Disclaimer: I have not seen the original 1990s American film which this one is a remake of. Thus, I cannot directly compare the two, nor can attest in one way or another to, say, the claims that the lead performance here is less interesting than that of Samuel L. Jackson in the original.
However, to me this film is valuable in its own right due to one common thread in PRC filmmaking - and that is the deep undercurrent of social realism. Well before the story of police corruption this film is remaking begins to unfold, we are shown not one, but two tense hostage cases. Beyond simply showcasing the skills of our main characters and the emotionally draining reality of their work, those scenes unmistakably convey a message you don't see in police-oriented films all that often - that it is a clear failure of the state if a person has become so desperate to force the police to get involved in the first place.
Hence, the other negotiator leaves the service after the prologue to become a social worker and thus address the grievances which may lead to hostage cases at their root - and it is very much shown as being the right thing to do, while our villains are specifically the career police more in love with their uniforms and privileges than any of the people they are serving.
Beyond that, the film is a perfectly good genre entry, with fine performances, good direction, great pacing, etc. I did find it a little grating with how long it's taken for the computer in the office to get unlocked (presumably one of the first things the hostage-taker should have gone for), but it's not much of an issue for this genre. Yet, it is specifically the social context which, to me, elevates this film beyond merely being a good genre entry.
