Infernal Affairs II
Infernal Affairs II is a 2003 Hong Kong crime-action film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak.[1]
| Infernal Affairs II | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Traditional | 無間道II |
| Simplified | 无间道II |
| Directed by | Andrew Lau Alan Mak |
| Produced by | Andrew Lau |
| Written by | Felix Chong Alan Mak |
| Starring | Anthony Wong Eric Tsang Carina Lau Francis Ng Edison Chen Shawn Yue Hu Jun Chapman To Roy Cheung Liu Kai-chi |
| Music by | Chan Kwong-wing |
| Cinematography | Andrew Lau Ng Man Ching |
| Edited by | Danny Pang Curran Pang |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Media Asia Distribution |
Release date |
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Running time | 119 minutes |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Language | Cantonese |
| Box office | HK$24,919,376 |
| Infernal Affairs II | |||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 無間道II | ||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 无间道II | ||||||||||
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It is a prequel to the 2002 film Infernal Affairs. Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Edison Chen, Shawn Yue and Chapman To reprise their roles from the original film alongside new cast members Carina Lau, Francis Ng, Hu Jun and Roy Cheung. Neither Andy Lau nor Tony Leung, who played the central roles in the original, appear in this film as they are replaced by their younger versions portrayed by Edison Chen and Shawn Yue respectively. The events of the film take place from 1991 to 1997.
Plot
In 1991, Hong Kong police inspector Wong Chi-shing meets his informant, Hon Sam. At the same time, Lau Kin-ming, Hon's prospective mole within the Royal Hong Kong Police Force, assassinates Sam's triad boss, Ngai Kwun. Lau is later greeted by Sam's wife, Mary, who casually ascertains whether he has any reservations about his mission for Sam. While giving him cash, Mary advises Lau to maintain a low profile. She also confesses that she was the person who ordered the hit on Ngai Kwun, admitting that Sam has no knowledge of this transgression and urges Lau to remain silent. Mary wants Sam to replace Ngai Kwun as the triad boss.
Meanwhile, instructors at the police academy discover that Chan Wing-yan, a promising but troubled cadet, is the half-brother of Ngai Kwun's heir, Ngai Wing-hau; he is subsequently discharged from the police force. Chan is later approached by Wong, who asks him why he wants to be a cop; Chan replies, "I want to be a good guy." Wong subsequently makes Chan an undercover cop, sending him to prison to get close to one of Sam's men, Keung. Meanwhile, Hau replaces his father as the triad boss; he is the only Ngai child directly involved in the family business. With Kwun dead, four other underbosses, the "Big Four", dismiss Hau and debate on whether to continue paying their dues to his family. However, Hau forces them to pay up by blackmailing them individually with his knowledge of their mutual betrayals. Sam acts as an agent provocateur for Hau in this affair.
By 1995, Chan has become a small-time gangster while Lau rises as a rookie cop. Chan's continual association with Sam and Hau causes his girlfriend to have an abortion because she does not want their child to follow in Chan's footsteps. Hau wishes the troubled Chan to be integrated into the Ngai family and invites him to his daughter's birthday party, where he announces that he wants to retire in Hawaii and divide his business among the Big Four. He also gives Sam control over a Thai cocaine smuggling ring. Meanwhile, Sam leaks information about criminal dealings to Lau, who is able to apprehend many local gangsters and earn a promotion in rank.
During Hau’s next drug deal, Chan tips off the police with a Morse code message about an abrupt change of plans for the meeting. The police show up and arrest Hau as the deal is taking place. However, no drugs are found in the suitcase, which instead contains a videotape showing that Wong conspired with Mary to have Ngai Kwun murdered. Caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, the police release Hau. Wong is relieved of his police authority pending an investigation for misconduct. While Hau is taken in for questioning, his men assassinate the Big Four and set into motion his plans for vengeance against his father's murderers. An ambush awaits Sam as he meets Hau's contact in Thailand. A bomb is set off in Wong's car; while Wong is unharmed in the attack, his superior and friend, Superintendent Luk, dies in the blast. Lau saves Mary from an assassin and takes her to a safehouse, but decides to have her killed when she rejects his feelings toward her. He reveals to Hau's men that she will be at Kai Tak Airport, where she gets mown down by a car.
In 1997, Lau is picked as one of the officers to preside over the ceremony signifying Britain's handover of Hong Kong to China. Wong is cleared of misconduct by his superiors and reinstated to his former post. Hau attempts to enter politics but his support disintegrates after Sam, who survived the shooting in Thailand, turns on him and provides evidence to Interpol about his illegal dealings. Wong brings Hon back to Hong Kong under witness protection after Sam agrees to testify against Hau in court. In the meantime, Hau sends his men to Thailand to take Sam's family hostage in an attempt to threaten Sam to back out. During the confrontation between Hau and Sam, Sam reveals to Hau that his Thai mafia friends are also holding Hau’s family hostage in Hawaii and that he has no real family in Thailand. Infuriated, Hau holds Sam hostage at gunpoint just as Wong and the police show up. During the standoff, Wong fatally shoots Hau, who dies in Chan's arms. Moments before succumbing to his wound, Hau discovers the wire in Chan's jacket and realises that his half-brother is an undercover cop.
Sam's tactics against Hau lead to a falling out between him and Wong. Shortly after their final meeting, Sam reluctantly lets his Thai friends murder Hau's family in Hawaii. The pieces are set in place for the first film: Sam goes down the dark path of replacing Hau as the triad boss, becoming Wong's new foe; Lau is a police inspector and Sam's mole; Chan is forced to remain undercover, returning to join Sam's triad. As the handover ceremony takes place, Sam sheds tears over the loss of Mary before hosting a party. Back at police headquarters, Lau handles a case involving a young woman, coincidentally also called Mary, who becomes his fiancée in Infernal Affairs.
Cast
- Anthony Wong as Wong Chi-shing (黃志誠), a police inspector who aims to take down the Ngai family triad.
- Eric Tsang as Hon Sam (韓琛), a member of Ngai's triad.
- Carina Lau as Mary, Hon Sam's wife.
- Francis Ng as Ngai Wing-hau (倪永孝), the boss of the Ngai family triad after his father's assassination.
- Edison Chen as Lau Kin-ming (劉健明), Hon Sam's mole in the police force.
- Shawn Yue as Chan Wing-yan (陳永仁), Ngai Wing-hau's half-brother and an undercover cop.
- Hu Jun as Luk Kai-cheung (陸啟昌), a police superintendent who is Wong's close friend and partner.
- Chapman To as "Silly" Keung (傻強), Chan's friend and fellow triad member.
- Roy Cheung as Law Kai-yin (羅繼賢), an undercover cop in Ngai's triad.
- Liu Kai-chi as Uncle John (三叔), Ngai's right-hand man.
- Joe Cheung as Ngai Kwun (倪坤), the boss of the Ngai family triad and Ngai Wing-hau's father who was assassinated by Lau.
- Henry Fong as Gandhi (甘地), one of the Big Four.
- Peter Ngor as Negro (黑鬼), one of the Big Four.
- Arthur Wong as Kwok-wah (國華), one of the Big Four.
- Teddy Chan as Man-ching (文拯), one of the Big Four.
- Chiu Chung-yu as Mary, the girl Lau meets in the police station at the end of the film.
- Phorjeat Keanpetch as Sunny, the Thai drug lord who tried to kill Hon Sam.
- Ye Shipin as a socialite at the handover party
- Tay Ping Hui as Ngai Wing-hau's lawyer
- Hui Kam-fung as the principal of the police cadet school
- Alexander Chan as Ngai Wing-yee (倪永義), Ngai Wing-hau's elder brother.
- Andrew Lin as Ngai Wing-chung (倪永忠), Ngai Wing-hau's younger brother.
- Kara Hui as Ngai Wing-tsz (倪永慈), Ngai Wing-hau's elder sister
- Wan Chi-keung as Superintendent Leung (梁Sir), Wong's superior.
- Chan Charoenwichai as Paul, the Thai drug dealer who became friends with Hon Sam.
- Kelly Fu as May, Chan's girlfriend
Music
The film's score was composed by Chan Kwong-wing. The theme song, Eternal Realm (長空; Changkong), was composed by Wong Ka-keung, lyrics provided by Wong and Yip Sai-wing, and performed by the band Beyond.
Reception
The film was highly anticipated prior to its release due to the success achieved by Infernal Affairs. However, the general response to the film was mixed.[2]
Box office
The film grossed HK$24,919,376[3] — big by 2003 Hong Kong standards, but only about half of the original's earnings.
Awards
Although Infernal Affairs II earned twelve nominations for the 2003 Hong Kong Film Awards, it could not match its predecessor's success. The film won only one award, Best Original Film Song, for the song "長空" (performed by Cantopop band Beyond).[4] The film won the Best Film award at the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards.
- Won: Best Original Film Song (Wong Ka Keung, Yip Sai Wing, Beyond)
- Nominated: Best Film (Andrew Lau)
- Nominated: Best Director (Andrew Lau, Mak Siu-fai)
- Nominated: Best Screenplay (Mak Siu-fai, Chong Man-keung)
- Nominated: Best Actor (Francis Ng)
- Nominated: Best Actress (Carina Lau)
- Nominated: Best Supporting Actor (Chapman To)
- Nominated: Best Supporting Actor (Liu Kai-chi)
- Nominated: Best Cinematography (Andrew Lau, Ng Man-ching)
- Nominated: Best Editing (Curran Pang, Danny Pang)
- Nominated: Best Original Film Score (Chan Kwong-wing)
- Nominated: Best Sound Effects (Kinson Tsang)
10th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards
- Won: Best Film
See also
- Infernal Affairs
- Infernal Affairs III
- List of films set in Hong Kong
- List of Hong Kong films
References
- New York Times
- Singer, Leigh. "Infernal Affairs II (Wu Jian Dao 2)". Channel 4. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- "Infernal Affairs II (2003)". HKMDB.com. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
- "23rd Annual Hong Kong Film Awards". Lovehkfilm.com. Retrieved 5 July 2009.
External links
- Official website (dead)
- Official site on Miramax
- Infernal Affairs II on IMDb
- Infernal Affairs II at AllMovie
- Infernal Affairs II at Rotten Tomatoes
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Chinese Odyssey 2002 |
Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards for Best Film 2003 |
Succeeded by McDull, Prince de la Bun |