Good movie but grossly overrated

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

With the aid from a New York City policeman (Mark Wahlberg), a top immigrant cop (Chow Yun-Fat) tries to stop drug-trafficking and corruption by immigrant Chinese Triads, but things get complicated when the Triads try to bribe the policeman.Roger Ebert wrote, "Director James Foley is obviously not right for this material. It's a shame, actually, that he's even working in the genre, since his gift is with the intense study of human behavior." High praise for Foley, who made the excellent "Glengarry Glen Ross", but has also gone on to work in the "Fifty Shades" franchise. Maybe Ebert was too kind.For some reason, this film seems like it had the script of an exploitation film but the budget of a major feature. This ends up with sleazy situations and bad dialogue that do not belong in anything this major. One wonders how this was not a major stumbling block for Wahlberg, though it may not be his only misfire.

A thriller with a difference, this is a rare film: an action film that gives us complex human characters to care about, as well as plenty of adrenaline-pumping shoot-outs and car chases to enjoy. It's a complex film to watch, with lots of different characters and relationships. It's not simply a film about good vs. evil, the bad guys versus the good guys - here, the lines are blurred, and nobody is painted in just black and white.Chow Yun-Fat excels as the corrupted cop with a heart of gold, giving us a noble character (no stretch for him) who we really care about by the film's ending. However it's Mark Wahlberg who comes as the real surprise, giving us a man torn between doing what's right (ie. turning in his partner) and doing what his heart tells him. The two men strike up a realistic relationship, one which is very watchable, and the film keeps you guessing as to the final outcome of things right up until the very end.There are lots of sleazy criminals also kicking around, and the film is shot in gloomy locations with a lot of shadows. Typically men will be talking in an office with sunlight shining on them through the half-closed blinds. This gives it a dark atmosphere, yet it's still a very crisp, well-photographed film to watch. The action is excellent and realistic-looking, with a top car chase (my only complaint is that it could have been longer) through the streets as bullets rip through the two vehicles and a whole slew of innocent people are butchered as the carnage progresses through the city. There are also plenty of shoot-outs as the cops raid illegal brothels and drug dens, the film painting a very seedy picture of the city. The ending is unusually heartfelt, and will be tugging at your emotions (clue: it's not a happy ending).This isn't just an action film - it's a human drama too, with believable characters mixed in with the expected bone-crunching excitement. A nice surprise.

Chow Yun Fat (Chen) and Marky-Mark (Wahlberg) stars together as cops working NY's Chinatown. It's fairly apparent this is a very early movie for Wahlberg. His acting abilities are minimal. This is a typical Chinatown "buddy" movie. Substitute Yun Fat or Wahlbwrg for anybody else and it's still the same movie.The camera work is quite slick as the editing adds an edgy, streetwise feel to the atmosphere. The action for the movie was very stylish and intense as it is displayed in a very gritty way. The hand-held shots used for the car chase are a perfect example. The theme tune for the film gives it a very complex mixture of Eastern and Western culture and dark suspense. The soundtrack used throughout the film gives it a very urbanized feel and backdrop for the story. This is just predictable from start to finish but it's still enjoyable enough to watch all the way through. Action, adventure, turn coat, bad good guys, cute bad girls... it's all there.Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

This One is Criminally Underrated, Director James Foley and Crew Deliver a Barrage of Action and Characters that are Stunning. We Not Only Remember the Violent Outbursts of Stylistic Violence, the Characters Stick in the Mind As Well. Certainly Chow Yun-Fat, Giving One of His Patenting Performances with Mannerisms and Controlled Mania, the FBI Agent, Brian Cox's Mess of a Father, the Chinese Gang Members, and Yes, Mark Wahlberg at His Most Restrained.The Car Chase is Simply one of the Most Complex and Violent as You're Likely to See, Not Afraid to Kill Innocent Bystanders at a Blistering Pace, In Fact the Whole Sequence is Alarming.The Movie has Everything Action Fans Could Want and More. The Cinematography is Excellent and the Film is Filled with Things that are Uncomfortable and Unique. Overall, it is One of the Best from James Foley, Wahlberg, and Can Hold its Own with Fat's Hong Kong Films. Yes, John Woo's The Killer (1989) and Hard Boiled (1992) are Better, but This One is No Slouch.