Like many HK films, the first half of this film is awful. Confused, rambling, at times silly, with just a little relief. But the second half is quite good.
Andy Lau plays the type of role he's done many times - the tough guy does nasty work but is basically on the side of the good guys, and he gives his all, as usual. But, also as usual, it's hard to feel much for his character. Unusually, he gets to do discreet nude/sex scenes with a young actress.
Lau's character, though the tarnished hero, is a loser in every sense, and he suffers much from bad luck.
But the best acting is a real surprise. This is the first movie I've seen Bill Tung where he's not playing a jokey role. Bill plays the physically (and morally) corrupted senior cop beautifully. His performance is compelling, and he steals every scene in which he appears.
There are quite a few twists and turns in the plot, which takes off quite well in the second half, although the ending is never really in doubt.
Overall, passable