City on Fire

1987 "He Thought He Knew the Risks of Going Undercover."
7| 1h45m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 13 February 1987 Released
Producted By: Cinema City Co., Ltd.
Country: Hong Kong
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Ko Chow is an undercover cop who is under pressure from all sides. His boss, Inspector Lau, wants him to infiltrate a gang of ruthless jewel thieves; his girlfriend wants him to commit to marriage or she will leave Hong Kong with another lover; and he is being pursued by other cops who are unaware that he is a colleague. Chow would rather quit the force, feeling guilty about betraying gang members who have become his friends.

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Director

Ringo Lam

Production Companies

Cinema City Co., Ltd.

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City on Fire Audience Reviews

Artivels Undescribable Perfection
Glucedee It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
Tayloriona Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
grantss Ko Chow is about to resign from the police force when he is asked to take on one more case. He is to go undercover in a gang that is robbing jewellery stores. He accepts the task and successfully infiltrates the gang. It is a very dangerous mission, not just because the gang might discover his true identity but because many of the police suspect he may well be a criminal.The movie that inspired Tarantino's superb Reservoir Dogs, and, as it turns out, that's the only possible reason to watch City On Fire. Quite mediocre: random, padded script that only really finds a focus towards the end. Poor direction and performances, resulting in some pretty cringeworthy scenes. The domestic stuff involving Chow Yun Fat, and anything where he is around a woman, is very embarrassing. Hammy acting, by just about everyone concerned, throughout. Don't model your mannerisms on Charlie Chaplin when you're doing drama...Worst of all, it bares very resemblance to Reservoir Dogs. Only in the last 15 minutes or so can you see where Tarantino got the idea for Reservoir Dogs from, and even then the similarities are only in the broader plot development. Ending is not anywhere near as powerful as Reservoir Dogs and the general tone is not anywhere near as gritty.Quite poor and not worth watching, even if you are a Reservoir Dogs fan.
Mike Garcia Quentin Trantino stole the plot of this masterpiece to make his own vision of the story on the acclaimed Reservoir Dogs, in my opinion much worst than this. Ringo Lam is a master on filmmaking, in this film he builds a story of friendship and betray and a new vision of the crime world..Chow yun fat is amazing as always that he works on China, his character an undercover cop who finally become friend with one of the guys that he must betray. Danny Lee's character has blind faith on chow's until the very end when he discovers that the one who was his friend is also his worst enemy. This film is one of my all time favorite, the action, the plot, the acting everything is great. a must seen movie
snickty Anybody that lambastes Tarantino for stealing ideas should also recommend that all of Shakespeare's works be ignored because either plot lines or situations are ignored. It clear to even the most casual observer that there are numerous things taken directly from "City on Fire" i.e. the three way standoff, the undercover cop taking one in the gut, and the likable thief taking out a squad car with a gun blazing in each hand.I'll even admit that these things were directly ripped off by Tarantino, but I firmly believe that "Dogs" absolutely stands on its own in terms of character exploration, and story structure, never mind acting, and cinematography. I liken it to "Rozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" which also directly lifts entire scenes from Hamlet, but is completely its own fully-fleshed work. Another reason this works is that old Billy himself didn't really invent any new stories because there are only about 14 stories anyway.Tarantino may have stolen more than a few ideas, but the Dog's story is made his own, and I mean come on, it's f***ing RESERVIOR DOGS. I didn't hear Steven Wright anywhere in City on Fire.The thing I enjoyed the most about COF is finally getting to see what went wrong in the Dog's heist.
Dave Kaminskas A young cop goes undercover to infiltrate a group of jewelry thieves. Quentin Tarantino definately saw this one. He basically took the story and molded it into his own flick... Reservoir Dogs. If you were a fan of Reservoir Dogs than you will probably like this film. Although it is the same story, the movies are completely different. Instead of spending the entire movie in the warehouse, this film goes and shows more of the undercover cop's life and his relationship with his girlfriend. There are also many other things going on. Well made, well directed, and a great story. This one doesn't have the hip dialogue the Tarantino film has got, but it is still a blast to watch. *** out of ****