Infernal Affairs is much better.

Rating: 7/10 (10 November 2006)

Most people don't know that 'The Departed' is a remake of the absolutely excellent 'Infernal Affairs' Hong Kong thriller. I saw the original film a few months ago, and it was excellent. I must say, we Americans know how to screw up a perfectly good movie. Most of the characters in The Departed are so over the top and unrealistic, it's set in Boston so everyone has the obligatory horrible Boston accent. And whats up with Mark Whalberg and his hair-doo and unnecessary bad attitude?? Most of the Police characters are running their own Departments and they are relative children, so it seems unrealistic, even for fast burners. Matt Damon and Mark Whalberg are waaay too young to run those Departments, barely old enough to be street Cops. Anyway, where-as the original was a Masterpiece of suspense and betrayal, The Departed veers off into unnecessary directions, with unnecessary characters that add nothing to the story. Jack Nicholson as the crime Boss who still does the lowly shakedown at 60+ just seems crude, when he has so many henchmen, but his acting was spot-on as usual and needed more dialog. The Departed was OK, but the original was so much better so I suggest you see that and then come back and see the departed for some perspective.