The end of the affair

The psychological drama dovetails with more details of Yan's story, revisiting his therapy sessions with Dr. Lee, played by pop star Kelly Chen (陳慧琳). But this part of the film seems rather contrived, especially with the desperate suggestion of a romance plot between doctor and patient. In a sappy portrayal of the psychiatric profession, we're privy to lengthy sessions of Dr. Lee weeping for the slain Yan. Add Chen's amateur acting skills, and the only relief in these scenes is the always brilliant comic charm of Leung.

The film returns to the sleek visual style of the first movie, accentuating a sense of post-industrial Hong Kong in the decor of the police headquarters. But with the introduction of a few Mandarin speaking Chinese characters, as well as references to Taiwanese repatriates and arms dealers, this epic also suggests the growth of a greater China.

A huge window in Yeung's executive office looks out on Victoria Harbor, its view limited to ships and cranes without showing Hong Kong's recognizable skyline.

And so when a Chinese freighter slowly creeps by in the background, coincidently at a crucial climactic moment, we might think we are in Shanghai's Pudong district or the Pearl River Delta. Gone are those good old days from Part II of a freewheeling, colorful Hong Kong.

After all, as Shen tells a

recession-weary Sam flirting with the Chinese market, a Hong Kong gangster will never outlive a Chinese businessman.