard to follow along with (and if you have not seen the first film then just forget it totally). Personally I thought the first film was an enjoyable cop thriller but I didn't think it was brilliant or developed characters that well but the tension was great. With the third film the focus was very much on the characters rather than the tension – with the fate of Ming being the modern thread that holds the film together.If you are into the characters and the parallels with the original film then it is worth seeing because it does do it pretty well. It does ask you to pay attention but it rewards you if you do and have been. There is action but mostly it is the Ming's ongoing struggle with who he is that the film pays most attention to. I quite liked this but must confess that this film still didn't do a great job of bringing out the characters that well and it is more the events and revelations that kept me interested rather than an emotional buy-in with the characters. Lau is perhaps partly to blame for this because I thought he was buttoned a bit too tight – it was understandable in some regards but the third film should have been the point where he shows more of a breakdown (which he does, but again it is events rather than emotion). Leung is good again but his scenes don't seem as relevant or as interesting within this film – again it is probably to do with the lack of emotional buy-in I felt with his character; his performance is natural and engaging though. Outside of these two the rest of the cast are pretty good. Again I didn't think much of the use of Chen but Wong and Tsang are both solid in their small returns.Overall then an effective and enjoyable film if you love the series and the characters; an interesting one if you have seen the first two films and a pointless one if you are looking to join in at the last minute. Tying up the loose ends of the series, the film isn't tense enough or emotionally impacting enough to be worth a look unless you are really already into the characters but it is an interesting way to bring things to an end – with restraint and tragedy rather than excess.
6 out of 6 people found the following review useful: Tying up loose ends, 13 June 2007 Author: lastliberal from Florida
While this is a great film with an incomparable score and outstanding cinematography, it leaves a lot to be desired.It is really not necessary as the first two films really give us all we need. It is light on action and heavy on psychological trauma. Andy Lau as Inspector Lau has taken care of all the moles - or he thinks he has. he is not sure and wants to be clear there is nothing tying him to Sam so he can be the good cop he wants to be. SP Leung is a creepy fellow and we are never sure just what he is. Is he a mole, or just a crooked cop. It is never clear.I was glad that Kelly Chen got a much bigger role as Dr. lee, but it would have been even better if we saw a relationship with Yan. It was obvious that she had love for him, but it never blossomed on screen. Yes, I know that would be a violation of the doctor-patient relationship, but it was there under the surface. Why didn't it come out.We got to see quite a bit of Tony Leung in this film, and that is always a good thing.It was very distracting the way the film jumped back and forth through time. It was trying to tie up the loose ends, but it was disconcerting.It could have been an outstanding film, but it'll just have to be great to see the actors and enjoy their performance.
5 out of 5 people found the following review useful: Shows Scorcese how it should be done, 11 November 2006 Author: murkin from United Kingdom
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
If you haven't seen the other two Infernal affairs see them before this.... Preferably one night after the other as I did... or all at once! The plots really complicated and there are loads of characters. If you've seen the departed you will be surprised how much it resembles all three films but how little of their magic it carried over. The Scorcese remake has borrowed everything from the IF series but learned nothing. I enjoyed the Departed so I thought id watch IF - mainly because the ending of the Departed left me feeling let down. Looking back im embarrassed to have enjoyed it its completely inferior to the originals. Watch them and you will see why.SPOILERS FROM IF I AND II NOT III!This is the total opposite of Infernal affairs I and totally different to Infernal affairs II - where the first film was all action, too fast too see the plot, this is slow,almost plodding (at one point I found it annoyingly slow) but its worth it because it really brings out the true nature of the characters from the other films. The action flicks around in time and is often a little confusing. However it is masterfully done, I would say much better than in Pulp Fiction which is the first example that comes to mind. Someone used a food analogy previously - I would say this is the dessert and its best savoured slowly to end what has been a great meal.I thought IFII was greatly influenced by the first and second Godfather film and in a way IFIII has common elements to the second and third - flicking through time to see how the story has emerged and tying up the loose ends with style.Without spoiling the plot this film shows how Yans rise through the Triads isn't as smooth as it appears to have been in the previous two films and also shows a darker side of Sam, Wong and (if possible) Ming. Mary and Keung's characters are also developed much more. There are a few interesting twists and a smattering of violence to keep you on the edge of the seat. The real centre piece of this film is the emotional artistic element though. Some of the locations and shooting is breathtaking. The climax of the film occurs after Yans death and is one of the most moving movie moments I've experienced. The final scene is a master stroke... nothing short of genius.Only reason not to give this ten is that in places its a little slow... also there is less action and when there is action it somehow feels like its only been put in to keep action fans happy. Other than that its fantastic there has never been a finer end to a trilogy I hope that it is a lesson to the movie makers of Hollywood who only make trilogies if they involve toys and video game licences. I expect they are so busy counting the revenue from the Departed they don't care though. Their loss is our gain! Watch Infernal Affairs! Don't buy into the Hollywood money making machine!
7 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Running out of steam, 15 December 2003 Author: Harry T. Yung (harry_tk_yung@yahoo.com) from Hong Kong
spoilersIA One made its mark by trying something different, by appealing to the intelligence of the audience rather than their herd instinct for more of the same in cop and gangster movies. IA Two returned to a more main stream approach, and strove for quality. Both met with tremendous success. Personally, I prefer Two, which is the more entertaining of the two, but I do respect One for its achievement. IA Three, however, to a certain extent runs out of steam.To begin with, IA Three was attempted with respectable ambitions and noble goals. At the end of IA One, the death of good guy Chan Wing-yan (`Yan') and the prospering of bad guy Lau Kin-ming (`Ming') caused a few raised eyebrows in the Hong Kong audience. And it was a lot more than raised eyebrows in the Mainland China movie censors, to the extent that an alternative ending had to be devised for Mainland screening. However, Andy Lau (who played Ming) explained in a radio interview that this apparent lacking in poetic justice was only in the middle of a story, and if we saw Ming struggling a little with his conscience in IA One, we ain't seen nothing yet.IA Three purports to demonstrate exactly that. Flashbacks showed that Yan, during the few months leading to his death, was in a happy frame of mind, seeing that his 9 years of agony as a undercover agent is coming to an end. While unable to foresee his own death, Yan saw himself moving towards heaven. The polarised contrast is Ming, during the 10 months after Yan's death, is moving through purgatory, with hell as the final destination.Had the movie makers concentrated on this character study, we would have seen a more coherently focused movie that has character. However, there is also the commercial aspect to be considered. As a result, two characters are introduced, together with elements of suspense that end in a lame anticlimax. Leon Lai and Daoming Chan are guaranteed box office draws in Hong Kong and the Mainland respectively and, yes, they are cool. But if style and form are what I'm after, I'll watch Johnny To's The Mission (1999) any day. All the aura of mystery created around these two characters end up in being much ado about nothing.The beauty of the structure of IA Three's plot is somewhat ironic. When you see a plot which at the end has everything beautifully explained and loose ends neatly tied up (which unfortunately is quite rare), you applaud it as an excellent plot. IA Three however scales a height beyond, with a plot that does not require explaining, because in the infernal that Ming is going through in his mind, past and present, as well as reality and hallucination, are just a little blurred. Neat, isn't it?IA Three is not such a terrible movie. However, if I were to join the most popular game in Hong Kong currently, of ranking the three Infernal Affairs, I would go Two, One and Three.
6 out of 8 people found the following review useful: "Men are changed by events, not events by men.", 26 February 2008 Author: Michael DeZubiria (miked32@hotmail.com) from Luoyang, China
The last installment in the Infernal Affairs trilogy is surprisingly slow moving, but still has the high production values and intricate story of the first two, although as a whole it is slightly less engaging than the preceding films. There have been a lot of comparisons between this trilogy and The Godfather films, and the similarities in story-telling structure and the overall arc of the sequels are definitely there, although I have to admit that I think the Godfathers exist on an entirely different level as these films. The Infernal Affairs films are good, but they're not THAT good.There is a lot of work in bringing together the stories of the first two films and it definitely adds to them, but I found this one to be too slow moving, although the pace picked up by the third act and the final scene is definitely impressive.On the other hand, the trilogy ends on a serious downer - "Ksitigarbha Sutra - 'People of the like shall be cast into the Avinci Hell and will continue to suffer from Kalpas to Kalpas with no means of escape.'I may as well just admit that I don't know the meaning or source of this quote, but it sure seems like a depressing note to end the trilogy on. Nevertheless, despite being just a little bit of a let-down (like countless trilogy finales), Internal Affairs 3 is a necessary closure, and Asian cinema fans are sure to eat it up.
1 out of 1 people found the following review useful: An awesome ending...., 29 November 2006 Author: j@son chin (metal_meister1991@hotmail.com) from Malaysia
Well I know most people think that part 3 is the least favourite of the trilogy. But i liked it. It's better thn part 1 but not as good as part 2.The plot is very smart and complex. I don't think any writers in HK can pull off something like that. Its so complex and so messy but at the end it ends up to be a brilliant script. I think the directors did a great job. This film should've deserve an award for best screenplay in both HK Film Awards and The Golden Horse Award. The other cast did a great job too. Especially Leon Lai. His sinister character just give me the chills and I really hate him. He too should've deserve an award for best supporting actor.8.1/10
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