This is definitely a huge improvement over Helios (2015) but it still can't hold a candle next to Lok Man Leung and Sunny Luk's breakout hit Cold War (2012). Even though it has won a spew of film awards, I still find its pedigree suspect.

What made Cold War work is the superbly played battle of wits. Who is the cat? Who is the mouse? We are never quite sure of the M.B. Lee's (Tony Leung Ka Fai) allegiance which makes for an engaging and absorbing experience. His ultimate act of giving his son into the arms of the law cemented his final stand. So it really pisses me off that 4 years down the road, Cold War 2 plays the same old game.

The filmmakers fall into the trap of typical flashy sequels when the predecessors become surprised hits. To up the ante they decided to up the levels of everything -bigger cast, bigger explosions, louder car chases, bigger conspiracy, bigger mambo jumbo talk, but sadly lesser logic. The plot is unnecessarily convoluted till the point some characters become superfluous. Can someone tell me what the heck Legislator Oswald Kan (Chow Yun-Fatt) does here that is so important? I think the filmmakers were blurred too because Oswald completely disappears in the last act. In a Straits Times interview with Chow, he said he had to constantly go back to the writers to enquire the meaning behind his scenes. If you take his character out, you essentially take another chunk of unnecessary actors out probably shaving off 30min easily, making it a tighter film. Last night's screening is the first time I see so many patrons leave for toilet breaks!

The plot is nuts, unnecessarily complicated but in the end it is so simple. It is about people in high places wanting to control everything. Come on lah... Cold War 2 will probably be distributed in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore. Which citizen from these countries doesn't understand people in high places want their own kind in the right posts for all of eternity till the point they would assassinate anyone, both metaphorically and literally, standing in their path. Who wouldn't know the concept of $1-companies sprouting up to do their bidding. Heck! We know all these and more. If you are even surprised by the plot, you are probably an A1 victim of government's brainwashing machinery.

Through the course of 3 films Lok Man Leung and Sunny Luk have defined a distinctive kind of high-browed thriller that has become their calling card. Characters go through lots of grand posturing and spewing eloquent veiled threats. But for me, they don't necessarily treat the audience with respect. The verbal vomit of self-important verbose exposition sure doesn't help. For the cursory viewer looking out for entertainment the movie may score, but if you go past all the elaborate staging and knife-edge dialogue the characters' actions defy logic. For example, one would think that Eddie Peng's Joe Lee must be crucial to the syndicate's next move since they are breaking him out of jail. But no, they intend to send him off to a new country to escape the manhunt. Aaron Kwok's Sean Lau giving the villain 3 ultimatums so that he escapes the clutches of the law is also baffling. It made no sense to me. Wouldn't you want to find out how far the rot has gone?

The filmmakers must hate the flashback device a lot because I don't think they have used it in their 3 films IIRC. But a flashback to the 1995 incident would have helped cement the relationship between M.B. Lee and the shooters. It would have made the supermarket standoff scene more emphatic. As it is, I felt nothing. I think that's the problem - the film may be entertaining but it isn't compelling for me on any level; my emotions not invested in the story. Even the procedural element is weak with every new discovery told in a scene of exposition. Show me; don't tell me everything! That is such a shame because the cast is stellar.

My wifey and I had more fun picking the movie apart over prata and Milo than watching it. I am really kind with this review because we actually discussed a lot more than this. Oh well, maybe Cold War 3 will tie up all the loose ends. Yes, there will be a third part, for better or for worse.

I can understand many got loss in their arguments, the plots, etc This movie cannot be fully appreciated with just 1 watch.

I have to watch it about 5 times, replay certain parts to know what they are saying because the acting by the actors were truly amazing!

Please hurry the next sequel