IF2 is in my opinion, the best in the series. Francis Ng, Anthony Wong, and Eric Tsang are all great.

IF2 is a prequel, and the plot is about the Ngai crime family headed by Francis Ng. Being a prequel, the story deals with characters origins, and events that shaped them into the people we see in the first movie. Even though Andy Lau and Tony Leung are not in the film, somewhat surprisingly, I found it to be superior to the first one. Edison Chen and Shawn Yu portray the Lau and Leung parts respectively. They don't really do much though (which is a good thing) and much of the story features Ng, Wong, and Tsang.

There are no real good guys in the film, as even the cops headed by Wong commit criminal actions such as organizing a murder to shake up the Triads. Francis Ng's Triad leader is especially ruthless, as he appears friendly to partners and rivals, and then systematically eliminates them one by one. His excellent acting range is on display as he plays a calm, calculating gangster- much different from some of his wacky, or over the top maniac roles.

With all the betrayals, backstabbing, and infiltration, no character is safe! Much of the movie plays out like a chess match, and when the action does happen it hits with a bang, and is brutally shocking. The directing, cinematography, and score are all top-notch and this is a movie that I keep coming back for multiple viewings.

If you compare this film with the first, then there are some unrealistic plot inconsistencies. Some things make for a very big reach to say the least, and other things simply make no sense at all. I prefer to ignore it however, and look at the film as a stand alone movie. Overall I would say that IF1 was very good, IF2 is outstanding, and IF3 was a major disappointment.