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Daniel Wu, Andy Lau, Jingchu Zhang, Louis Koo, Derek Yee ... see more see more... , Anita Yuen , Tung Tseo-tsz

One Night in Mongkok director Derek Yee takes a trip into the underworld with this crime drama starring Andy Lau, Lewis Koo, Daniel Wu, and Anita Yuen. An undercover cop infiltrates a major heroin rin... read more read more...g, skillfully ascending the ranks from low-level dealer to middle management. After falling for a beautiful addict, the policeman is hand picked by the ailing crime boss to take over the entire syndicate once he's gone. His priorities blurred by an infernal combination of money, power, and seven years undercover, the cop chosen to clean up the streets finds his true identity gradually slipping away as a malevolent new persona begins to take hold. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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82% liked it

6,532 ratings

R, 1 hr. 48 min.

Directed by: Tung-Shing Yee

Release Date: February 13, 2007

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DVD Release Date: May 1, 2007

Stats: 461 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (461)

  • garyX
    July 26, 2011
    garyX
    A long term, deep cover cop insinuates himself into the life of a drug baron who takes him under his wing and grooms him to become his successor. Very much in the Infernal Affairs school of HK cop dramas, Protege also clearly has parallels with the likes of Blow, Traffic and espe... read morecially Donnie Brasco. Daniel Wu and Andy Lau both put in solid performances as the two leads, but the humourless approach means that the likeability and vulnerability of the characters of Brasco is missing, instead making for a rather dry and sterile examination of the drugs industry, at least in comparison. The emotional content is confined to a subplot involving a junkie single mother and her young daughter which feels just a little too soapy and manipulative. Having said all that, it's still a very well made and intelligent thriller that at least tries to make a non-judgemental stand where it comes to the subject matter. The biggest problem is that it's a bit like sleeping with a high class hooker; it may be nice to look at and very efficient and professional, but it lacks the kind of personality and quirks that make you fall in love.
  • WrenchLT
    February 3, 2011
    WrenchLT
    A well made and very interesting look at the heroin drug trade in present day Hong Kong seen through the eyes of an undercover agent who's infiltrated one of the biggest drug dealing gangs in the country run by Lin Quin (Andy Lau). It's gritty and pulls no punches and is quite in... read moresightful with it's depictions of the production and distribution of the drug. The effects of the heroin drug is also touched upon with the opening scene of a female drug addict and her daughter being particularly disturbing. Deserved all its award nominations back in Hong Kong, but it's a film that deserves to be watched by all.
  • ajaymuthecooldevils
    July 29, 2010
    ajaymuthecooldevils
    A pretty good movie about cops and drugs... Even it's not as good as Infernal Affairs, but it just do well... The cast were amazing... Daniel Wu, Andy Lau, Louis Koo, Anita Yuen, and Zhang Jingchu, they're all played amazingly... Especially Andy Lau, he's get better and better...... read more Daniel Wu was good for the leading man of this movie, but I thought he can do a lot better... And the ending, well I predicted it before so it's no a real surprise but nice try anyway... Maybe if the story is rework, then this movie will become excellent story...
  • kiriyamakazou
    February 16, 2009
    kiriyamakazou
    An incredibly well made thriller in the vein of Infernal Affairs. This isn't the average cop thriller though, it's a commentary on drugs and the drug world. The film details the farming, the selling and the addiction. Unlike many films though it keeps the story centralised to two... read more main characters. It also uses the ingenious plot device of a man training his protege. This makes it acceptable for the exposition as we tour from the inner cities of Hong Kong to the wilds of Thailand. The film also has some incredible moments such as the bungled raid scene. It's funny, dramatic, tense and has VERY unexpected moments. The films only drawback is that it is very heavy handed. The messages are spelled out clearly and sometimes come a bit close to Reefer Madness forehead slapping absurdity. Luckily the performances pull everything together as does the movies final surprising question. It tells us that drugs are bad, but perhaps the emptiness that drugs fill is worse.
  • aliyanto
    August 8, 2007
    aliyanto
    Which is more dangerous: drugs or soul's emptiness?
  • skactopus
    July 23, 2007
    skactopus
    What we have here is another take on the Hong Kong drug underworld. Although this movie has received excellent reviews, not just on Flixster, it wasn't able to satisfy my entertainment needs.

    The story is really deep and it really explores the drug trafficking phenomena really

    ... read more well. The whole movie your actually learning more and more about what a drug trafficker does and eventually you're even taken to the source. That's right, your taken to the farmlands themselves. As you can tell the story is pretty realistic, but it seemed to be too detailed at times. It seemed like I was learning more than I wanted to know and I just wanted to move on to the next scene. I also felt that that the film was missing that extra something. It did have some interesting scene transitions at points, but a typical gunfight may have been nice. A little more suspense maybe. Humor may have been a welcome addition as well. This really was a dark and gloomy movie. Some people may say that this movie didn't need that sort of stuff and they are probably right, but I just wasn't entertained enough while watching this. One thing this movie did do well though was get its message across. DON'T DO DRUGS! I have seen films with similar types of messages, but this film actually does one of the better jobs at making you think twice about using drugs. I think it was the dark atmosphere of the film that helped with that.

    The acting in this film is excellent. Andy Lau and Daniel Wu show why they are among the top in Hong Kong cinema. Louis Koo actually did a nice job with his character, but he did seem out of place in this film for some reason. His character was the real odd man out between everybody. What really impressed me the most though was the performance by Zhang Jingchu. This was actually the first "modern" role that I've had a chance to see from her other than her wuxia movie roles (Jade Warrior and Seven Swords). She played a single mom who was also a druggie and she pulled it off brilliantly.

    This movie has an excellent story with a great message to get across, but if you want to be entertained instead of educated then feel free to watch something else. Then again, I seem to have different tastes when it comes to movies so you may find this entertaining. I also wouldn't be surprised to see this film win a bunch of awards. Not just in China either.
  • juliomendez19941
    March 17, 2012
    juliomendez19941
    I'm no stranger to Asia crime movies as I have a fondness for Yakuza and Triad culture as I find it fascinating to watch. This is the first Asian crime movie I've seen revolving around drugs and I loved it.

    Protege is about Nick, an agent deep undercover for eight years has be... read morecome unable to separate himself from his undercover persona, he immerses himself into his role as a crime figure. In the seedy underbelly of mob culture, where redemption comes at a price and the borders of justice, loyalties and truth are constantly changing, Nick grapples with dangerous choices and finds himself flirting with more than the devil. The story is spot on hitting all the right dramatic note and not taking it subject lightly. The main character is not one-sided like most agent that go undercover like other related movies which helps the movie standout. I thought everything was in tact as it had great dialogue, dynamic characters, and a interesting story to tell. Though I will say one scene in the movie did come out unintentionally hilarious as the police bust our drug makers when you see a guy cutting off a police man hand, he later picks it up, and it makes a fist terrifying the criminal and making him scream.

    Now I do love this movie, but it doesn't mean it's perfect. Daniel Wu did a good job in the lead role, but he just couldn't hold his own against Andy Lau. Andy Lau clearly upstages Daniel Wu in every scene they share and Wu character comes out inferior in portrayal which hurts the movie. Other than that everything else is on tact. It has a great atmosphere and you'll likely be drawn into it thanks to the locations, cinematography, and the actors making this world this story believable.

    Protege is a great crime movie that only fault is the lead actor being upstaged. Protege is a fascinating movie I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoy a good crime story.
  • lesleyanorton
    February 3, 2011
    lesleyanorton
    Infernal Affairs-a-like story about an undercover cop and the drug lord mentoring him to take over the family business. Less twisty turny than Infernal Affairs, but strong on educational detail. You can learn about the full heroin production chain from poppy growing and fixing a... read more batch when it won't set, through to shoving the stuff in your body. Plus, in a poignant side tale, how rubbish it is for kids with junkie parents.

  • threefolddado
    August 31, 2008
    threefolddado
    Graphic, well acted film about the heroin trade in the legendary golden triangle from the poppy fields to the junkies doing anything they can for a hit and the businessmen and cops in between. Excellent work from all involved.
  • cacutshaw
    July 31, 2007
    cacutshaw
    Very solid film with great performances and a solid story. I'm a sucker for undercover cop films and this one is right up there with the best. Despite having a pretty lousy final shot (which isn't horrible, it just doesn't fit in with a film of this calibre) this is an excelle... read morent film.

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Critic Reviews

Anton Bitel
April 9, 2008
Anton Bitel, Eye for Film

Ultimately, Protégé is a derivative mess, unable to give viewers already familiar with its influences the hit that they need. Full Review

October 18, 2008
Empire Magazine

Click to read the article Full Review

Matthew Turner
April 17, 2008
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon

Click to read the article Full Review

Coco Forsythe
February 13, 2007
Coco Forsythe, Future Movies UK

Click to read the article Full Review

Peter Bradshaw
October 18, 2008
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]

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April 22, 2008
BBC

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