A Departure From the Original

Rating: 7/10 (7 October 2006)

First of all, "The Departed" is not as good as the film it was based on, "Infernal Affairs," which is one of the best Asian films of all time. Still, "The Departed" is good entertainment in it's own rite.
The first 2/3 of "The Departed" does not follow the original very much. It is mostly background information about the characters and while at times it is amusing, it is also sometimes boring. This film is about an hour too long. But once you get to the last hour, it is one of the most entertaining films of the year.
The last part of the film follows the original pretty faithfully and turns a mediocre film into a very good one.
Leonardo DiCaprio gives the best performance of his career. Matt Damon is the weakest link in the film. He is okay, but does not convey the complexity of the same character in the original film. Jack Nicholson gives a grizzled version of the character that he played in "Witches of Eastwick." The supporting cast is full of actors that are used to being the stars and they are great! The acting is alone is worth the price of admission.
The biggest difference between "The Departed" and "Infernal Affairs" is that the remake is much more violent and has many obvious attempts at humor, while the original was fully serious and much more subtle.
While it doesn't fully live up to the original, "The Departed" is first rate entertainment if you can stomach the extreme violence and obscenity. If you are looking for a first rate adult popcorn flick, "The Departed" can be a good diversion.