Ignoring the below human standards and severely severed mockery that was Infernal Affairs II, Infernal Affairs III is certainly a welcome return to form that isn’t as good as the first film, but almost reaches that achievement. Providing a story that’s as a confusing and clever as the first film, you will be left wondering right up until the last moment the truth about what’s actually going.

Infernal Affairs II lost a lot in terms of performances, direction and mostly story. Infernal Affairs III sits confusingly between the previous two films. So Infernal Affairs is a sequel to Infernal Affairs II which is a prequel, and Infernal Affairs III being part prequel to the first film, and part sequel to it and the second film also. Confused yet? It all makes sense in the end.

The third film covers the events that led up to Yan’s brutal and irritating death after all the work he puts in to bring the triads to justice. At the same time, it uncovers another series of events and conspiracies that connect the first and last film together, and sort of tying in loosely with the second film.

There’s a new bad boy in town, and he doesn’t seem to follow the rules of the police. Being part of the security wing, Chief Inspector Yeung (Leon Lai) keeps his department inclusive, and is currently under investigation by the IA led by Ming (Andy Lau) who survived the incident in which Yan (Tony Leung) was fatally shot. The investigation into the previous events taking place in Infernal Affairs are considered legal, and that Ming acted in the best interests. Essentially he gets away with murder. There’s always a “but”.

the film manages to offer something new even by going back to the past, building a profile of the new and old characters, and offering more depth

But the problem seems to be that this new kid on the block is causing a few problems for Ming. It seems that there was still a mole surviving Sam’s (Eric Tsang) death, and Ming is concerned that he may be next on the hit list, if Yeung really is Sam’s mole and therefore out to repay Ming’s return of killing off the other moles.

Guilt is also eating into Ming, as his conscience starts to talk psychobabble and even dreams about Yan taking revenge upon him for his crimes and cover up in the investigation. It’s a good reminder of what a nasty, evil piece of work Ming is. Yet, it’s fantastic to see a bad guy get away with something so cleanly. It’s reminsicent of the Kevin Spacey moment in The Usual Suspects. The difference being that even the good guys pat the bad guy on the back not knowing that he’s got away with mass murder under their very noses.

Chen Daoming plays a shady character, called Shen, from mainland China who’s trying to make a break in hong Kong after the handover, in arms trade with Sam. Sam uses Yan as a pawn to determine whether they’re for real or simply out to get him, after the two attempts on his life, he simply trusts no one. Yan’s life is placed into danger more than once, and the result of this is the ever increasing risk to his life and potential death which Sam no longer cares about. Shen makes a return after Yan’s death and seems to have some strange communcation with Yeung of the Security Wing, making Ming suspicious of Yeung’s good intentions, and suspects that he is in fact a triad trying to set him up.

Infernal Affairs III trounces the second film into dust, and could develop to being on equal ground with the first film

I’ll admit that I absolutely loathed the courtship ritual between Yan’s psychiatrist (Kelly Chen) and himself. It seemed completely out of step with the plot, but does have some ambigious relativity to the rest of the film. Chen’s character, Dr Lee, feels a complete misdirection, and obvious ploy to confuse the bugger out of the viewer and to think “what the hell as this got to do with anything?”.

On the one hand I understand it offers a sentimental and humourous side to the film, and the re are moments that you laugh, such as when Yan seems to find someway to distract himself everytime he’s about to go under hypnotherapy. On the other hand, the rest of it is a bit shaky and really only kills about 10 minutes of time with not a lot to say. Her role is simply to indentify that both the main characters, Yan and Ming, were in fact eerily similar in both personality, in ambition and in duty. The one difference being that one is a good guy and one is a bad guy.

The interesting thing about the third film is how the new characters really throw a spanner in the works, and Ming’s guilt-ridden existence coupled with his divorce from his wife turns him into a good guy trying to emulate the goodness in Yan. So Yeung is, if you will, the new bad guy who Ming is trying to take down without burying a single bullet in anyone. It’s fun to see Ming get a taste of his own medicine, and yet you can’t help sympathise that perhaps, possibly this leaopard has changed it’s spots. As he states more than once, he wants to be a good guy.

The third film covers the events that led up to Yan’s brutal and irritating death after all the work he puts in to bring the triads to justice

Performances are pretty solid throughout and the experienced actors offer much more in character than their younger counterparts in the second film. The style and direction takes a leaf out of the first book too, and in fact it’s almost as though this was made not long after the first release, with the intention to follow on soon after.

Whatever the case may have been, the film manages to offer something new even by going back to the past, building a profile of the new and old characters, and offering more depth and understanding of how hell broke loose, and the aftermath of the events after leading to even more brown stuff hitting the fan. Leon Lai is brilliant as the brooding, menacing new force on the squad, giving Lau a good run for his money. Chen Daoming also plays his mysterious, shadowy businessman character darkly, but Kelly Chen just doesn’t have a part that justifies her appearence and is basically a washout.

With a really slow start, the film does pick up after the first 20 minutes of labouring. The introduction of Yeung is clumsy at best, as is the introduction of Shen, but they do intergrate quickly into the plot and add another thread in the crosspatch of events that take place. I didn’t expect to enjoy the film as much as I did, but it suprised me at most turns. offering something almost up there with the first film. the only other thing that disappoints is the weak resolution. It should have ended at a certain event, and that would have been perfect. But for whatever reason, they drag it out pointlessly which again offers a clumsy turn.

Infernal Affairs III trounces the second film into dust, and could develop to being on equal ground with the first film after a few viewings. I have yet to watch the two sequentially, but it’s something I thinK would certainly add to the pleasure of a trilogy that’s almost excellent, but for the rubbish second film.

Verdict: The last of the three, and sadly not the best, but it’s pretty close. Enjoyable sequel/prequel and great final film