“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” Charles Dickens wrote. This famous quote pretty much sums up the social and historical background to “I Corrupt All Cops,” in which Director Wong Jing takes a break from his usual vulgar, cheesy comedies (which you can always count on to feature gambling, promiscuity and women with really, really big boobs) to helm a fictionalized look at the corrupt police syndicate whose actions between 1963 and1973 ultimately led to the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, or ICAC. But even with an all-star cast, a precise script written by the director himself, and meticulous art direction which takes us back in time to 40 years ago, “ICAC” isn’t the fine production it easily could have been. The reason is Wong’s schizophrenic approach, which simultaneously glorifies both the noble efforts of the ICAC (the best of times) and the glamorous lives of the crooked cops (the worst of times).

The film follows Chen (Eason Chan), a kind-hearted police officer and subordinate of Lak (Tony Leung), the chief inspector responsible for an organized system that allows police officers of all ranks to take bribes from just about everyone, from hookers to triad leaders. Lak is ruthless, but at the same time he manages to reduce crime rates with the triads’ cooperation, even if it occasionally means forcing false confessions from the innocent. It’s all meant to be for the greater good. But the money, power and women keep rolling in, and the there’s nothing more enjoyable than watching the cops willingly give way to temptation all in the name of justice.

That’s when Wong tries to play the righteous card (a rare move for him, and one suspects he has the mainland market in mind here). He introduces the ICAC as a one-dimensional cure-all for dissolving all corrupt activities. Yet they seem like a joke next to the superb, complex characters of the cops. Wong tries to build the ICAC up as heroes, but they come across as cold. Maybe Wong should stick to the dark side and keep peddling cheesy comedies with big boobs after all.

3 Stars by Winnie Yeung.

Directed by Wong Jing. Starring Eason Chan, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Anthony Wong, Kate Tsui, Alex Fong. Category IIB, 112 minutes. Opened Apr 30.