User reviews

If you loved the first two 'Internal Affairs' movie, then you'll probably find it easy to also enjoy this concluding part: if not, you may find it more difficult. Part one was a tense thriller; part two, more epic in tone, a prequel that filled in the back story, concentrating on some of the secondary characters from the first film. But it's not completely clear where there's any plot left to fill a third part. What this film does is overlay the previous stories with an additional layer of romanticism and complexity; but there's a certain lack of focus to the plot, with almost all of our favourite characters already dead by the end of the second film (although, in flashback, there's a rebirth for the great Tony Leung, absent from part two). Indeed, the film works almost entirely by encouraging us to feel differently about scenes we have already witnessed. I still liked this third story about the quiet men of violence, and it did succeed in feeling like something more than just a repeat of the earlier films. But it's not so clear how much it adds to them.

While this is a great film with an incomparable score and outstanding cinematography, it leaves a lot to be desired.

It is really not necessary as the first two films really give us all we need. It is light on action and heavy on psychological trauma. Andy Lau as Inspector Lau has taken care of all the moles - or he thinks he has. he is not sure and wants to be clear there is nothing tying him to Sam so he can be the good cop he wants to be. SP Leung is a creepy fellow and we are never sure just what he is. Is he a mole, or just a crooked cop. It is never clear.

I was glad that Kelly Chen got a much bigger role as Dr. lee, but it would have been even better if we saw a relationship with Yan. It was obvious that she had love for him, but it never blossomed on screen. Yes, I know that would be a violation of the doctor-patient relationship, but it was there under the surface. Why didn't it come out.

We got to see quite a bit of Tony Leung in this film, and that is always a good thing.

It was very distracting the way the film jumped back and forth through time. It was trying to tie up the loose ends, but it was disconcerting.

It could have been an outstanding film, but it'll just have to be great to see the actors and enjoy their performance.

Infernal Affairs 3 builds cleverly on the plotline of the first movie, but with its complex story and frequent switches between past and present, is likely to seriously confuse anyone who comes to it without having seen Part 1 first to understand the two main characters. For those who have, this film brings out further details of the relationship between the two, superbly played again by Tony Leung and Andy Lau. With frequent flashbacks, the film focuses on extending the story of Triad mole Ming (Andy Lau), warping up the tension as the stresses of his double life become intolerable. Leon Lai's usual expressionless performance, which mars his other films, works well here as it leaves you few clues about his character's motivation until the climax.

If you enjoyed Part 1, you will enjoy this. (I haven't seen Part 2 yet.)

The last installment in the Infernal Affairs trilogy is surprisingly slow moving, but still has the high production values and intricate story of the first two, although as a whole it is slightly less engaging than the preceding films. There have been a lot of comparisons between this trilogy and The Godfather films, and the similarities in story-telling structure and the overall arc of the sequels are definitely there, although I have to admit that I think the Godfathers exist on an entirely different level as these films. The Infernal Affairs films are good, but they're not THAT good.

There is a lot of work in bringing together the stories of the first two films and it definitely adds to them, but I found this one to be too slow moving, although the pace picked up by the third act and the final scene is definitely impressive.

On the other hand, the trilogy ends on a serious downer - "Ksitigarbha Sutra - 'People of the like shall be cast into the Avinci Hell and will continue to suffer from Kalpas to Kalpas with no means of escape.'

I may as well just admit that I don't know the meaning or source of this quote, but it sure seems like a depressing note to end the trilogy on. Nevertheless, despite being just a little bit of a let-down (like countless trilogy finales), Internal Affairs 3 is a necessary closure, and Asian cinema fans are sure to eat it up.

Well I know most people think that part 3 is the least favourite of the trilogy. But i liked it. It's better thn part 1 but not as good as part 2.The plot is very smart and complex. I don't think any writers in HK can pull off something like that. Its so complex and so messy but at the end it ends up to be a brilliant script. I think the directors did a great job. This film should've deserve an award for best screenplay in both HK Film Awards and The Golden Horse Award. The other cast did a great job too. Especially Leon Lai. His sinister character just give me the chills and I really hate him. He too should've deserve an award for best supporting actor.

8.1/10

This film feels like an interesting conclusion to the Buddhist themed trilogy that had a masterpiece of a first film, a decent second film that was a prequel and now a well-made conclusion.

Not nearly as good as the first one but still worth the watch and a must for fans of the series.

Having now watched the entire INFERNAL AFFAIRS trilogy, I've concluded that only the original film was necessary. The first sequel took the form of a prequel, an entirely extraneous piece of back story that adding nothing to the original and would have worked better as a stand alone movie. This, the second sequel, is even worse, a muddled attempt at tying together both prequel and sequel, adding in lots of entirely superfluous stuff and additional characters that are all entirely necessary.

Tony Leung returns to the movie series, but his scenes amount to nothing more than padding; his character was so carefully delineated in the first movie, there's entirely nothing to add. Andy Lau has the most interesting role in a sub-plot that follows on directly from the first film's, and this section of the film was the most entertaining. But it's still rather unnecessary, and would have been much better had it been tied up at the end of the first film, as Scorsese did when he remade the series as THE DEPARTED.

Overall, INFERNAL AFFAIRS 3 feels confused and muddled. The constant jumping between past and present happens so much that it's ridiculous, and it becomes overwhelming clear that this was only rushed out to make a quick buck or two after the success of the original film.

The first movie was great, second was OK and so is this. (Completing the set, The Departed was fantastic, even better than the original - yeah, I know, very untrendy to rate a Hollywood remake better than the non-Hollywood original).

Interesting enough but seems to go over a lot of old ground, covered in the first movie. Gets quite convoluted, and loses focus, after a point too.

My infernal 'Infernal Affairs' marathon concludes with the third part of this epic saga. This time we're closing in on another mole in the Police force. The trouble is, we keep slipping back into the past so we can see how this guy ties in with it all. To be honest it's a bit of a mess but here's a brief summary while I can still remember it (summary haters, and those that don't wish to know about the plot, take some bad guys out while I write the next paragraph).

Lau Kin Ming has now been cleared of any wrongdoing in the death of the undercover cop, Chan Wing Yan. He can now concentrate on finding other moles in the Police force. His attention is drawn to SP Yeung Kam Wing who seems to be keeping his cards very close to his chest. Another candidate is Shen Chen, a man who, at one time, was Hon Sam's partner. Not everybody is who they seem to be and add to this a lot of flashing backwards and forwards in time, it makes for a rather confusing plot… Think I'll leave it there, I'm getting confused.

It's pretty well made, but it seems very cobbled together and has little coherence. The plot is very hard to follow and a bit of a mess of a screenplay doesn't really help. Performance wise; Tony Leung Chiu Wai was pretty good as Chan Wing Yan, as was Andy Lau as Lau Kin Ming. Of the rest, Leon Lai did a decent job as the enigmatic SP Yeung Kam Wing and Daoming Chen was pretty good as Shen Chen.

The first two films were really good and so I found it hard to believe this one could be so bad. It almost feels like it was rushed out too quickly after the success of the first two and suffered greatly for it. It certainly lacks the punch of the first two and as such is a rather disappointing conclusion to the trilogy. NOT recommended.

My Score: 4.6/10

Where Scorsese's recent version of Infernal Affairs all the loose ends pretty much got tied up during the film whereas with the original we were left with an open (but much more emotionally impacting) conclusion. The first sequel was a prequel so part III was left to pick up afterwards while also going back over the original film and filling in more detail. In doing this it marks itself out as one that is aimed at the fans rather than being just out for money. The downside of this is of course that if you are not a fan you might find this hard to follow along with (and if you have not seen the first film then just forget it totally). Personally I thought the first film was an enjoyable cop thriller but I didn't think it was brilliant or developed characters that well but the tension was great. With the third film the focus was very much on the characters rather than the tension – with the fate of Ming being the modern thread that holds the film together.

If you are into the characters and the parallels with the original film then it is worth seeing because it does do it pretty well. It does ask you to pay attention but it rewards you if you do and have been. There is action but mostly it is the Ming's ongoing struggle with who he is that the film pays most attention to. I quite liked this but must confess that this film still didn't do a great job of bringing out the characters that well and it is more the events and revelations that kept me interested rather than an emotional buy-in with the characters. Lau is perhaps partly to blame for this because I thought he was buttoned a bit too tight – it was understandable in some regards but the third film should have been the point where he shows more of a breakdown (which he does, but again it is events rather than emotion). Leung is good again but his scenes don't seem as relevant or as interesting within this film – again it is probably to do with the lack of emotional buy-in I felt with his character; his performance is natural and engaging though. Outside of these two the rest of the cast are pretty good. Again I didn't think much of the use of Chen but Wong and Tsang are both solid in their small returns.

Overall then an effective and enjoyable film if you love the series and the characters; an interesting one if you have seen the first two films and a pointless one if you are looking to join in at the last minute. Tying up the loose ends of the series, the film isn't tense enough or emotionally impacting enough to be worth a look unless you are really already into the characters but it is an interesting way to bring things to an end – with restraint and tragedy rather than excess.

Welcome back to another edition of Adam's Reviews!! **queue in intro music**

Today's movie review is the Hong Kong crime thriller sequel Infernal Affairs III (2003), the final entry to this series where it serves as a sequel and a prequel to the original. If you can get past with the constant flashbacks and keep up with the times then you will not mind this film, if not then you will definitely be hating on this flick. This flick picks up straight afterwards of the first while also going back over the original film and filling in more detail between Yan and Ming's overarching story arcs. This time around, the third film focuses on characters rather than the tension and thrill we saw in the first. The story is heavily focused on the fate of Ming being the modern thread that holds the film together. Here we get to see the deep psychological drawback from the first flick, whilst fearing that he will be exposed as the Triads mole in the police department. Plus, on top of that his wife has left him along with his newborn child. Lau who portrays Ming does a great job of a man who wants to leave behind his past and just be a good cop and a good man. His ongoing lines around "did I scare you, I am sorry" did get overblown. However, his depression, paranoia, fear, the lengths of covering his tracks while trying to be more like Yang is performed absolutely great. If you are into the characters and the parallels with the original film then it is worth seeing because it does do it pretty well. The only drawback of this flick is that you must pay attention to every detail. There are again great throwbacks to the other two flicks including eating the famous sharkfin soup. I did enjoy this film and liked the new characters who influence story lines attached to Yang and ultimately the ending of Ming however overall, the relevance of the characters who have died doesn't give you the emotional buy in as you may have during the first original film. A great way to tie up loose ends of the series, while portraying more of an emotional impact rather than a thriller - 6.2/10.

this final installment in the series is for me,i think the best of the trilogy.it it a bit confusing,as it does jump back in forth in time.but i think on repeated viewing it will become much clearer.forgetting that though,for sheer tension,it can't be beat.i was on the edge of my seat the whole time.this one focus4es less on the action and more on the character ans the story,as it should,since it ties everything(mostly) up in the end.there even a humorous bit that works very well.its' a great end to the trilogy.i will probably watch the all three movies again and see what i missed the first time around.for me,Mou gaan dou III: Jung gik mou gaan,AKA Infernal Affairs III is an 8/10

Final movie in I.A. Trilogy

Movie shows the 6 months leading up to Yan's death: funny moments with Boss Tsui, romantic moments with his therapist, and Sam sending him on dangerous missions - suspicious of Yan's past connected with the Ngai. Yan is in the arms trade with Shen and investigated by Yeung, Sam's new "mole".

Movie also follows present moments of Inspector Ming coping with Yan's death and his wife's divorce. He has psychotic episodes where he believes he is Yan trying to right the wrong of his death. I.A. tells him to investigate Yeung after officers suspicious of being Sam's mole wind up dead. They're led to believe Yeung is also a mole covering up Sam's tracks. Along with Ming learning Yan's profile from his therapist, Ming begins to investigate Yeung as if he is Yan, and hallucinates he is Yan ..

Internal Affairs III is the final film in the trilogy, this film is like the prequel (the second installment) directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, the former being the one who directed the original. This third film serves as both a prequel and sequel to the first film, as it continues after the events of the first film and before those events. Andy Lau and Tony Leung reprise their roles from the first film as Senior Inspector Lau Kin-Ming, an ex-Triad spy in the Hong Kong Police Force who tries to cover his criminal past and remain as a cop. Tony Leung as Chan Wing-Yan, an undercover Hong Kong Police Force officer in the Triad. He was killed by Inspector B in the first film, but returns in the prequel aspect of the film. Kelly Chen, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang and Chapman To also reprise their roles again, joined by new cast members Leon Lai and Chen Daoming. Andy Lau actually won the award for Best Actor in the Golden Horse Awards, well deserved I must say. The film was nominated for a lot of other different awards. Andy Lau's acting is superb. Being one of the new cast members, I think Leon Lai is one of those standout performances in the film as Superintendent Yeung Kam-Wing who's Lau's rival in the police force. Chen Daoming is too quite great as "Shadow" Shen Cheng, two good additions to the trilogy.

Months after the events of the original film, Ming suspects a police superintendent as being a new mole for the triads, while years earlier, Yan embarks on his first mission.

So I bought the whole trilogy on Criterion and I got the director's cut of the movie, more than I knew before buying as I had only heard about the first film. I thought this version of the film was a good viewing, a crime story worth telling, with great themes. Will Lau survive the infernal agonies of fear, paranoia, and lack of trust? Watch and you'll find out. It contains many satisfying answers to questions that have lingered after the first two installments. I've seen the question is it unnecessary? It depends on how much you like the story and characters, I don't think this film was wanted, but it was needed and it's because of the story and how much depth it has. The questions you might have, are answered here. The first film ended perfectly and the second installment was a great prequel that gave more context and just more, this film struggles but ends up being a fine addition. Also a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, I think the pacing could have been better and some of the writing too. Yet, it's solid, tying up loose ends and brings the character arcs to a satisfying conclusion. Especially Lau's character arc. I think the ending was fitting. The trilogy could have worked as one film, but how the writers and directors expanded the story and characters, into something memorable. This was a terrific trilogy. Internal Affairs III was a good crime drama, perhaps a bit unnecessary, but good.

Revolutionary cop thriller Infernal Affairs and its clever prequel Infernal Affairs II have profoundly changed Hongkong cinema two decades ago. The scriptwriters, directors and cast decided once more to capitalize on the success of the two predecessors to present a nervously twisted third film that is prequel and sequel at the same time. As a prequel, it gives us more information about the two moles and their challenging everyday lives. As a sequel, this film shows how the surviving mole tries to cut loose ends by eliminating all other moles while he gets caught up in his own web of lies as the internal affairs department is investigating him while his wife plans on divorcing him.

This movie's most significant flaw is that it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be and ends up being too many things at the same time. The sudden changes from past to present prevent this film from having any flow whatsoever. This film feels dull, exhausting and overtly long.

To be fair, a few segments are rather interesting. For instance, the relationship between the mole who has infiltrated the triads and his resilient psychologist convinces with brilliant acting and slow burn romance that becomes quite palpable towards the climax. This movie also has a satisfactory climax as the mole working in the police department decides to see his plans to cut loose ends through by any means necessary.

Many characters who have carried the two predecessors are only side notes in this film. Tony Leung's character is reduced to a closed-minded, tight-lipped and childishly romantic sidekick. Eric Tseng's wonderful character is shown as conflicted mobster who has lost most of its charisma. Most remarkably, Andy Lau's character who was always cool, prepared and quick in the predecessors loses touch with reality and runs amok which seems to be completely out of character. The filmmakers tried to introduced quite a few surprising changes but they feel pulled out of thin air and are simply not believable.

At the end of the day, avoid yourself the trouble to sit through Infernal Affairs III that overall lacks too much in quality to convince from start to finish. Discover this franchise with the excellent second instalment and continue with the groundbreaking first film but ignore this third part entirely. This episodic psychological drama feels like a dizzying rollercoaster ride that overstays its welcome.

excerpt, more at my location - The first movie in the Infernal Affairs trilogy was so good, it helped win Martin Scorsese his long-awaited Oscar for another film. Its prequel follow-up established an epic urban grandeur the like of which had rarely been seen in Hong Kong cinema before. Box- office receipts were good, worldwide critical acclaim was high. Andrew Lau and Alan Mak visit the well one last time - has it, by now, run dry?

At the conclusion of the film, which takes the viewer right up to the opening of a memorable early scene from the original movie, the viewer is in no doubt that a thrilling, memorable landmark trilogy has come to a close.

I've watched Infernal Affairs I, II & III, in a year time. I loved the first one very much. It gave me a very unexpected feeling. It's simple but strong in impact. Though one could mention a lot of flaws in the plot, I just couldn't resist its charm. The second one made me disappointed because it lacked the kind of impact the first one gave me. Now after watching the third one, I realise why there needs to be a second one in totally different style than the first one. It's a preparation for the audiences adapting to the change in the third one.

I like this third one. Without the second one, probably I would have been like the other audiences critising the change of style from the first one. It's this kind of change, it's made the film more solid, full of human feeling. The first one indeed was touching only the surface of the hole. This third one is more into the content of it - the heart of the people.

I love particularly the part describing Andy Lau's psychological sufferings and changes. The shadowing effect he had with Tony Leung should deserve a credit for script writing, directing and editting. The interlacing of stories between that happened before and after Tony Leung's death has been editted great. I feel sorry for people who don't read this or who don't like it. It's certainly the best part of the film which should earn a credit rather than negative critics.

I would conclude that the first one is like spicy cuisine which is strong in taste and quick in making one like it immediately if you can stand it. The third one is somehow a French cuisine where you have to be patient, taste it slowly together with the wine before you appreciate the marvellous cooking skills and feel the heart of the Chef.