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MOVIES / ON DVD / INFERNAL AFFAIRS
Infernal Affairs

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Infernal Affairs (2003)

95%
100%
95%
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95 %
Reviews Counted: 59 Fresh: 56  Rotten:3 Average Rating: 7.6/10
 
Consensus: Smart and engrossing, this is one of Hong Kong's better cop thrillers.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for violence

Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins

Theatrical Release: Sep 24, 2004 Limited

Synopsis: Directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, INFERNAL AFFAIRS is a tense thriller featuring Hong Kong superstars Andy Lau and Tony Leung. The film follows the parallel lives of Ming (Lau), a cop who secretly reports to ruthless Triad crime boss Sam (Eric Tsang); and Yan (Leung), an undercover police... Directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, INFERNAL AFFAIRS is a tense thriller featuring Hong Kong superstars Andy Lau and Tony Leung. The film follows the parallel lives of Ming (Lau), a cop who secretly reports to ruthless Triad crime boss Sam (Eric Tsang); and Yan (Leung), an undercover police officer who poses as a Triad member in Sam's gang. For Yan, the years of living in the criminal underworld have taken their toll, and he longs to return to regular police duty. However, the only person who knows Yan's true identity is his mentor Superintendent Wong (Anthony Wong), also the unsuspecting superior of Ming. When Wong's officers come face to face with Sam's gang, both leaders realize there are moles in their midst. Soon Yan and Ming must track each other down, leading to an inevitable confrontation. Unlike many contemporary Hong Kong films, INFERNAL AFFAIRS steers clear of over-the-top action in favor of a more stylized and subdued story that builds on emotional and psychological tension. Leung is riveting as the undercover cop who desperately wants a normal life, while Lau instills his corrupt character with confidence and charm that mask his deep inner conflict. These two stellar turns are ably supported by veteran actors Wong and Tsang, along with Sammi Cheng and Kelly Chen. A huge blockbluster in Asia, INFERNAL AFFAIRS is a landmark of Hong Kong cinema that deserves the same status abroad. [More]

Genre: Action/Adventure

Starring: Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Sammi Cheng

Director: Wai Keung Lau, Alan Mak
Screenwriter: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
Producer: Wai Keung Lau

DVD Info

Release:

Dec 7, 2004

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Widescreen - 2.35

Additional Release Material:

  • Trailers - 1. International Trailer
  • 2. Original Chinese Trailer
  • Featurette - 1. Making Of INFERNAL AFFAIRS
  • 2. CONFIDENTIAL FILES
  • Alternate Ending

Buy It On DVD

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Ratings Image
3/4

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/27/07
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
06/19/07
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
10/07/06
Dana Stevens
Slate
Ratings Image
A

Seductively shot and beautifully acted, this is like a summation film, bringing together all the themes, motifs, mood, and style of the gritty policier Hong Kong thriller, one that will make John Woo and Michael Mann proud.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/18/06
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Ratings Image
N/A

This intense, explosive Hong Kong thriller ushers in a new era of hyper-intelligent action.

Full Review | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Ratings Image
4/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
7/10

well-written, well-directed and well-acted genre film

Full Review | comment Comment
11/26/05
Dragan Antulov
Draxblog Movie Reviews
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C+

Ultimately quiet tepid.

Full Review | comment 3 Comments
05/04/05
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
Ratings Image
4/5

Um inteligente drama policial que se preocupa mais com o desenvolvimento de seus personagens (e com as relações entre estes) do que com tiroteios e reviravoltas.

comment Comment
05/03/05
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena
Ratings Image
3/5

Far too light on action to be very exciting, and far too generic and familiar to be genuinely intriguing, Infernal Affairsis ultimately a forgettable affair.

Full Review | comment 2 Comments
03/03/05
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com
Ratings Image
4/4

Everything you'd want in a police action thriller: powerhouse performances, Grade A production values, a good script and suspenseful direction.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/04/05
G. Allen Johnson
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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B

Potboiler Hong Kong cop drama with a fairly interesting plot about moral dilemmas and mixed allegiances.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/04/05
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
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8/10

Solid character-centric piece that's more interested in psychology than in gritty action sequences.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/03/05
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies
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3.5/4

...has an intensity usually reserved for Greek tragedy.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/05/05
Josh Larsen
Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)
Ratings Image
7/10

I appreciated the filmmakers' conviction to keep the story as gutsy as possible. The film doesn't flinch.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/31/04
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com
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7/10

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Full Review | comment Comment
12/27/04
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium
Ratings Image
3.5/4

Beauty in its consistent, washed-out blues and silvers, grace in its understated, intense male performances and energy in its unyielding commitment to tone and tension.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/24/04
Allison Benedikt
Chicago Tribune
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
3/4

What makes it special is the inner turmoil caused by living a lie. If everyone you know and everything you do for 10 years indicates you are one kind of person, and you know you are another, how do you live with that?

Full Review | comment Comment
12/24/04
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
B-

More reasonably plotted than most films of the action genre.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/20/04
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
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Related Forums

REEL_REVIEWER
INFERNAL AFFAIRS TRILOGY gets its East Coast premiere @ the 42nd New York Film Fest!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 2/17/07


REEL_REVIEWER
INFERNAL AFFAIRS TRILOGY gets its East Coast premiere @ the 42nd New York Film Fest!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 2/17/07


REEL_REVIEWER
INFERNAL AFFAIRS TRILOGY gets its East Coast premiere @ the 42nd New York Film Fest!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 2/17/07


REEL_REVIEWER
INFERNAL AFFAIRS TRILOGY gets its East Coast premiere @ the 42nd New York Film Fest!!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 2/17/07


Pointless DVD cover
by: dubyaboosh 1/25/07
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• Infernal Affairs at Rotten Tomatoes
• Infernal Affairs at AskMen
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