Complex, drawn out story with some action thrown in

Rating: 7/10 (26 February 2005)

Technically the film was superb: realistic make-up; excellent use of lighting and filters; smooth and realistic sound...an A+ for the technical guru's behind this film. If you can stand the 3 hours long film just to bask in the glorious visuals and audios, you will have no regrets.
The action in this film can only be described as a don't-blink-hold-your-breath-till-its-done tour de force. Each action sequence begins with a bang (literally) and ends with a bang. They are violent, terrifying, and yet beautiful to observe at the same time. A+ for the choreographers, stunt-men, and actors for giving us high octane action scenes that, without any doubt, stole the show.
So why only a 7 out of 10? Two words....story and pacing. The story, in premise, has potential for being a great classic film of cat-and-mouse between a hardcore cop against a cold and determined crook. And yet we, the audience, are subjected to 3 hours of long, drawn out scenes mostly involving the mediocre lives of the two main characters. There are scenes in this film which in the grand scheme of things have absolutely no point what-so-ever in being in this film. Plot points that would have been taken care of in probably 5 minutes are drawn out in complex detail to the point of monotony. Now, in some cases, this approach works; however, for the vast majority of the film they are unnecessary and ruin the overall pace of the film. Mann, a veteran film-maker, should have known better. C for effort, but even that is generous in my book.
I also felt the ambiguous morality of the film to be questionable. When the film nears its climax, you are still divided over who to cheer for: the cop or the crook. In a film that clearly shows that the cop, although flawed, is good and the crook, with "some" redeeming qualities, is evil, the audience is left with an ambivalent attitude toward the fate of both. Once again, pacing is at fault. After 3 hours of feet dragging, you simply don't care about either of them anymore.