Story: Infernal Affairs II goes back in time acting as a prequel to show us the powerful history of the first films lead characters and how it was that they came to be involved in this hard boiled tale of crime and deception.

This chapter of the saga begins with the assassination of Kwun, a major triad player and head of the Ngai family. Following his death, chaos ensues amongst competitors and family alike until Kwun’s son Hau (Francis Ng) steps in to fill the void. Hau, coming from a background in accounting, seems like an unlikely replacement, but he quickly proves his worth by manipulating, and ultimately controlling, every crime lord in the area.

In the midst of all this we are introduced to the lead characters from the first film, Ming (Edison Chen filling this role as a youthful alternative to Andy Lau) and Yan (Shawn Yue making his appearance as a not so grizzled Tony Leung). The two begin as they were established in the first film; Ming as a fledgling criminal looking to get his foot in the door, and Yan, a police academy hopeful. From here we follow the two through the early years, learning just what it takes to survive in the world of the double agent.

Review: This is by far, one of the finest sequel/prequels you are likely to see. While many self proclaimed critics out there may disagree, this particular reviewer found this film to be almost as powerful as the first in its dealings with the established subject matter. Granted, the acting from young upstarts Shawn Yue and Edison Chen is not exactly on par with that of Andy Lau and Tony Leung, but they still manage to do a decent job, especially when one factors in that these two characters are greenhorns themselves and are just beginning the long, dark path ahead of them. Aside from the few lesser moments from our leading lads, the rest of the cast members all provide top notch performances and enough onscreen time is devoted to the plot aspects of the supporting characters to make any minor acting all the more tolerable.

Speaking of fine acting, now is going to be the designated part of the review where praise is awarded to Francis Ng for his role as Hau. The character is a cold blooded shark of a man and only after seeing the film can it be said say that I can not imagine any other actor portraying Hau with the same heartless precision. It is only a shame that they did not have the amount of time available to flesh this character out even further. Anyone who has seen one of his previous films knows first hand just how special an actor Francis Ng is. He brings a certain quality to the screen that is both delicate and dangerous all at the same time, and that is an asset that should be invaluable to films of this genre.

As for the problems that commonly befall sequels, it was quite satisfying to see that the filmmakers did not take the easy way out and simply rehash the same problems and inter-character dynamics that were found in the first film. With the establishment of a few new characters, we find that new conflicts have arisen. We learn early on of Yan’s struggle with both his blood family and his triad associates. This aspect of Yan fuels the character more so this time around, setting up the accumulation of stress that will lead to his bitter and exhausted personality later on in life. In learning more about Ming, we find a tale of unreturned love, with a slight dose of sexual tension thrown in for flavor. Ming seems more interested in actually going through the paces of being a cop than a criminal, an aspect which adds another layer to his character in the first film.

Despite being a sequel, Infernal Affairs and Infernal Affairs II are quite different films. The first film dealt with a certain pacing and tension that kept the viewer on the edge of his seat, while the second deals more with an inside look into the good guys versus the bad guys. This change in format is probably the best thing these filmmakers could have done. Far too often we see the same tired plot reworked and repackaged as something new in the hopes of continuing a successful franchise. This daring move to try something a bit different from the original manages to show on screen as well. Unlike the first, neither Yan nor Ming ever seems to come to the point in the film where their motives are in danger of being revealed. The notion is flirted with a time or two, but that pulse pounding fear never quite surfaces due to the existence of the first film and the knowledge that they will eventually make it to that point in time. The question that keeps the viewer interested this time around comes in the form of “will they catch Hau?” and “Who gets killed next?” Perhaps it was the subject matter involving organized crime and family ties, but this film seemed much more like it belonged in a Chinese rendition of the Godfather trilogy and less likely to be something you would find in the suspense section at your local video store.

All in all, Directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak have managed to create a film that is more than capable of standing on its own. It may go without saying that a certain level of enjoyment can be found in having seen the first film and already having known the characters, but if I may be so bold, Infernal Affairs II is probably one of the few “prequels” that can actually be viewed before its predecessor, if not on its own entirely. That is not to say that one should do oneself the disservice of missing the original, but if the opportunity to see the second film were to come before seeing the first, one would not have anything spoiled for them. Infernal Affairs II is most definitely a prequel that truly adds new depth to the original.