Protagonist Nick is a Hong Kong police officer but has never been inside a court or a police station; he has spent his career deep undercover. It has taken eight years but now he has the evidence to bring down Lin Quin, AKA The Banker. However his bosses would rather he remained undercover; he has gained Lin Quin's trust and is being groomed to take over the business; if he remains in place he will learn who is higher up the chain. Nick has never really thought about those who use the drugs but learns just how bad it is for them when he befriends his neighbour; a young mother who has left her junkie husband but is struggling to break the habit she picked up while with him… she tells Nick that she only took heroin to prove it was easy to quit but soon learnt that it wasn't easy at all.Having seen a few Hong Kong crime dramas I was expecting full on action like that found in John Woo's films; this however is quite different. Protégé is a more thoughtful film showing us the isolation of our protagonist as he works to bring down the people who are his closest friends. At no point is heroin glamorised; those who use it are wretched, slaves to their addiction who will do whatever it takes to get their fix. While this isn't an action film there are moments of violence, some of which are quite shocking although none of it is as shocking as the sight of a dead addict crawling with rats… a truly disturbing scene. The cast do a fine job; Daniel Wu was solid as Nick and Hong Kong film veteran Andy Lau is great as Lin Quin; depicting him as a businessman whose business happens to be illegal rather than as a cartoonish villain. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anybody who likes their thrillers gritty rather than action packed.These comments are based on watching the series in Cantonese with English subtitles.

The material isn't anything new, however the plot combines two age-old Hollywood stories to create a hybrid drama which gives it the fresh feel. On one end of the plot we have our central protagonist Daniel Wu dealing with the isolation of being an undercover cop and his past trauma with drug abuse. On the other end of the plot is his infiltration into Andy Lau's heroin ring, and his attempts to become the successor to the operation in order to solidify his case. Unfortunately the story on its own is fairly stale, although what polishes the movie greatly is the excellent cinematography and standout performances from Wu and Lau. There are some fantastic visuals which capture the mood of the characters and run down environments around them. In addition the audience can tell Wu and Lau are really passionate about their roles and they react to their dialogue and environments genuinely to where you understand what each is thinking without a word needing to be said. The execution of the crime-drama material here is superb and feels on par with that of Johnnie To. The various DVD covers of this movie are deceptive however, and in no way is this an action feature. This is a slowly paced drama about one cop's different confrontations with heroin and it's many users. In that sense the film is flawless, and does what a good drama should, but at the same time the conclusion doesn't offer any surprises. -8/10

This film is little to surprise. Story revolves around a young undercover cop, trailing a heroin addict who wishes to pass on his line to his trusted understudy (the aforementioned undercover cop!). Parallel to this is the tempestuous relationship the cop begins with a heroin addicted young mother who lives across from his flat.The themes the film presents have been covered well in other films, and so there is little new here but nor does it try to make out that they are. Violent at times and thoughtful at others, it's another HK film about loyalty and it's limits.The actor portraying the young copy is excellent (he was great in "One Night in Mongkok" also) as you follow him through the HK underworld learning the trade whilst trying to cope with a heroin addicted lady he sympathises for. Seems to be clichéd at times but never too much. Most of the cast fit in well into this film but it's' a hard act to try to match or follow some of the classics in the field. This doesn't make it sit with the best, but is a good attempt.As long as you give this film a chance, you may enjoy it. Nothing testing but an enjoyable addition to the HK gangster genre.

Nick has been undercover for seven years in one of Hong Kongs biggest drug networks and is working side by side Banker, the boss of this elaborate organisation. This isn't a 'Gangster' movie as its advertised, its about drugs and the problems they cause; there are no gun fights, gang bangers..its pure acting.I loved Andy Laus character a man plagued by illness and his plans to retire; he had so much depth and the way Lau reacts to everyday situations is amazing to watch, while Daniel exceeds the last role I saw him in, which was 'One night in Mongkok'; here we see him evolve and watch a range of character development take place. The other actors were great in their chosen roles and provided a brilliant supporting cast, but for me the character Jane-Jane was adorable. She made me smile, its amazing how a child can easily tell the difference between good and bad....The drug taking scene was very hard to watch, and thats what this film does it hammers the message home and explores the reasons as to why people take drugs. A fantastic film.....