Disappointing ending

Rating: 3/10 (15 November 2006)

Part of the film were brilliant, and the acting for the most part was very good. Scenes, like the 'i smell a rat' scene, that could have been very corny were acted in a way that built suspense with the undercurrents and true intentions being seen in the faces. The character development seemed real-ish (particularly Di-Caprios fall from grace) but all of this good work was undone in the ending.
Damon and Di-Caprio, throughout the film are cutting and thrusting to expose the other and I was waiting with anticipation for some kind of showdown. There was none. Instead 3 new characters be are introduced, and then killed in the closing 5 minutes of the movie including the two leads, albeit not by each other and they do not confront.
Why would a showdown between the two leads be central to the entire film but never realized. Why is Mark Whalberg coming back into the film to completely destroy the symbolism of the rat in the final shot. There are no rats climbing into the police academy if the have all already been killed. So thats were I'm left, with all of the build up to conflict in the film thrown away in a few suspense-less gunshots. If the aim was to show that nothing is resolved then so be it, i still left the film disappointed that the characters could not get resolution along the lines of their motivation.