one ▁producing ." ▁ ▁David ▁Ehr lich ▁of ▁Ind ie W ire ▁noted ▁" In ▁broad ▁stro kes , ▁this ▁prem ise ▁has ▁already ▁been ▁expl ored ▁to ▁death , ▁but ▁“ The ▁Gang ster , ▁the ▁Cop , ▁the ▁Dev il ” ▁breath es ▁new ▁life ▁into ▁it ▁by ▁elev ating ▁at ▁least ▁two ▁of ▁its ▁three ▁major ▁characters ▁far ▁above ▁their ▁arch et ypes ." ▁Michael ▁Le ader ▁of ▁Little ▁White ▁L ies ▁wrote ▁" Wh ile ▁not ▁wild ly ▁original ▁– ▁Asian ▁crime ▁cinema ▁has ▁m ined ▁these ▁un common ▁team - ups ▁and ▁eth ical ▁ambigu ities ▁for ▁dec ades ▁– ▁The ▁Gang ster , ▁the ▁Cop , ▁the ▁Dev il ▁pull s ▁off ▁its ▁familiar ▁tw ists ▁and ▁turns ▁with ▁style ▁and ▁ver ve . ▁An ▁exp ans ive , ▁electric - ne on ▁aer ial ▁shot ▁at ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁places ▁us ▁firm ly ▁in ▁Michael ▁Mann ▁territory , ▁and ▁the ▁mach ismo ▁of ▁the ▁film ’ s ▁protagon ists ▁sp ills ▁over ▁into ▁director ▁Lee ▁W on - ta e ’ s ▁am ped - up ▁a est h etic , ▁from ▁flash y ▁scene ▁trans itions ▁and ▁mont ages ▁to ▁gener ous ▁help ings ▁of ▁slow - mo , ▁cr unch y ▁fight ▁ch ore ography ▁and ▁a ▁driving ▁rock ▁sound track ▁throughout . ▁The ▁film ▁is ▁s lick , ▁sty lish ▁and ▁consist ently ▁entertain ing , ▁but ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁nothing ▁without ▁its ▁head line ▁lead ▁performances ." ▁Richard ▁Wh itt