better than the first film

Who else thinks this is better than the first one? It's more suspenseful, gripping, and well-balanced with its use of comedy and drama, as opposed to the first film's rather schizophrenic nature. The story feels much more focused here, with each set piece being motivated by plot and characters, rather than the opposite.

The direction and performances are much better too. Jackie's camerawork is much more fluid and dynamic this time around (notice how much more depth there is to the images now), and his acting is more believable too. Here, he never comes across as overblown or exaggerated in his attempts at doing drama. Maggie Cheung too, is much less hysterical here and is more believable as a concerned, but still loving girlfriend.

The fight choreography is about on par with the original, but I honestly think this film has a much better climax. The way the film goes from Kevin and May being kidnapped, to him being forced to commit a robbery with a bomb under his shirt, to him trying to get rid of the bomb and finally, him trying to save May and defeat the bad guys all on his own. In my opinion, it's one of the greatest movie climaxes of all time.

Who's with me? I think this blows the original out of the water.