I disagree. Yan in AI3 reminds me very much of Yan in AI2 and I see the pain Yan has in AI1 in this version of Yan. I don't see how Yan is acting like Jackie Chan. No way is he like the clowns Jackie Chan played. His being sarcastic and rude to SP Wong and Keung make him a clown? As for the shrinks sessions, it also match with AI1. In AI1, Dr. Lee has said Yan can only relax and sleep soundly during his session with her. So, Yan can only be himself and act playful during that session.
Honestly, I felt both AI2 and AI3 don't match with AI1 storyline wise. AI2 and AI3 are both good movies on their own but are bad prequal/sequal. The part where Yan first met SP Wong is different AI1 and AI2. In AI1, Yan met SP Wong in SP Wong's office as a bright young man full of confidence. SP Wong chose him for the undercover job because of his observant and quick mind. But AI3, he met SP Wong outside of the police station and he was very down and out and he became an undercover because that was the only choice he can stay in the polic force. SP Wong chose him not only because of his intelligence but also because of his close relationship with Ngai family. Also, after I watch AI2, I always wonder, why would Sam still trust Yan and put Yan at his side when he knew Yan was close to Hau? Even if he didn't know Yan was Hau's brother, Yan appeared like a right-hand man of Hau in AI2. In AI1, Sam seem to really trust Yan. AI3 fixed his discrpancy a bit by making Sam doubt Yan and distrust Yan throughout the movie. But this still does not match the trustful relationship in AI1 that AI2 ruined. AI3 also don't match with AI1 because of the appearance of Yeung. How can Yeung be no where to be seen in AI1 when in AI3 he play such a intergral part during the war between Sam and SP Wong and when Yan was still alive?
All 3 are good movies, but I prefer to watch AI1 as a standalone single movie.
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blackheart981
18 years ago
Honestly, the prequel and sequel was actually unneccesary in general. The prequel should had never been called IA 2, we want a movie that progreses not goes back in time. It would had been fine if it was called Infernal Affairs: The prequel or the legend(it's actual sub-title). I don't know why people keep thinking IA 3 was full of plot holes or such, the directors tried their best and somehow the movie still connected. IA 2 if I have to say because most people claim it to be even better than the 1st, had loads of plot-holes as Reiyi pointed out. Since IA 2 is supposed to be the origin, I guess that overrides everything IA 1 or 3 dished out. One thing if I have to say is that at least the 1st and third IA does a great job in balancing the Internal affairs department and triads. The 2nd one lacked that(it mainly focused on the triads too much) and the moles who are supposed to be the pivotal characters of IA hardly appeared.
The first movie was just fantastic(some plot-holes I have to say). The 2nd is good but really not needed because it does not change the future and Francis Ngs character is only worth watching. Sam and Wongs relation is a welcome addition but useless overall in terms to the future IA. The 3rd one I liked as well but the movie cannot stand on its'own. It plays and feels like a Sims-addition. Some plot-holes here and there but its more of a progress rather than going back. Movie could had been done without as well.
As for Yeung Reiyi, yes he is not mentioned at all in IA 1 but if you pay attention to the gathering of him, Yan, and Shen in the docks, he will tell them that he is going to Beijing for couple weeks. He asks Shen to come along but he refuses and returns to the Shadows as he calls himself. IA 1 don't forget takes place according to the 3rd IA in one week. "7 days before Yans death" rings a bell? 10 days after Yans death, Yeung and Shen gets acquainted somehow and burns incense atop the infamous building in IA1. That clears the question of how Yeung could exist because he was in Beijing during the whole IA 1.
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BigBlaster123
18 years ago
I agree and disagree with the above posts. The prequal idea from IA2 is brillinatly realised, and the story fleshes out all the main characters. It gives a huge amount of depth to the main protagonists. It also alters the way in which you will forever approach IA1. IA3 then goes about dispelling the characteristics of the two main protagonists we have gathered from the first two movies. I'm not suggesting IA3 is rubbish, but it takes the whol saga in a bizarre direction, and this like "The Godfather Part 3" was a sequal to far. I appriciate the stylistic plot devices but the script seemed muddled and confused. It felt simply like a cash in, and a rushed one at that. We will agree to disagree.
Is it Safe?
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reiyi
18 years ago
Just some extra comment.
AI2 also ruined the relationship between Yan and SP Wong that was established in AI1. In AI1, I get the feeling that Yan and SP Wong was pretty closed. Yan might be complaining about not wanting to be an undercover agent anymore, but I still get the feeling that he cared for SP Wong. But how can he be now that he know SP Wong was the mastermind in his father's murder?
Secondly, why was Yan not reinstated back to the police force? Didn't Yan said he wants to become a real policeman with his own desk after his undercover job? Even if his evidence became useless after Hau died, he still did his job. SP Wong should be able to get him back into the police force. Why was he still undercover years later?
It might be that he wanted to stay on to get evidence to put Sam into jail to avenge his family, but he didn't seem so in part one. In part one, Yan was always telling SP Wong he wanted to quit being an underdover agent.
AI2 is a good standalone movie (on par with AI1), but I still think it's not a good prequal.
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blackheart981
18 years ago
Well we all have our differences. I just really like the first because I guess I like cat and mouse stories. The first IA had a great story. The 2nd one was cool because I like Francis Ngs' character and it was great to see Sam and Wong shine as friends but it could had been done away with and the story would still be fine. The 2nd movie was somewhat cliched as well. The morse coding, "I am a cop", and someothers etc... Yes, this is the prequel so they have been doin this for years but must Shawn Yue constantly babble about him bein a cop throughout the whole movie. Tony made it sound great but the line became tedious when it was constantly used over and over in the 2nd. Not the actors fault though. The third one probably should had not been made because do we really have to see the fall of Ming? The first one ended with a bang and I guess because a bad guy won, people didn't like that or something. To sum it all, the third one was perhaps the most cliched with the repeats with the bullet to the head, I am cop(although I loved it when a furious Ming says it while he shoots Yeung), and other stuff I'm too lazy to write about.
To clear up the whole Yan/Wong relationship about reinstation, I think the directors in IA 2 just messed up the dialogue. If we were following IA 1, It should had been Wong who promised Yan in IA 2, not Yan demanding it. I guess it's hard to make prequels like how George Lucas ruined Star Wars by implementing the inferior prequels.
Overall I do like the entire trilogy and I hope I could get the 8-disc set one day. Man the boxset is fricken expensive!
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