【电影简介】

故事缘起一宗平常的交通事故，香港知名证券商罗敏生（刘青云饰）的座驾被发现遭人窃听，警方调查所得，窃听器属军事用途，保安科介入案件，经总督察何智强（古天乐饰）查出，窃听者为一名退伍军人司马念祖（吴彦祖饰），警匪双方展开了连场追逐，顿时烽烟四起。何智强本以为只是一宗单纯的勒索案件，没想到在深入追查之下，竟揪出了一个名为“地主会”的神秘组织，传说这“地主会”三十年来主宰了经济体系的兴衰成败，而罗敏生及司马念祖更与“地主会”有着敌友难分的关系。何智强被卷入其中，竟与罗敏生及司马念祖连手策动一场惊心动魄的风暴。

【音频文本】

Since the director killed off two of the main characters in the first installment, Hong Kong film Overheard 2 starts with a different story, but retains the same leading actors and the same reference to the use of surveillance technology.

A car accident reveals that a successful stockbroker, Luo Minsheng, is being tracked by a military surveillance device. Captain of the Anti-terrorist Force He Zhiqiang is called in to investigate. He discovers that Luo belongs to a secret group of stock fixers called "The Landlord Club," and Sima Nianzu, the son of the late leader is tapping almost every member of the Club, in an effort to locate the current murderous leader and avenge his father.

But the secret surveillance storyline serves only as an appetizer, while the main course is the director'srealistic understanding and presentation of humanity. Rather than the classic 'good guy vs. bad guy' cliché,the film showcases a diversity of personalities, from an objective perspective such as that of an indifferent bystander. Not only are the so-called 'bad guys' consumed by greed, but ordinary people are also vulnerable to its corruptive hold.

A complete and efficient legal system is perhaps the last safeguard against the dark side of humanity. Even the dice-rolling stock tycoons are in constant fear of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, and are willing to kill to stop the whistleblowers. The lonely avenger doesn't take on the entire Landlord Club single-handedly, as is often the case with Hollywood movies. Instead, he leads the police force to theculprits in his quest for justice.

The plot is well-knit and develops quite smoothly. In fact, it develops so smoothly that the film is practically a rush from beginning to end, not allowing viewers much time to digest the story. The film also fails to give all three leading actors a balanced opportunity to show off their excellent acting skills. Fortunately, the three leading actors, Lau Ching Wan, Louis Koo and Daniel Wu will get another opportunity when the director includes them in the next sequel.

The element of finance is diluted by the prevailing plot. Some finance jargon does fall out of the actors'mouths, and stock fixing does constitute a part of the background story, but that is where all the financefuss stops and the plot begins. The director has expressed the intention to drop the finance element for the next sequel.

So the film's objective observation of humanity is plausible, but an overemphasis on plot may have spoiledthe taste a little. Hopefully, when the next sequel comes, the leadings actors will be given a fairer opportunity to present themselves. On a scale from one to ten, Overheard 2 deserves a SEVEN.

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