a competent remake

Rating: 8/10 (7 October 2006)

This is more of a original-vs.-remake review, so you may not get much out of my words if you haven't seen the original. Anyway, having already watched "Infernal Affairs", I was pleased to realize Hollywood didn't completely muck it up with "The Daparted" remake. Here's a brief comparison, bluntly delineated for brevity's sake.
Parts where "Infernal Affairs" is better:

Shorter. Although "The Departed" doesn't noticeably lag, the difference in pacing and intensity between a 100 minute and a 150 minute movie is huge.

The two lead actors are better than DiCaprio and Damon. That's a big claim, since the two American actors put in excellent performances, but the original's portrayals are that much more powerful. DiCaprio's Hong Kong equivalent in particular (Tony Leung) does a far more nuanced fall into the hopelessness and depression of an endangered undercover agent.

Much more realistic about undercover communication. There's this wonderful Morse-code scene that's far more clever and believable than I'm-behind-a-corner-typing-text- messages.

Jack Nicholson is over-the-top-Jack, and while that's entertaining, it's noticeably inferior to the original's evil crime boss.

Parts where "The Departed" is excellent:

Marky Mark's cursing role that's so lovably a**holish.

Alec Baldwin's lightning-quick streaks of witty profanity. The script's dialogue really does have some brilliantly funny and clever lines, so you walk away from the movie feeling you've just seen an intelligent brand of violence.

The fact that people get beat when they need to; any time I thought 'that guy's acting like he deserves a beating', he promptly got a pummeling the movie really flows.

The great choice of music, played at the appropriate times. Rolling Stones, and 50's pop played to sardonic effect how can you go wrong?

The move to Boston adds a social commentary perspective that the original doesn't have. Granted, the original didn't suffer from its focus, but the remake's adding of a more complex setting adds an enjoyable layer.

The complex storyline isn't dumbed down, and that really impressed me, as I was left thinking 'the filmmakers must have some real confidence in the American public'. Sadly, having read some of the more negative reviews around here, it's apparent some people had some real problems following the movie's plot. Rest assured it's your own failure, not the movie's.

Parts where "The Departed" plainly sucked:

What's with the useless FBI side-plot? It contributes absolutely nothing.

The ending's final death. Cleaning up after itself like American movies tend to, it leaves none of the bitter complexity of the original. Having a guilty man walk around with his guilt, while a good man lays unavenged, is a more multifaceted than the tacky "bad guy dies" of the American remake.

Overall, "The Departed" is still a wonderful movie, and different enough from "Infernal Affairs" to be its own movie worth watching.