I think the film was good back when it first released but watching it now proves that it does not stand the test of time. The acting is so-so at best with the exception of Tony Leung who does an excellent job of showing the anguish and conflict of an undercover cop. You can see it in his eyes. Yun-fat is just plain angry all the time and does various acrobatic things with his mouth. But his character does not have depth despite some effort to portray otherwise with the implementation of a former cop friend played by John Woo himself, who Yun-fat would sometimes confine "deep" subjects with such as friendship, life and death, etc. However, the conversations are stiff, shallow, and lacked of emotion. This film is widely praised for its action sequences and I could see how it's come about but I'm seemly biased by today's standard. I know I shouldn't do this but I just can't help it. The action sequences are just too over-the-top. I understand the unrealistic element of action movies to entertain but this one really irks me. Unlimited amo, bullets wouldn't go through car door yet throw a person across a room as if he just got hit by a truck, people miss their marks constantly in the most obvious way - yes, I'm talking about you Mad Dog, you were in an arm base with high caliber rifles yet you used a single shot pistol, you were 12 feet away and caught your targets off-guarded, and you still missed - which by the way somehow miraculously helped Tony, who was shocked with high voltage and on the verge of death just moments ago, back on his feet faster than a stallion; Wong, the main villain, tries to explode the building filled by gas (ordered by him by the way) that he was in, with C4s. Even my kid cousin knows better and Wong't do that. I know I'm really nitpicking here but it did strike a nerve. I'm willing to overlook all that but the main problem is hard-boiled down to this: it's too exaggerating, too much, and dragged on way too long which really tiresome to watch after awhile.
Stripped the action and the plot is weak full with holes. There are some really cheesy scenes and dialogs. Most importantly though, I didn't feel any chemistry between characters. I didn't feel an emotional surge when a close friend is killed or when he's in great danger (A Better Tomorrow was great on this). I just didn't care for them; I was a mere spectator not an engaged participant that was drawn into the scenes.
However, I'd not discredit this film for its influence. This and other Woo's films helped popularize the gun fight ballads. The scene where Yun-fat slides down the stair, back rested against the stair rail, tooth-pick in mouth, pumping the dual pistols is spectacular; wicked cool.
TL;DR: average at best with lots of over-the-top actions that gets old really quickly while doesn't have a good enough plot nor acting to sustain it. Probably was great when first released but doesn't hold the water now. A Better Tomorrow and The Killer are both much better films with similar theme.
Stripped the action and the plot is weak full with holes. There are some really cheesy scenes and dialogs. Most importantly though, I didn't feel any chemistry between characters. I didn't feel an emotional surge when a close friend is killed or when he's in great danger (A Better Tomorrow was great on this). I just didn't care for them; I was a mere spectator not an engaged participant that was drawn into the scenes.
However, I'd not discredit this film for its influence. This and other Woo's films helped popularize the gun fight ballads. The scene where Yun-fat slides down the stair, back rested against the stair rail, tooth-pick in mouth, pumping the dual pistols is spectacular; wicked cool.
TL;DR: average at best with lots of over-the-top actions that gets old really quickly while doesn't have a good enough plot nor acting to sustain it. Probably was great when first released but doesn't hold the water now. A Better Tomorrow and The Killer are both much better films with similar theme.