WORTHY prequel to Andrew Lau's widely acclaimed Triad action yarn.

This story covers the relationship between Inspector Wong (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang) and Sam (Eric Tsang) in the early 1990s. Over the ensuing six years, betrayals are revealed on both sides kick-starting a Triad war which propels Sam to the top of his underworld tree and begins Wong's mission to take him down.

We learn how enthusiastic cop Chen Wing Yan (Shawn Yue) goes undercover and manages to join up with the Triads; while mobster Lau Kin Ming (Edison Chen) goes in the opposite direction, joining the police force.

While it doesn't advance the story from the first film, it does shed light on many of the subplots, adding weight to the arguments of those critics who have billed the Infernal Affairs films as the Asian Godfathers.

See it at Lighthouse