The original movies are SOOOO much better

Rating: 4/10 (15 October 2006)

As most people know, this is a remake of the excellent Hong Kong-movie, "Infernal affairs". No American remake of a movie from another country has so far been better than the original movie. You can compare with the fact that all the novels that has been filmed, the books are almost always better. Some things shouldn't be done.
When it comes to remakes, your opinion about it all depends on if you have seen the original movie or not. I must assume, because of the high score for "The Departed", that most of the voters on IMDb, have NOT seen the original.
The first "Infernal Affairs" was such success, that they made another one, "Infernal Affairs II"... Because of what happened in the first film, they had no choice than to go back in time and tell the background to what happened in the first one. And as the second one also was a hit, they followed up with a third one, now going back even further in time. After the third movie, they had told the complete story, there was no more to add. Some might say that you should see the third movie first, then the second, and finish with the first one. I don't think so. You can do whatever...
Anyway, the movie in question is "The Departed", NOT the originals, although it's impossible not to compare if you have seen them.
Jack Nicholson is one of the finest actors still alive. In this movie he uses every evil, mean, crazy face he can come up with. There is no good about him, he was probably born evil. The same person in the original movie is to begin with just an "errand boy" to mob leader. He's rather harmless, almost a friend to the police chief. He climbs up the ladder after the first mob leader gets shot. But he still isn't all bad, he's even to testify against the new mob leader, being on the right side of the law. But as things develop, especially after the second mob-leader being shot, he finds himself in some sort of dilemma. There is no natural "third" mob leader... He sees the opportunity to take over, to become the new boss of this crime syndicate. The temptation is too strong.
The original movies combines music/sound and picture VERY well, there is often no need for words, the pictures tells it a lot better.... There is too much talking in the remake, it's often also too slow... And as in most American movies, the violence has to be "more" than what has been done before... More close-ups of shooting, you must show a lot of blood... The more, the better? I don't think so... It's like "they" think that "they" must SHOW a bullet going through somebody's head, and later showing the same person laying in a pool of blood, otherwise the public will not understand what happened.
Martin Scorsese is NOT a bad director, making a remake of "Inferal Affairs" was a just a bad idea. See the original movies, no need for seeing "The Departed".