I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

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.

By watching how life of people surrounding heroin, this movie will touch you. The story is that up close, and no one has succeeded in bringing this topic in such a surreal way to the big screen as the Protégé.Director Derek Yee brings no bares held tale of undercover cop, Hong Kong drug lord, and the lives of people affected by the use of heroin in a tight plot and excellent script.The framing of the visuals, the portrayal of the people of this level can only be accomplished by an excellent movie, and this movie takes it to the next level.If you've never seen this movie, you owe it to yourself to see it. It brings a new level of story telling to the cops vs drug lord genre.

I saw this last month at the 2008 Palm Springs International Film Festival. The title of this film I believe is Munto not Moon To as listed here on IMDb and this Munto film is not to be confused with the Japanese animee movies of the same name. This is a gangster thriller set in Hong Kong. Nick (Daniel Wu) has spent his entire police career infiltrating a major drug organization led by Kwan (Andy Lau). Nick went straight from the police academy to undercover work and has never worn a uniform or even been inside a police station. For the past seven years he has worked his way up drug lord Kwan's organization that he is in a position to be Kwan's heir to his drug empire. Kwan, in fact, has selected Nick as his heir apparent because he is dying from the long-term results of diabetes. In the meantime Nick has been living in an inner city apartment where his next door neighbor Fan (Zhang Jingchu) is a pretty single mother whose low level drug dealing, heroin addicted husband (Louis Koo) drifts in and out of her and her daughter's life when he isn't in jail to pimp her out. Fan has also become a heroin addict. Nick develops a relationship with Fan and acts as a surrogate father to her little daughter. Nick has also become very close to Kwan. Thius is a good story from writer/director Derek Yee. Within the story line, it takes us to Burma and Thailand and complete with charts and graphs, almost becomes an educational anti-drug documentary on the workings of the Asian heroin trade within the Golden Triangle. Excellent cinematography by Keung Kwok-man and editing by Kwong Chi-Leung. Good production design by Yee Chung-man with Academy Award nominated costume designer/art director Chung Man Yee on board as a consultant. Fast-paced original music score by Peter Kam. This is a good movie and I would give it a 8.0 out of 10 and recommend it.

An excellent portrayal of an undercover cop working to bring an end to a huge drug network in Hong Kong.The film gives three sides of the story and shows the viewer a glimpse into the world of the drug-lord, the undercover cop and the addict.All three main characters (Andy Lau, David Wu and Zhang Jingchu) gives an excellent and flawless performance. Where does one draw the line between business and drug smuggling, crime prevention and aiding crime, addiction and family? Is David Wu's character the protégé or are the addicts the protégé? At the end of the day, drugs destroys everything. One could turn a blind eye, but everything comes round in a circle.