Several people seem to take issue that this is the remake (actually, reimagination) of Infernal Affairs. But come on, guys and gals, this isn't some two-bit hollywood hack mailing in a mediocre movie, this is Martin Frickin' Scorsese we're talking about here.
The man is a living legend. When Hong Kong cinema was just surviving by making light-hearted comedies, Scorsese gave Robert De Niro a mohawk and a mean streak. When the world thought that brutality was Bruce Lee going chop-socky on some silly white guy, Scorsese was redefining violence in Raging Bull. Please don't think that I'm knocking down Hong Kong cinema; it's just that I believe that giants and pioneers should be given the respect they deserve.
And let's not forget that Infernal Affairs isn't the first work that has been a reimagined by Scorsesi. It joins the distinguished company of The Last Temptation of Christ, Raging Bull, The Age of Innocence, Cape Fear, Bringing Out The Dead, and The Aviator. Goodfellas was based on a novel and went up against the two Godfather movies, and to this day, people are still getting into arguments about which was better, Goodfellas or Godfather. It is disgraceful to say that Scorsese is remaking Infernal Affairs because he has no talent or no ideas.
If I was a self-respecting movie maker, and Martin Scorsese remade one of my movies, I would consider that the greatest of professional honors. The fact that the remake was not only awesome as a stand-alone film, but also explored issues that the original didn't focus upon is further illustration for the great respect that Scorsese had for Infernal Affairs.