In the shadow of the trilogy...

Rating: 7/10 (28 October 2006)

I'd give this seven stars out of ten. Why? Simply because the Infernal Affairs trilogy eclipses it. Why remake a film which is superb as it is? The plot of this film follows that of Infernal Affairs closely- however, the ending seems a little different. The film basically attempts to walk in its daddy's footsteps. I suppose, though, that if you don't understand Cantonese and dislike subtitles, you're better off watching this movie rather than the original. Pardon my use of a cliché: nothing beats the original. This film isn't very 'special' or 'original', in the sense that it's all been done before...
This film, however, is well worth seeing. The acting was good, 'good' meaning nothing special, but nothing too mediocre either. Famous names add some star spangle to the movie. Leonardo DiCaprio's acting lives up to (if not, surpasses) that of his Asian counterpart, Edison Chen, from IA; but then again, it cannot be denied that Chen's acting was far from admirable. At least both actors are fairly attractive- they both give the film a little 'zing'. Flimic techniques are geared for thrilling viewing. Those who are game for a fast-paced, action-packed movie with a clever plot will find themselves drooling over The Departed.
Watch this movie for a bit of excitement. It's best viewed in a cinema- surround sound and all that.
Don't watch Infernal Affairs until you've seen this movie. Otherwise, you'll find yourself sitting through The Departed, thinking to yourself the entire time; "What was the point of a remake...?!"